Wellington Regional Stadium Trust reveals naming rights deal with the Sky Network

The Wellington Regional Stadium Trust and New Zealand’s Sky Network Television Ltd have announced a new partnership that will see the broadcaster replace Westpac as the venue’s naming rights holder from 1st January 2020.

The six-year agreement will see the Stadium rebranded and renamed Sky Stadium and includes a number of activations aimed at improving the fan experience both at the Stadium and on TV.

Welcoming the partnership, Wellington Regional Stadium Trust Chief Executive Shane Harmon stated “we are thrilled to welcome Sky as our naming rights partner as we move into our third decade.

“Sky is a great fit because of their position as the nation’s premium provider and our aligned goals of creating memorable and rewarding experiences.

“Over the past 20 years we have welcomed over 10 million fans and become New Zealand’s busiest multi-purpose stadium. We look forward to a new era for the stadium where we will work with Sky to deliver world-class events and fan engagement”.

“Sky is a leader in sport, broadcast technology and innovation, and we will be seeking to deliver new technologies and content ideas to our venue”.

Advising that the broadcaster looked forward to working with the Trust and having a strong brand presence in our nation’s capital city, Sky Chief Executive, Martin Stewart added “we will work together with the Sky Stadium team to deliver outstanding fan experiences, with innovations both in the stadium and across all screens. It’s all part of our strategy to deepen our connection with sports fans and to work with our sport partners to increase fan engagement.

“We’ll be there for the finale of the coming cricket season and the opening of Super Rugby. We can’t wait.”

Sky Stadium is only the second name for the venue, and marks the conclusion of the agreement with Westpac, the naming rights partner since the Stadium first opened in 2000, ending one of the longest partnerships in New Zealand sport.

Harmon paid tribute to its foundation partner, concluding “Westpac has played a critical role in the success of the venue. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Westpac over the past two decades, developing the partnership at both the local and national level.”

Images: Artist's impression of how the venue's new branding will look as of 2020.