Wellington’s Sky Stadium loses its naming sponsor after six years

• Sky has decided to end its partnership with Wellington’s main stadium, confirming it won’t be renewing its naming rights contract after this year.
• Sky wished the stadium success in finding a new sponsor.
• The venue was previously named Westpac Stadium for twenty years.

Wellington’s main stadium will once again be on the hunt for a new name – and major sponsor – with Sky deciding not to renew its contract for the venue’s naming rights.

Sky’s interim chief customer officer Ant Dureau told the Herald the company had decided to end its partnership with the capital’s biggest venue.

“Our contract concludes at the end of this year, and we wish the Trust team success in securing their next naming rights sponsor”, he said.

The Wellington Regional Stadium, colloquially known as the Cake Tin for its distinct architecture, was built in 1999.

It was known for most of its life as Westpac Stadium, with the bank holding the naming rights for 20 years until late 2019 when it was announced Sky would take over.

Sky Stadium Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

“We’ve enjoyed a fantastic partnership with the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust over the past six years, and it has been a privilege to work together to bring awesome sport and events to New Zealanders at Sky Stadium,” Dureau said.

Sky Stadium CEO Warrick Dent echoed the sentiment, saying they had “enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Sky over the past six years”.

“The sponsorship concludes at the end of this year, before then we look forward to delivering a strong events schedule in the final year of our partnership with Sky.

“We are currently seeking a new naming rights partner.”

The broadcaster held the naming rights as part of a six-year contract from January 1, 2020. The deal’s value was never disclosed.

Sky TV's New Zealand HQ in Auckland.

The deal was revealed the day Sky TV posted its annual result in 2019.

When it was first announced, then-Stadium Trust chief executive Shane Harmon said it represented “a new era for the stadium”.

“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,” he said at the time.

The stadium has total capacity for 34,500 fans without temporary seating.

31,000 of those seats are in the stadium bowl, 24,000 are covered.

The structure features prominent Sky branding on its side, which is expected to be replaced when a new naming partner is confirmed.

It is not a council-controlled organisation, but the Trust’s board of trustees is appointed by Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

In February Sky TV reported a net-loss-after tax of $1.7 million, adjusted to a $10.9m profit.

The company described it as a “challenging” and “difficult” six months.

Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.