It's not going into my pocket.
That is the retort from Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton, over the America's Cup event fee controversy which has included inferences the regatta will be held overseas if New Zealand doesn't cough up.
America's Cup: Team New Zealand fire back over event fee
NZ Herald
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Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton. Photo / Jason Oxenham.
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"Some people even think it's going in my pocket, not just the team, it's got that extreme in a couple of cases."
He said TNZ was under the pump to attract the huge amount of sponsorship needed to top the fee up.
"It's not a fee to host an event, an appearance fee, a royalty or anything like that. It's to run the actual event and all the logistics," Dalton told Fairfax.
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With the Auckland Council decision on where the America's Cup will be based looming this week, Dalton told Fairfax that a $116m fee being touted by some media was "farcical".
He declared TNZ wants the event broadcast on free-to-air television, after this year's Bermuda Cup regatta was covered by Sky.
"One of our underlying beliefs is that all of New Zealand and anywhere else should have easy access to footage. In our heart we want everyone to be able to watch it," he said.
Italy, home to challenger of record Luna Rossa, was described as a "viable alternative" to Auckland, but Dalton said offers from Russia and the United Arab Emirates would be turned down.
"Those things are real in terms of inquiries, but we keep saying till we are blue in the face that it is not our intention to take it anywhere else," Dalton said.
