September 11, 2024 • 18 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave for Wednesday 11 September 2024 - General Manager of TVNZ Sport Melodie Robinson talks about the Breakers returning to free to air television and what it means for the wider landscape.
D'Arcy delivers an opinion piece on why you shouldn't sleep on New Zealand's latest UFC signing.
Plus, NZ Herald online sports editor Alex Powell joins the panel to our discuss the big money being touted in F1.
Get 'Sports Fix' every weekday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcast.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks at B.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Welcome on into Sports Fix. It's a Wednesday. It's the
eleventh of September twenty twenty four. Minam's Darcy autograph and
coming up on your home of all the best in
sports podcasts is This will be joined by TV and
z's general manager of Sports and evnch name is Moult Robinson.
As we look at free to air basketball, the Breakers
(00:44):
are now going to be on the telly. That deal
has been done. We'll talk to her about the intricacies
of dealing with the Breakers with live to wear free
sport and what's coming up next after that. I've got
some opinion on Navajos Sterling. He's the latest and along
line of outstanding athletes in the mixed martial arts field
(01:05):
to come out of the City Kickboxing Jim. He's been
signed now to the Ultimate Fighting Competition. Expect a lot
from this guy. And joining me in the chamber on
the Linger, We've got the digital sport editor for New
Zealand Herald, Alex Powell as we take a look at
the big sports stories of the day. That's what we're doing,
(01:26):
so let's do it in other news and this is
how it rolls in today in sport, the All Whites
have defended their way to a drawing a football friendly
against the United States of America. Jason Pine Fix and
News Talk z eb host gives us the skinny on
the fixture.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Max Crocum can go back to Burton Albion with his
reputation well and truly enhanced by what has played out here,
and he continues this conundrum for Darren Baisley about what
to do and goal Max crokem Alex Pauls and Olie
Sayle and others waiting in the wings.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
New Zealand bicycle beast Aaron Gate is off on an
adventure in the CIA world too, and next year he's
clipping his spokey Dokey's on for Astana, Kazakhstan. His velodrome
work won't be in vain though.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
They want me to slot them with the sprint train.
Speaker 6 (02:14):
So a big part of pro cycling is the is.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
The big bunch sprints and the sprinters they need someone
to help set them up and put them in a good position,
and I think the attributes you get from the track
that sustained high power efforts are quite good.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Formerly one's design Messiah, Adrian Newey has deserted Red Bull
for the Aston Martin team. Team owner Lawrence Stroll has
been instrumental in the move, which is reportedly worth two
hundred million New Zealand dollars plus over five years and
bonuses thrown in the good measure. So why did you leave? Adrian?
Speaker 7 (02:43):
Having a shareholding and a partnership makes you feel much
more as if you have got skin in the game.
Lawrence's commitment is very endearing and very obvious. He's more
than happy to put all his chips on black and
give it everything.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Footballs, bikes, race casts. He had it Dan leading a.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Vis, We've got just the ticket. It's sports vix News Talks.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Is big news today for free to wear, a sport
that needs to come out that TVNZ plus have got
their hands on. The Breakers were joined now by TV
and z's GM of Sports and Events, Mel Robinson. Mel welcome,
Welcome to the show. I expect you're smarting from ear
to ear and now you've managed to nab the Breakers.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 8 (03:30):
We all know basketball is a sport that young kids
play in New Zealand and it's super popular with those
younger age groups, and that means we're going to get
them into our TV and Z plus platform and hopefully
get them watching more breakers.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
So I think the big thing around this mel is
the breakdown with Sky and the ability to provide the
production on the ground as opposed to what you pick
up from over in Australia. So the production TV and
Z providing that. Are you putting cameras and people on
(04:04):
the ground to do this.
Speaker 8 (04:06):
It's a partnership with so they own the rights, so
they will be producing it. They contract a company to
do that and then they will hire any peace so
we still have the New Zealand crew doing the production
on the ground, but it goes through to Melbourne. They
put commentary on it from over in Melbourne and then
(04:28):
it gets set back to us. So it's pretty complicated.
But with Stoke that we're in a partnership with ESPN
because this is the first time you know, we've done
something like that's with them.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
So what's different that you all bought that's different to
what Sky we're getting out to. How's that altered.
Speaker 8 (04:45):
Look, I think that Sky's probably thinking about some of
the other big rights that are coming to market as well,
and you've got to be really careful with what you
spend your money on. So I mean, you'd have to
bring them to find out the answer to that. But
the cool thing is that that opens up opportunities for
TV and Z and partnering with people like Espen. Don't
(05:07):
forget that Pen still on the Sky platforms, so they'll
have all the NBL games on the two ESPN channels,
and they'll probably have the Breakers. I haven't seen there
the schedule yet, not sure if they're going to put
them up live against US, So I think actually.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Sky's probably got the best of both worlds there.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
So you're getting both home and away games on TVNZ
plus free to wear.
Speaker 8 (05:28):
That's how I want all Breakers games all live on
tvn Z plus, also on Duke. We'll have a couple
of those on Duke slightly delayed because essentially we've got
Super Smash on at the same time over the summer,
so you can be watching Super Smash on Duke and
then straight away you'll get the Breakers game. If the
(05:49):
cricket finishes early, then the Breakers game will be live
on Duke.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
So Mel, when it comes to cost, you're not going
to give me details, but did you pay for this?
Did this come out of the budget or what's the
deal there.
Speaker 8 (05:59):
We've been creative with how we've partnered with ESPN, That's
how I'll put it. We never do it about how
much money we put on the table. But you know
it's going to be really a healthy deal for tvn
Z because we're still going to get advertising revenue out
of it.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
We're looking for a broadcast sponsor.
Speaker 8 (06:15):
But most importantly, I love basketball, so to my kids,
I go to the games anyway.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
I pay for my tickets.
Speaker 8 (06:21):
So I'm just excited that we've got a sport like
the Breakers on our platform, back to back with a
cricket all summer.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Nol Robinson TV and Sid's general manager of Sports and Events.
Just going back to the production itself, can you assure
us that it will be the same quality that Breakers
fans have experienced in previous years.
Speaker 8 (06:41):
One You've got the same crew, the same camera guys,
same directors. It will be really high quality and why
wouldn't it be If ESPN has taken control of it,
It's going to be great.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
You're losing money at TV and Z. We all know that.
So how much of this is a move for you
to get more eyeballs and maybe even disrupt Sky with
the attack on free to wear sport that you're currently waging.
Speaker 8 (07:05):
Look, our sports are at the moment in fact our
content strategy, we're only signing up things that make us money.
It's as simple as that. And so what you could
estimate there is that a product like The Breakers is
going to be positive for TVNZ in terms of revenue.
(07:25):
We are always getting the audiences, So our driver is
not about getting audiences in as much as making sure
they're also pretending our revenue. So this is a good
business decision to partner with ESPN.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
So as far as the revenue now's manifested, how does
that work? Are we looking at advertisements being thrown in
between quarters? Is it going to interrupt the quality of
the viewing for the listen? How do you wrap around
a way to money tize it that doesn't interrupt the
live viewing or are you intending on doing that now?
Speaker 5 (07:58):
We're super careful with how we serve ads.
Speaker 8 (08:00):
I don't know if you've watched a lot of our
sports over the last few years that we learned the
hard way when we had Commonwealth Games back in two
thousand and eight that you're going to be really selective
and careful about where you put the ads in sports.
So what we're doing with the breaker is is we're
taking the natural breaks that you are already used to
and we'll be popping our ads in those. So that's
(08:20):
after every quarter, and there's one one minute time out
break in the final quarter that we can also pop
an add in, So you're not going to notice any
extra advert load at all. Will be exactly the same
as you've seen them past.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah, you're taking on the Sky TV with us free
to wear and you look at everything you've got. It's
an attempt to maybe remove people's subs to really hit
Sky where it hurts. If they can get so much
free to wear sporting product, it's got to be a
worry to them.
Speaker 8 (08:50):
Look, we're actually not about taking Sky down, and we're
really sort of just focusing on ourselves. So if we
have opportunities that come to us and they work for us,
we're going to say yes. I think we have a
really strong content strategy now where sport and entertainment and
news are altogether in terms of priority. So we're regarding
(09:15):
sports as just the same opportunity as an entertainment product,
a news product, and we're just lucky enough to have
a couple of them coming across the table lately leading
a vex.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
We've got just the ticket. It's sports VEX News Talk TV.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
He saw he punched the bloke in the face. Never
ho Sterling is the latest athlete out of the City
Kickboxing Gym to cause waves in the UFC the Ultimate
Fighting Competition, which of course is the leader in content
providing for mixed martial arts today, in the Contender Series,
(09:54):
which is basically a series that sets fighters up for
a contract for the UFC. Our man and I say
our man, because he's a key we never host. Sterling
provided what Dana White, the boss man of uf he
wanted to see. He took on and it took out
in the headline bount of Dana White's Contender Series a
(10:16):
bloke by the name of Philip Latu. It was an
astonishing left hook that White Latu out in the second round.
He looked the business right the way through. Didn't have
a host Sterling. He was considered. He tied his opposition out.
He didn't take any risks and when it really counted,
(10:37):
the knockout blow came. Talking on ESPN after the scrap,
Dana White said, Sterling looked incredible. He's a true light heavyweight.
He impressed me tonight. He was there with a very
tough guy who was mixing it up and he rarely delivered.
I'm interested. I want to see what he can do
(10:57):
in the UFC and the long line of successful fighters
out of the small gym in central Auckland, City Kickboxing
comes another mixed martial artists for us to watch and
hopefully travel to a title. Like many of the other
fighters coming out of City Kickboxing, havea Navahos Sterling, there's
(11:18):
a guy to watch.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
The chamber is now in session on Sports Fix.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
We're joined in a bunker now on a liner by
Alex Powell. He is the digital editor for Sport for
New Zealand Herald. Are welcome into the bunker, on to
the Lena. I want to talk a bit of sport
with me, pal. Of course you let's do this now,
Host Sterling our latest you f see signing. I don't
want your eyes grazing over mate. This is more great
(11:45):
news for City Kickbox and they just keep producing.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
Huh. I really don't think we have any grasp of
how good these guys are as a world class unit
of just producing not only fighters but champions.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Well that's the key thing, isn't it. They've got plenty
of fighters, but they just keep rising and rising to
the top. It says a lot though about fight sport
in New Zealand because of course we've got Peach Gymnasium.
What's happening there as well with Daniels and Mottu So
of course Mikaylovitch pampalone, although he didn't have the best
time of it recently. But there's a real buying isn't there.
Speaker 6 (12:18):
I mean, I think we had this exact conversation last
time I was in there with not such a good
record of producing fighters because they've all grown up watching
the one that came before them, you know. And the
thing about this now is there's another guy in there
for kids coming through a look at and go. That's
how I can be.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
That's a sport I could go into pretty aggressive now
a host doing have you had a look at the guy?
Speaker 7 (12:40):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (12:41):
You know when they say you should see the other bloke,
you borro It for that dude. Don't you what one
punch knockout in the second round? It was insane, it was.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
And there's a guy that he bided his time when
he was in there. He knew what he was doing.
He worked the octicon, got the job done at the
had done at the end. And look, he's not exactly unattractive.
He's box office for someone like Dana White to get
out there as well spoken, he's ripped as you like.
I can see him going places as long as he
keeps knocking people down because someone like has rather has
(13:12):
beaten that path for all of them.
Speaker 6 (13:14):
I mean, he's got all the right people around him,
doesn't he all the city kickboxing influence to just keep
him on the straight and arrow.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Now, well we'll see navahos Sterling is the new man
on the block, break us back on free to air TV.
So Sky TV in trouble. Now do you think Alex
that suddenly TV and Z are starting to whip some
live sporting events out from underneath them, Will Rugby basically
saves Sky's ass long term?
Speaker 6 (13:39):
Well me, I think it's going to have to you
look at what's going on. By all the reports, Sky
just pulled out of any interest in having the MBL.
It sounds like they're going to do the same with
the A League or they're going to try and make
a deal very late. Sports rights in this country is
a very interesting sort of topic, you know, because Sky
for a long time being unchallenged. They saw off Spark.
But now TV and Z and also Warner others, Discovery
(14:02):
who owned TV three shown there in the game, and
who knows how it's going out. I mean the real
winner is the consumer because of they're all going to
undercut each other.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Well did you ever think though, when PATV turned up,
that would ever get back to free to wear terrestrial TV?
It didn't, did really? It just go that it's never happening.
We're gone.
Speaker 6 (14:18):
I'm going to level with you. I've only ever known
pay TV. I'm that young, sorry to say it.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Get out, you get wait, so this is strange for
you to go. I can actually turn on and it
won't cost me anything.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
Oh, I think we've all sent enough free to wear
sport now to know what the deal is. You know,
we've had the last couple of summers of cricket or
sorry was it one or two? Now it's too wasn't
it lost count on TV and that? But yeah, I
mean power to them if TVNS, who, let's be honest,
themselves aren't in a great space. We've heard all the
things that they've got to save thirty million, well.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Using it essentially, I won't say a lost leader. But similarly,
they're trying to drag eyeballs to the television by providing
them free sport and hopefully they stick around, which is
not the stupidest move, is it?
Speaker 6 (15:03):
No? I mean it's is it a bit of short
term pain for long term gain? Absolutely because TVNZ no,
And I spoke to Millo Robinson for the story in March,
you know about what their plans are fred to we
sport and she said, no one has the reach TVNZ
does and she's absolutely right, Sky don't TV three. Don't
you look at all the various streaming sites that are
coming out, none of them can do it, TV executives.
(15:25):
This is a huge win for the Breakers and for basketball.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Yeah, and look, and even I know maybe we had
mail Robinson, isn's a chance maybe a league, but they
haven't got that much money in their war chest and
they're really not going anywhere near Rugby because that's gonna
hold sky. I've got rugby league and rugby union and
that's what they're hanging on to because that is where
they drive.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Well mean, she says they don't have much money, but
that's a very good negotiating tool.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
We're's skin. I've tried that at work. It doesn't work
really well. Learn to save and budget better. Thanks for
that advice. Let's finish off with race cars and we
know how terribly addicted you are to Formula one specifically
and race cars in general. Huge signing for Aston Martin.
It's been in the works for a while now. Adrian
knewe who he is, the godfather, he is the messiah
(16:07):
of car design Formula One. How many teams he's been
through that he's dragged to the absolute top? Well, Red Bull,
you look at mate McLaren's Williams all winning titles and
Sebastian Fifthel can look to Adrian Knew he going thanks
to my four titles because they were NAI's left Red Bull.
He signed up with Aston Martin. Behind the scenes. Red
(16:30):
Bull's falling apart.
Speaker 6 (16:31):
Isn't it another thing to note there is He's not
just signed for Esther Mutton, He's turned down Ferrari. You
know every team on the grid wants this guy because
they know he's going to come in and basically build
them a winning car. You know he's chosen go to
Esther Martin. Obviously, the financial figure being reported as what
nine figures, you know he's or not even that as
a eight figures.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
It could get up to three hundred and twenty million
dollars in New Zealand over five years with bonuses. But
I think a guy like Newly, I don't think the
money matters. We challenge, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
I just just before I came and I listened to
his interview we did with Sky Sports in the UK
and he said he wanted to go back to an
old school type owner who is involved and he felt
that with Lawrence Stroll, who owns Aston Martin and as
a billionaire, you know, funds the whole team himself, puts
his son and the drivers. But you have to embrace
that voter confidence from Newly like he's not a mug
(17:20):
who will hate losing just as much as the drivers.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
Do.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
You know He's not going there for a paycheck. He
wants to build a title winning car for Aston Martin.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Digital editor of Sport. Then he's in an in Herald
Alex Powell, thanks very much for your time, thanks having me.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Mate dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
It's Sportsfix with Jason Fine and Darcy Waldgrave and.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
That winds it up there. It's the Fix for Wednesday.
It's the eleventh of September twenty twenty four. Name's Darcy Watergrave.
Thanks very much for joining us for more sport, don't
forget tuned into News Talks EB between seven and eight
pm Monday through Friday for Sports Talk with myself or
Jason Pine and then Piney take control between twelve and
three Saturday and Sunday for weekend sport. Would love to
(18:06):
have your involvement and all of those programs. And of course,
if you'd like this podcast delivered straight to your inbox
every time we release it, just subscribe now.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Go well for more from News Talk st B, listen
live on air or online and keep
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Our shows with you wherever you go with our podcasts
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks at B.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Welcome on into Sports Fix. It's a Wednesday. It's the
eleventh of September twenty twenty four. Minam's Darcy autograph and
coming up on your home of all the best in
sports podcasts is This will be joined by TV and
z's general manager of Sports and evnch name is Moult Robinson.
As we look at free to air basketball, the Breakers
(00:44):
are now going to be on the telly. That deal
has been done. We'll talk to her about the intricacies
of dealing with the Breakers with live to wear free
sport and what's coming up next after that. I've got
some opinion on Navajos Sterling. He's the latest and along
line of outstanding athletes in the mixed martial arts field
(01:05):
to come out of the City Kickboxing Jim. He's been
signed now to the Ultimate Fighting Competition. Expect a lot
from this guy. And joining me in the chamber on
the Linger, We've got the digital sport editor for New
Zealand Herald, Alex Powell as we take a look at
the big sports stories of the day. That's what we're doing,
(01:26):
so let's do it in other news and this is
how it rolls in today in sport, the All Whites
have defended their way to a drawing a football friendly
against the United States of America. Jason Pine Fix and
News Talk z eb host gives us the skinny on
the fixture.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Max Crocum can go back to Burton Albion with his
reputation well and truly enhanced by what has played out here,
and he continues this conundrum for Darren Baisley about what
to do and goal Max crokem Alex Pauls and Olie
Sayle and others waiting in the wings.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
New Zealand bicycle beast Aaron Gate is off on an
adventure in the CIA world too, and next year he's
clipping his spokey Dokey's on for Astana, Kazakhstan. His velodrome
work won't be in vain though.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
They want me to slot them with the sprint train.
Speaker 6 (02:14):
So a big part of pro cycling is the is.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
The big bunch sprints and the sprinters they need someone
to help set them up and put them in a good position,
and I think the attributes you get from the track
that sustained high power efforts are quite good.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Formerly one's design Messiah, Adrian Newey has deserted Red Bull
for the Aston Martin team. Team owner Lawrence Stroll has
been instrumental in the move, which is reportedly worth two
hundred million New Zealand dollars plus over five years and
bonuses thrown in the good measure. So why did you leave? Adrian?
Speaker 7 (02:43):
Having a shareholding and a partnership makes you feel much
more as if you have got skin in the game.
Lawrence's commitment is very endearing and very obvious. He's more
than happy to put all his chips on black and
give it everything.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Footballs, bikes, race casts. He had it Dan leading a.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Vis, We've got just the ticket. It's sports vix News Talks.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Is big news today for free to wear, a sport
that needs to come out that TVNZ plus have got
their hands on. The Breakers were joined now by TV
and z's GM of Sports and Events, Mel Robinson. Mel welcome,
Welcome to the show. I expect you're smarting from ear
to ear and now you've managed to nab the Breakers.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 8 (03:30):
We all know basketball is a sport that young kids
play in New Zealand and it's super popular with those
younger age groups, and that means we're going to get
them into our TV and Z plus platform and hopefully
get them watching more breakers.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
So I think the big thing around this mel is
the breakdown with Sky and the ability to provide the
production on the ground as opposed to what you pick
up from over in Australia. So the production TV and
Z providing that. Are you putting cameras and people on
(04:04):
the ground to do this.
Speaker 8 (04:06):
It's a partnership with so they own the rights, so
they will be producing it. They contract a company to
do that and then they will hire any peace so
we still have the New Zealand crew doing the production
on the ground, but it goes through to Melbourne. They
put commentary on it from over in Melbourne and then
(04:28):
it gets set back to us. So it's pretty complicated.
But with Stoke that we're in a partnership with ESPN
because this is the first time you know, we've done
something like that's with them.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
So what's different that you all bought that's different to
what Sky we're getting out to. How's that altered.
Speaker 8 (04:45):
Look, I think that Sky's probably thinking about some of
the other big rights that are coming to market as well,
and you've got to be really careful with what you
spend your money on. So I mean, you'd have to
bring them to find out the answer to that. But
the cool thing is that that opens up opportunities for
TV and Z and partnering with people like Espen. Don't
(05:07):
forget that Pen still on the Sky platforms, so they'll
have all the NBL games on the two ESPN channels,
and they'll probably have the Breakers. I haven't seen there
the schedule yet, not sure if they're going to put
them up live against US, So I think actually.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Sky's probably got the best of both worlds there.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
So you're getting both home and away games on TVNZ
plus free to wear.
Speaker 8 (05:28):
That's how I want all Breakers games all live on
tvn Z plus, also on Duke. We'll have a couple
of those on Duke slightly delayed because essentially we've got
Super Smash on at the same time over the summer,
so you can be watching Super Smash on Duke and
then straight away you'll get the Breakers game. If the
(05:49):
cricket finishes early, then the Breakers game will be live
on Duke.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
So Mel, when it comes to cost, you're not going
to give me details, but did you pay for this?
Did this come out of the budget or what's the
deal there.
Speaker 8 (05:59):
We've been creative with how we've partnered with ESPN, That's
how I'll put it. We never do it about how
much money we put on the table. But you know
it's going to be really a healthy deal for tvn
Z because we're still going to get advertising revenue out
of it.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
We're looking for a broadcast sponsor.
Speaker 8 (06:15):
But most importantly, I love basketball, so to my kids,
I go to the games anyway.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
I pay for my tickets.
Speaker 8 (06:21):
So I'm just excited that we've got a sport like
the Breakers on our platform, back to back with a
cricket all summer.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Nol Robinson TV and Sid's general manager of Sports and Events.
Just going back to the production itself, can you assure
us that it will be the same quality that Breakers
fans have experienced in previous years.
Speaker 8 (06:41):
One You've got the same crew, the same camera guys,
same directors. It will be really high quality and why
wouldn't it be If ESPN has taken control of it,
It's going to be great.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
You're losing money at TV and Z. We all know that.
So how much of this is a move for you
to get more eyeballs and maybe even disrupt Sky with
the attack on free to wear sport that you're currently waging.
Speaker 8 (07:05):
Look, our sports are at the moment in fact our
content strategy, we're only signing up things that make us money.
It's as simple as that. And so what you could
estimate there is that a product like The Breakers is
going to be positive for TVNZ in terms of revenue.
(07:25):
We are always getting the audiences, So our driver is
not about getting audiences in as much as making sure
they're also pretending our revenue. So this is a good
business decision to partner with ESPN.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
So as far as the revenue now's manifested, how does
that work? Are we looking at advertisements being thrown in
between quarters? Is it going to interrupt the quality of
the viewing for the listen? How do you wrap around
a way to money tize it that doesn't interrupt the
live viewing or are you intending on doing that now?
Speaker 5 (07:58):
We're super careful with how we serve ads.
Speaker 8 (08:00):
I don't know if you've watched a lot of our
sports over the last few years that we learned the
hard way when we had Commonwealth Games back in two
thousand and eight that you're going to be really selective
and careful about where you put the ads in sports.
So what we're doing with the breaker is is we're
taking the natural breaks that you are already used to
and we'll be popping our ads in those. So that's
(08:20):
after every quarter, and there's one one minute time out
break in the final quarter that we can also pop
an add in, So you're not going to notice any
extra advert load at all. Will be exactly the same
as you've seen them past.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah, you're taking on the Sky TV with us free
to wear and you look at everything you've got. It's
an attempt to maybe remove people's subs to really hit
Sky where it hurts. If they can get so much
free to wear sporting product, it's got to be a
worry to them.
Speaker 8 (08:50):
Look, we're actually not about taking Sky down, and we're
really sort of just focusing on ourselves. So if we
have opportunities that come to us and they work for us,
we're going to say yes. I think we have a
really strong content strategy now where sport and entertainment and
news are altogether in terms of priority. So we're regarding
(09:15):
sports as just the same opportunity as an entertainment product,
a news product, and we're just lucky enough to have
a couple of them coming across the table lately leading
a vex.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
We've got just the ticket. It's sports VEX News Talk TV.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
He saw he punched the bloke in the face. Never
ho Sterling is the latest athlete out of the City
Kickboxing Gym to cause waves in the UFC the Ultimate
Fighting Competition, which of course is the leader in content
providing for mixed martial arts today, in the Contender Series,
(09:54):
which is basically a series that sets fighters up for
a contract for the UFC. Our man and I say
our man, because he's a key we never host. Sterling
provided what Dana White, the boss man of uf he
wanted to see. He took on and it took out
in the headline bount of Dana White's Contender Series a
(10:16):
bloke by the name of Philip Latu. It was an
astonishing left hook that White Latu out in the second round.
He looked the business right the way through. Didn't have
a host Sterling. He was considered. He tied his opposition out.
He didn't take any risks and when it really counted,
(10:37):
the knockout blow came. Talking on ESPN after the scrap,
Dana White said, Sterling looked incredible. He's a true light heavyweight.
He impressed me tonight. He was there with a very
tough guy who was mixing it up and he rarely delivered.
I'm interested. I want to see what he can do
(10:57):
in the UFC and the long line of successful fighters
out of the small gym in central Auckland, City Kickboxing
comes another mixed martial artists for us to watch and
hopefully travel to a title. Like many of the other
fighters coming out of City Kickboxing, havea Navahos Sterling, there's
(11:18):
a guy to watch.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
The chamber is now in session on Sports Fix.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
We're joined in a bunker now on a liner by
Alex Powell. He is the digital editor for Sport for
New Zealand Herald. Are welcome into the bunker, on to
the Lena. I want to talk a bit of sport
with me, pal. Of course you let's do this now,
Host Sterling our latest you f see signing. I don't
want your eyes grazing over mate. This is more great
(11:45):
news for City Kickbox and they just keep producing.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
Huh. I really don't think we have any grasp of
how good these guys are as a world class unit
of just producing not only fighters but champions.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Well that's the key thing, isn't it. They've got plenty
of fighters, but they just keep rising and rising to
the top. It says a lot though about fight sport
in New Zealand because of course we've got Peach Gymnasium.
What's happening there as well with Daniels and Mottu So
of course Mikaylovitch pampalone, although he didn't have the best
time of it recently. But there's a real buying isn't there.
Speaker 6 (12:18):
I mean, I think we had this exact conversation last
time I was in there with not such a good
record of producing fighters because they've all grown up watching
the one that came before them, you know. And the
thing about this now is there's another guy in there
for kids coming through a look at and go. That's
how I can be.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
That's a sport I could go into pretty aggressive now
a host doing have you had a look at the guy?
Speaker 7 (12:40):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (12:41):
You know when they say you should see the other bloke,
you borro It for that dude. Don't you what one
punch knockout in the second round? It was insane, it was.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
And there's a guy that he bided his time when
he was in there. He knew what he was doing.
He worked the octicon, got the job done at the
had done at the end. And look, he's not exactly unattractive.
He's box office for someone like Dana White to get
out there as well spoken, he's ripped as you like.
I can see him going places as long as he
keeps knocking people down because someone like has rather has
(13:12):
beaten that path for all of them.
Speaker 6 (13:14):
I mean, he's got all the right people around him,
doesn't he all the city kickboxing influence to just keep
him on the straight and arrow.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Now, well we'll see navahos Sterling is the new man
on the block, break us back on free to air TV.
So Sky TV in trouble. Now do you think Alex
that suddenly TV and Z are starting to whip some
live sporting events out from underneath them, Will Rugby basically
saves Sky's ass long term?
Speaker 6 (13:39):
Well me, I think it's going to have to you
look at what's going on. By all the reports, Sky
just pulled out of any interest in having the MBL.
It sounds like they're going to do the same with
the A League or they're going to try and make
a deal very late. Sports rights in this country is
a very interesting sort of topic, you know, because Sky
for a long time being unchallenged. They saw off Spark.
But now TV and Z and also Warner others, Discovery
(14:02):
who owned TV three shown there in the game, and
who knows how it's going out. I mean the real
winner is the consumer because of they're all going to
undercut each other.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Well did you ever think though, when PATV turned up,
that would ever get back to free to wear terrestrial TV?
It didn't, did really? It just go that it's never happening.
We're gone.
Speaker 6 (14:18):
I'm going to level with you. I've only ever known
pay TV. I'm that young, sorry to say it.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Get out, you get wait, so this is strange for
you to go. I can actually turn on and it
won't cost me anything.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
Oh, I think we've all sent enough free to wear
sport now to know what the deal is. You know,
we've had the last couple of summers of cricket or
sorry was it one or two? Now it's too wasn't
it lost count on TV and that? But yeah, I
mean power to them if TVNS, who, let's be honest,
themselves aren't in a great space. We've heard all the
things that they've got to save thirty million, well.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Using it essentially, I won't say a lost leader. But similarly,
they're trying to drag eyeballs to the television by providing
them free sport and hopefully they stick around, which is
not the stupidest move, is it?
Speaker 6 (15:03):
No? I mean it's is it a bit of short
term pain for long term gain? Absolutely because TVNZ no,
And I spoke to Millo Robinson for the story in March,
you know about what their plans are fred to we
sport and she said, no one has the reach TVNZ
does and she's absolutely right, Sky don't TV three. Don't
you look at all the various streaming sites that are
coming out, none of them can do it, TV executives.
(15:25):
This is a huge win for the Breakers and for basketball.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Yeah, and look, and even I know maybe we had
mail Robinson, isn's a chance maybe a league, but they
haven't got that much money in their war chest and
they're really not going anywhere near Rugby because that's gonna
hold sky. I've got rugby league and rugby union and
that's what they're hanging on to because that is where
they drive.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Well mean, she says they don't have much money, but
that's a very good negotiating tool.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
We're's skin. I've tried that at work. It doesn't work
really well. Learn to save and budget better. Thanks for
that advice. Let's finish off with race cars and we
know how terribly addicted you are to Formula one specifically
and race cars in general. Huge signing for Aston Martin.
It's been in the works for a while now. Adrian
knewe who he is, the godfather, he is the messiah
(16:07):
of car design Formula One. How many teams he's been
through that he's dragged to the absolute top? Well, Red Bull,
you look at mate McLaren's Williams all winning titles and
Sebastian Fifthel can look to Adrian Knew he going thanks
to my four titles because they were NAI's left Red Bull.
He signed up with Aston Martin. Behind the scenes. Red
(16:30):
Bull's falling apart.
Speaker 6 (16:31):
Isn't it another thing to note there is He's not
just signed for Esther Mutton, He's turned down Ferrari. You
know every team on the grid wants this guy because
they know he's going to come in and basically build
them a winning car. You know he's chosen go to
Esther Martin. Obviously, the financial figure being reported as what
nine figures, you know he's or not even that as
a eight figures.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
It could get up to three hundred and twenty million
dollars in New Zealand over five years with bonuses. But
I think a guy like Newly, I don't think the
money matters. We challenge, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
I just just before I came and I listened to
his interview we did with Sky Sports in the UK
and he said he wanted to go back to an
old school type owner who is involved and he felt
that with Lawrence Stroll, who owns Aston Martin and as
a billionaire, you know, funds the whole team himself, puts
his son and the drivers. But you have to embrace
that voter confidence from Newly like he's not a mug
(17:20):
who will hate losing just as much as the drivers.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
Do.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
You know He's not going there for a paycheck. He
wants to build a title winning car for Aston Martin.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Digital editor of Sport. Then he's in an in Herald
Alex Powell, thanks very much for your time, thanks having me.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Mate dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
It's Sportsfix with Jason Fine and Darcy Waldgrave and.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
That winds it up there. It's the Fix for Wednesday.
It's the eleventh of September twenty twenty four. Name's Darcy Watergrave.
Thanks very much for joining us for more sport, don't
forget tuned into News Talks EB between seven and eight
pm Monday through Friday for Sports Talk with myself or
Jason Pine and then Piney take control between twelve and
three Saturday and Sunday for weekend sport. Would love to
(18:06):
have your involvement and all of those programs. And of course,
if you'd like this podcast delivered straight to your inbox
every time we release it, just subscribe now.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Go well for more from News Talk st B, listen
live on air or online and keep
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Our shows with you wherever you go with our podcasts
on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.