May 30, 2025 • 42 mins
D'Arcy Waldegrave returned to wrap another day of sports news! Highlights for tonight include:
Nick Saunter - Eden Park CEO - On the Herald's review of stadium pricing for Rugby.
Talkback
Tim Horan - Former Wallaby - On Nathan Clearly possibly looking at a future in Union?
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 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News Talk SED be.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Good evening, and it is. It's seven minutes after seven
on a Friday, thirtieth of May twenty twenty five. Public
service announcement, as I'm prone to giving guy traveling for
the long weekend, make like little Fonsi's out there, be cool,
good distance between you and the car in front of you.
(00:54):
It's best you get there late than don't get there
at all. Thank you, thank you, thank you very much.
Right now, on to sport, because driving is not a sport.
Although some people think it's a combat sport, it's not.
It's a mode of transport. In tonight's program, we're joined
by Ka Gabriela Craig Gabriel. Later on in the Peace
(01:14):
Rolling Gross Caes, a tennis commentator, a friend of the programs.
As we look toward the weekend and what he's managed
to glean through the week in the French are open
plenty to talk about with Craig Gabriel. Tim Horns on
the show too, from the Wallaby Skipper. They're all talking
about the possibility of Nathan Cleary abandoning the seller dwelling
(01:38):
Penrith Panthers who have been top of the roost for
years now and maybe playing at Rugby Union. Talk to
Tim about that, the likelihood of and of course his
reaction to the possibility of another league Hee turning up
to play rugby in Australia. And we're going to kick
things off with Nick Saunner eden Park at Chief executive Officer.
(01:59):
Eden Park the most expensive in terms of price for
a night out at the rugby one hundred and ninety
bucks for tickets and food. I find that difficult to
accept in the fact that everybody has different wants and
needs when they go to a game, right, So we'll
talk to Nick about how they price eden Park, who
controls the price where the profit has made The list
(02:21):
goes on. Nick Santner to join us shortly, but as
per let's get on with a bit of this sort
today and sport today. Rivers Rahana is making the most
of the Crusader's Oka insider Jock, as he is affectionately known,
has been providing good oil all season as James O'Connor
if you need it spelled.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Out, All of us backs are just constantly clicking his brain.
Given some great insight into the Australian teams that we
potentially wouldn't have gotten having no Australians in our side,
so he's been invaluable.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Mainland Tactics coach Donald Wilkins is pretty keen to know
if the Mystics Ossie import the now Wullham is available
for the Angora base to a in Z Premiership clash
tomorrow afternoon.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Have you seen your lineup? Have they there or not?
Can you leat me in until we.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Haven't heard anything, so they're keeping it pretty hush hush,
but you know our expectation is that she will be there.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Good things come to those who ask well, stated Formula
one racing ball pilot Liam Laws, and it is now
known as their shield. After last week's defensive team driver
to Monaco is happy enough with his first points of
the season, but he wants more at the Spanish Grand
Prix in Buthalona.
Speaker 6 (03:38):
It's a nice feeling, obviously to have points on the board.
It was a very very good weekend for the team.
From my side, personally, it wasn't perfect, but obviously you
know we have another weekend this weekend to try and
keep them breathing.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And the Knicks have owned their home court to keep
the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals breathing a loss in order
been gone burger, but they beat the places in game
five one eleven ninety four and New York now have
gained some ground. They trail Indiana two games to three,
and Jalen brown and pocketed thirty two points for the
(04:08):
next and he told ESPN it was a more rounded
example from the New York massive.
Speaker 6 (04:14):
We were just able to get stops earlier, run we
will convert and.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
We just gone the way. I just feel like we
just play it better.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
We played better if we played through our standards, and
you gotta giving a.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Lot of credit for the way they play, but we played.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
The next house. And that's Sports Today, eleven after seven.
This is Sports Talk on at news Talk ZB. Article
in the Herald print today around the relative cost of
attending matches at stadium across Auckland, New Zealand and what
they cost and according to their calculations, the most expensive
(04:49):
terms for the price of a night out at the
Rugby comes at one hundred and ninety bucks for tickets
and food. And we're going to talk to that now.
To the chief executive officer of Eden Park. Nick good evening,
Nick good, Eden Gas and thanks to you John, and
thanks very much for joining us ahead of another weekend
(05:11):
of action at Eden Park. But it's not about the
action on the park, it's about the action off the park.
Now Herald released an interesting article today talking about the
costs for your average family at a game, and it
might be Eden Park, it might be over the North
Harbor Stadium, down and Wellington wherever, and they came out
with these interesting figures around the costs surrounding them. You
(05:34):
have seen this article. Is it accurate? More's the point?
Is it relevant when you consider the different strokes that
go to these games?
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Well, it is relevant because we are in a cost
of leading crisis and we're operating the experience economy.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So we need to respond.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
We need to look at the street to set experience
and how we can work with our hires to make
that experience at a level where is affordable but also memorable.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So when you come to putting these prices, obviously there's
a baseline for you to work from, but what do
you work in with the costings behind everything that you
can control? What are the key drivers and what money
you're charging?
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Well that see as you know, if you go to
a cafe in Auckland, a coffee seven dollars. If you
go to restaurants, cafes and bars, the hospitality sector through COVID,
including stadiums, took ahead and then we've seen inflationary prices
across the entire supply chain. We have three thousand staff
(06:41):
working on a sold out of it at Eton Park.
We have a billion dollars worth of infrastructure. When constants
like Luke Cohn's or an All Blacks test comes to Auckland,
over fifteen million dollars of economic benefits delivered for the city.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
And since the Rugby World Cup, Eden.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
Park has delivered a billion dollars of economic benefit of
the city. So I think we have to look at
it in its entirety. What we have done at the
park is work with our cater who does catering at
the Sun Corpse Stadium in Brisbane, has got the contract
down in Wellington, and look at it and say how
can we provide an opportunity for a product offering that
(07:17):
is comparable to the high street. So we work with
our caterer here to introduce twelve food trucks on the
back of the West concourse that offers from wood five
pizzas through to orkeetter rolls. The food offering differs from
a concert to a sports event, and that may even
differ from an All Blacks test.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
To a Super Rugby game.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
We know that it is a challenge for families and
we need to get more people coming to Eden Park,
and part of that is it is the food offering,
but it's the overall experience. One of the things I
wanted to touch on is that our sensory room. We
invested two hundred thousand dollars in the sensory room.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
What's the room stop, sorry, what's the Century Room.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
So that is an area where up to sixty five
families access on an event day, for kids who are
neurodiverse or who are autistic can go in and have
a fifteen minute break. Now, Darcy, I can assure you
two hundred thousand dollars, that's a lot of buckets and chips,
that's a lot of drinks to be sold to cover
the cost of that room. But we acknowledge that that
(08:22):
room is required now in a modern stadium for societal purposes.
And I could list off the forty five million of
upgrades we've done over the last five years here at
the park. But coming back to the cost of living crisis,
we acknowledge it. If you go to Subway and get
a six inch roll, it's twelve or fourteen dollars, And
(08:42):
so how do we provide an offering when people come
to the venue. So we offer discounts for the first
half an hour that people arrive. Because the reality is
at a rugby game, you have a ten minute halftime break.
Now you can't serve fifty thousand people in that period.
So we've introduced where you can scan a QR code
and in certain areas have delivery year seat.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
There's a whole.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
Range of initiatives that we're looking at, including Australian venues
and moved away from having staffing so you're going your
pre purchase and you walk out and so but those
outlets can be up to five hundred thousand dollars an outlet.
So for our sets around looking at the entire experience,
we need to see more content at Eden Park and
you've seen that over the last five years. Seventy percent
(09:28):
of today's revenue and activity wasn't part of our business
model five years ago. But we need this billion dollar
asset to be used and one of the best things
I think we're going to see is the CRL opening
and eden Park will be seven minutes to town. We
need to consolidate our content at our National Stadium see
more content here, more concerts. And the last thing I
(09:48):
want to say is Darcy is we need to get
either a bed living or an event fund because otherwise
the likes of Lady Gaga, the likes of an NURL
state of origin aren't coming to New Zealand. And as
a result of that, we'll have to see infation on
prices for all events because we just don't have the content.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
What is you feed? I'm presuming you're constantly talking to
your customers to find out what they want, what they
think is fair, is unfair, where they're prepared to spend more,
where they wiggle. What does that research tell you.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
The research there's a couple of areas, so in our
member areas, Eden Park has control over the porridge. So
people are after a variety of options they want, whether
it be craft beers or they want a variety of
products that aren't available in the public areas.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Because they're hiring.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
New Zealand gets priority, So the All Blacks determined or
the Black Caps determine what porridge goes into the retail
outlets and that might change. You remember earlier this year
we went from cricket to rugby to football. That could
be three different porridge partners and so our caterer there
needs to go and take out literally tens of thousands
of cans from one event to the next and you
(10:57):
can imagine the labor costs there. So there is actually
some change that needs to happen in terms of user
agreements with our codes, consolidation of Orge Ticket and others
that get some economies of scale too.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Who has the ultimate control and plainly the poordge rights
something completely different. But when it comes to bit food
more than anything else, this is all your call. Or
do the sports involved have a part to play in
that the sports have a part to play.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
We've done a number of initiatives this year with the Blues,
so we've had from Boden Barrett Berger's through to Blue
Cups of Chips, but it doesn't really shift the dial
in terms of the volume. What we need to see
consistently twenty thousand plus people coming to Super Rugby. That
should be the benchmark across the competition and if that's achievable,
(11:46):
everyone wins. So my focus now is to say we
can provide hot chips and cold beer, but it's the
overall experience from the street to the seat that people
are interested in, and that is the public transport offering.
We've had disruption with trains and buses, but the CORL
opens and as I say, seven minutes to town, does
(12:07):
that make it easier for people to get to Eden Park. Yes,
from the north Shore, they'll get a bus to town
and trained to Eden Park. That hasn't been the case
and it will be a game changer. You would have
experienced some of the venues internationally seven minutes to the CBD.
There's very few globally that have that proximity ticket price.
That's plainly a driver to bring your whole family game.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
So the range of prices across the board, this is
set by you and I expect by the organizations as well,
and you'd be very aware of the limitations and the
crisis that people have. Has that worked as hard as
you can into your program or is that where a
(12:51):
lot of the profit actually is for the sports and
for Eden Park?
Speaker 5 (12:56):
So Eden Park doesn't set the prices that's set by
the hire or the code. We give feedback and if
we have the opportunity to set price, we set it
on a price point that we know.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
So it's very different talking about the.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
All Blacks versus South Africa to week in, week out
content and so from our side, we want to drive
down the entry price to get more people in attendance,
to increase the experience, but also to see greater sales
across the board from merchandise for the clubs or indeed
food and beverage for our staff, to give more shifts
and more economic benefit to the supply chain. Now, the
(13:34):
piece of what I'd say we've seen with the likes
of Auckland f ceed where the introduction of a slide
or some instance as a ferris wheel, price point plays
a part, The experience plays apart. And we know that
Eden Park has challenges. We've got fifty thousand seats. Are
you going to get fifty thousand people week in week
out Super Rugby?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Probably not.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
So what we need to do is then work with
in our instance, the Blues and we acknowledge this to say,
how do we create a different experience in areas that
may not be occupied. The other piece I would say
is that you see with the Warriors. The Warriors always
talk about being sold out, but there's a number of initiatives.
They win a game in Australia, they offer I think
it's ten dollar tickets for twenty four hours and they
(14:17):
shift a large volume of tickets. So I think that
the industry has changed dramatically. I mentioned earlier that we
are in the experience economy and we're fighting for that
discretionary spend and families are looking at it and saying, well,
what am I choosing? Some families sadly, are probably choosing nothing.
But in this instance we need to be part of
(14:39):
the solution to drive greater attendance.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
By and large, Nick Sultan, thanks so much for joining us.
As always, across all of these venues, it's their open
communication between you all about what the best path is
in order to encourage more people, their price setting and
the like. Is this a combined is this a group efort.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Or probably there's more collaboration. For example with Eden Park
and the number of the Australian venues, we don't see
the necessarily as competitors to us in Auckland. The Council
controlled venues, whether it be Mount Smart, Western Springs and
North Harbor, they receive subsidies from Council, but they also
(15:19):
are operated under a different model. So in that instance
we are in arguably direct competitors to content. We are
in discussions regularly with the other venues across the country.
I think we need a national stadium strategy and a
regional stadium strategy. Hamilton and Mount Smart as a regional
(15:41):
venue and an Eden Park, and perhaps the new Christch
Stadium is more a national asset. But we also need
an event strategy. When you look to Melbourne, when a
major event is held in Melbourne, Taylor Swift is an example.
There's four major venues and a population of seven million,
so she doesn't play at four venues, she plays at
(16:01):
one venue. And I think we saw this with the
likes of Luke Comb's or Coldplay, where artists are now
going to one venue and the sooner we can deliver
that model in New Zealand, the better where they come
to one venue and people go to that. But then
there's a whole range of economies that can be then
delivered and achieved.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
So much work and I know you've got it Nix Scelton,
thanks very much for joining us and DEAs hope that
you get a good crowd tomorrow afternoon for the Blues
and that they can get through the finals playoff time
so you can get more bums on seats. Good on
your neck, Thanks so much, Darcy.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
Tonight we've got art Battle at eden Park with over
five hundred guests, So I'm off to now art battle.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
You hear it from the biggest names and sports and men.
Have your say on eighty sports Talk or more on
your hole of sports news talks.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
It be an art battle, got everything going on there. Now,
that's an excellent CEO of Eden Park. A Herald article
today looking at the best bang for buck the cost
of a family night out at the rugby at the
top of the pile, Eden Park, one hundred and ninety
dollars a fmg's down one fifty nine North Harbor, one
(17:15):
thirty nine fifty I should stop talking like some kind
of gangster out of the West Coast sky Statium on
hundred and seventy six Apollo Project leaned to one seventy
two full size bar one eighty seven. I will say
that surprised me that one that the average is up there.
So they're looking at taking from available ticketing websites, searching
(17:36):
the lowest price, and it assumes the average family is
two adults, two children, four pundits of chips, two burgers,
two piles, two beers, two soft drinks, and a coffee
to wash it all down with. They and that spot
is that average. I don't know. I'm not average, so
I can't count myself. But what about you? What's your
(17:59):
driver when you go to things? Do you look at
this and go, hold on, this is how can I
afford this? And do you do you trim it down
immense so you can actually get there like you forego
chippies and burgers on Bowden Barrett Burgers or what's the
important driver? And if the experience is going to be
good enough, do you mind even paying for that? How
(18:21):
much do you be driven by value for money when
you go to an event like this? Because I look,
I haven't got a family of four, right, I'm single. Now,
I've got one child who I have in the weekend.
So for me to go, hey, oh, well, you know,
I can't because I don't know, I don't experience then
that I take one kid and she doesn't even want
(18:45):
to come anymore. So it's mainly just myself. And because
I drive maybe one beer tops and I don't worry
about it. I don't eat, I fill myself up before
I go, or I worry about it when I get home.
I don't think that people should be taking count of
food into these things, but when you've got family, they
(19:07):
want to eat, right. So this is all this that
you've got to look at when you go along there.
But for me that that's not expensive, that doesn't represent
a huge amount of money. You're not going to do
it every night, but if you do it once a month,
a couple hundred bucks for the whole family for two
(19:27):
hours of top entertainment, which I believe it is, it's
not so bad as it. And if you're down the
bottom meat of the scar it's one hundred and thirty
one hundred and forty bucks.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
Is that.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
These people have to make money last time I checked
Eden Park, North Harbor Stadium of it. They're not charities,
and neither are the Blues or the teams that hire
these places out. They've got to make money, ye, They've
got to have a package that represents value for dollars.
(20:01):
So people turn up. But as Nick sort of pointed out,
and you're paying fifteen bucks for a subway sandwich. They
tried selling you one of those eating park for that.
They cry fail. I think they do a reasonable job anyway.
From your perspective, you'll view out there are eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty The lines are open, your driver.
(20:22):
Is it what it's going to cost you or the
experience itself? And then the rugby And if you're a
Chiefs fan, you're probably rejoicing right now. Twenty minutes done
and the heart unders are getting pasted nineteen zip. Yikes,
this is News Talk zb Does someone just takes them
(20:44):
to the have I seriously? Bred? Wow?
Speaker 8 (20:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Yeah? You send the world.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
Just gone?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
The right call? Is your call on eight hundred eighty
ten eighty sports talk call on your home of Sports
News Talk ZBJ.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
How about seven on a Friday night, May thirty, twenty
twenty five? Lines are open on eight hundred eighty ten eighty?
Is it the experience? Is it the price? People have
to make money? It's not a charity. I think sometimes
people forget that. Good a Brad, how are you?
Speaker 8 (21:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (21:45):
Good?
Speaker 8 (21:46):
Thanks Stacy. Here the thing about eaton Park though, is
to get a premium seat, and to get one undercover,
it's still always going to be expensive. A lot of
background is out in the open, and then if you
do want a decent seat in the north stand, you're
miles and miles away from the ground. You know, the
(22:06):
proximity to watching rectangular football all rugby at Eden Park
is really really tricky. It can't compete with Mount Part
Mount Smart has you know, twenty five thousand and you're
right on top of the of the ground. And Eden
Park two point zero does not commit to being a
rectangular stadium. Yes, they want to bring the North stand closer,
(22:29):
but the angle of the tear of the bottom tier
will then you know, the pitch will be less because
it goes back further. They need to commit to being
a rectangle rapey ground, not a hybrid cricket rugby ground,
but a ground where they say we're going to be
a football rugby ground. Let cricket find somewhere else and
(22:50):
commit to that. Because Eden Park look so many great memories.
I love the place, I've been hundreds of times, but
it just is not up to it for watching rugby
compared to a white Kiddo Stadium compared to Mount Smart,
compared to Dunedin and soon to be compared to the
new stadium in christ Church. So until they do that,
(23:12):
they're never going to compete with those guys. In my opinion,
I don't care how good the food is or if
I scan to get a pie. It's my view and
my experience of the game that matters.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
And so for you when you come to buy tickets
or groups of tickets, that's what you're take into account. First,
is it going to be worth my while based on
what you see as an insufficient setup?
Speaker 8 (23:35):
Well, I want spy and I'm happy to pay for
the like a busy ticket between the twenty twos and
as close as I can get if I'm in the
South Standard, I do that. At Eaton Park, I'm going
to get rained on if it rains, and let's be honest,
the time of year they play in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
The time it rains all the time. Man, it doesn't
stop it. It goes away pretty fast. So when a roof,
if they manage to get a roof, put a lid
on Eden Park, that will change your experience. I mean,
obviously keen to go your rugby fan, which is great.
Speaker 8 (24:06):
Absolutely, I'm a fan of all the codes. The roof
will be a massive help. But you know, you need
intimacy and the thing that Rugby needs to remember is
when you're switching over and you're watching a game the league,
the crowd comes through the TV into your living room
and creates that atmosphere in your living room and Rugby,
if you switch over and there's you know, ten to
(24:27):
fifteen thousand people eating parking a bunch of empty six,
it's less enjoyable to watch. You don't give that atmosphere
coming through.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
And that's what we're seeing we with MPC, when you're
seeing all these smaller grounds being utilized because the energy
has better. Hey Bread, thanks very much for your input.
There got a fight. It's our roll on now to Peter.
Speaker 9 (24:45):
Hello greetings. Well, on the other there's nothing like watching
it on television. You get the best few and I
find it difficult to and it's it's a stadium which
I'd like to go to. The one I haven't been
to is the one in Whales the Cardiff. I heard
(25:07):
that one's quite an awesome place to watch.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It came and yeah, they kind of rebuilt that around
the outside of what was there already card of Farmers Park. Yeah,
I should liked it as well, but I'm not flying
to Wales for a recent experience. What do you do
better when you go buy tickets? What do you look at?
What's your driver?
Speaker 9 (25:27):
Well, I've only been to one All Blacks game, a
few Crusaders game and in the UK a few football games,
and the driver, I guess is the company and you know,
the people who are going and the attraction. For the
All Black game it was during the day with South
Africa with Todd Blackheader as the captain, and that was
(25:49):
an awesome experience. I'm not in favor of going to
night games. And you know, if there was, you know,
a really toast close game, I would be interested if
it could be undercover. Otherwise I wouldn't even consider it.
Speaker 8 (26:04):
Now.
Speaker 9 (26:05):
I guess when you're you are probably more keen that
when you're older, when you have all the parking to consider,
like the Christier Stadium, I'll definitely go and see what
that's like to have that experience, but right in the
middle of.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Town, and that's extraordinary having that right there's going to
be a boom. Look there is Neck pointed out that
when the city rollings worked out. You're not there far
from the middle of town, and once they put popola
roof on it, it will be a lot more attractive,
but that will come with extra cost for that. And
as I said, it's a business, it's not a charity.
(26:39):
You said that you're going to have to pay. That's
the way the world.
Speaker 9 (26:42):
Well, I'll be interesting to see how the travel arrangements
they're talking about. N z TA has one of the
roads there and it's going to be restricted as allegedly
as how many events they can have there and the
distruction for n zta's operation. I don't know how it
(27:03):
is going to be. It's about two hundred meters walk
from the bus exchange, and I guess I don't like
trouble with cars and all that stuff, so I probably
look at going to the bus there, maybe for going
to an event there. I just you know, the traffic,
you know, to get into a place, and the access
is an important back when. I don't know if I'll
(27:26):
have you know, buses going to the stadium itself.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I think I'll make it as easy as they possibly can.
Because mass transport, public transport, mass transportation hugely important in
any city center. This is NEWSTALK'SB. Thanks for your call, Peter,
only are there you go? They've stopped the bleeding. It's
still nineteen nil to the Chiefs over the Highlanders twenty
(27:52):
seven months gone. There's Newstalk's EB running out, running down
of a dead eight sports look on news Talk at
z B eighty drives you go to games, price, location,
(28:16):
quality of entertainment. Hey Elga.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
Hello. I worked at the park from eighty six to
ninety six looking after the original executive sweets, So I
wanted to tell you about the food. We may I
help with the food and we made sandwiches for the public,
which is actually a better idea. Or they could make
fill voles and sell that.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
But they leaveling up to the vendors to do that
and let them provide what is going to sell, right.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
Yeah, well I used to help them with food side,
even though I did the executive sweets, and sandwiches sold
well rather than the greasy stuff.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
I'm thinking though, for turnover and cost and profit, because
they've got to make a profit out of it, they're
going to take the.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Options cheaper to make lanwiges. Then this is to cook
greases food sausages and biggers than that, and it's more healthy.
And also they need to drop the price of the tickets.
You look at all the Indian restaurants and Chinese, they're
cheap and they go for twenty years and now when
the Kiwi ones all shut down that if you have
(29:25):
the price cheap, cheaper, you'll get more people going because
people are really struggling.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
That's the cost even but it goes. Thanks for your call, Helger.
But it's quality. Ver's cost and what people are after.
The whole sandwich and roll things all well and good,
but I don't see profit margins in that. And as
I keep saying, these people are in business, it's not
a charity. They're not. Try and open their doors and
go come on out away our place and just trace it.
(29:51):
We don't care it. It won't cost you anything, and then
clean up the mess and then it's not you know,
it's changed cost of living crisis. I get that, hey, Darcy.
The bus hub is literally down the road from the
new christ Cha and plenty of car park and buildings
close by. The nice thing about christ Church or today
(30:13):
there's flat ass You can pretty much walk from anywhere
and it doesn't make any difference unless you're gifted. You
live up on the hill. But it's easy to get
anywhere in christ Church. It really is public transport, ain't drive.
I've been to Eden Park, right's another accountant's blues and
all blacks events and seats and corporates, and the venue
has no vibe. It's got terrible parking. It's not worth
(30:35):
your time. Go to Mount Smart. It's intimate. It's a
great vibe in the crowd of having such fun. Well,
I'll take umbrage with that because you've plainly never been
to a big event at Eden Park. And when that
place has got people and it fizzes. I've been to
some banging games of cricket, of rugby for everything there
it grunts it you need more people. But when you've
(30:55):
got a big event, it is going to bounce right.
The vibe is fine. Parking, catch a train, it's not
that bad. I come in from west Auckland. I leave
it a little early. I park twenty minutes walk from
now walk in. It's not a problem. As for Mount Smart,
it's in the middle of nowhere. It takes ten thousand
(31:17):
years to get there. You've got to take a search
party to walk from the train station in case one
of your members get lost. So you know it's different.
It's different, and Mount Smart's falling down as well as
it's intimate. Absolutely it is, but it is pluses and
minuses with all of these. Tim Horran joins us after
(31:41):
the break, do you reckon Nathan Cleary is going to
play rugby? Could he be an All Black? No? No?
In Australia, Tim Horan joins us next as News Talk's
e B s the Severn forty Sex sports talk on
(32:01):
News Talk zed B holdands score a trial. Well nineteen
five were joining it now by Tim Mhorn as we
look at the interesting case of a Cleary who might
play rugby from Wallaby's captain.
Speaker 11 (32:17):
Good evening, Tim, very well, Darsie, nice to be on
your show mate.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Thanks very much for joining us. All the talk around
rugby and rugby league at the moment is about one
Nathan Cleary, in the chance of him actually deserting the
NRL starting to play rugby. This is huge for rugby,
maybe not so big for rugby league. But how solid
is that rumor? Tim?
Speaker 11 (32:41):
Yeah, it's been the room has been around for the
last six or eight weeks. That you know, Nathan, whether
it's his management team, whether it's Nathan, I'm not sure
who it is. But it's especially interesting, you know, potentially
playing the game of rugby, probably you know, in the
World Cup year and you don't think or what Nathan
Cleary's done in the game of rugby, Leagu's been unbelievable.
(33:02):
He's achieved everything and more than what anyone would probably expect.
And maybe he's thinking of you know, aka, my last
couple of years of my career, I can have a
crack at rugby. So yeah, I think, you know, if
there's an interest there from either his management or from Nathan,
you'd certainly go and have a coffee with Nathan Cleary
(33:23):
and go, ok, are you serious? And then you just
have to think about it from there. But I think
also there's so much talent coming through you know, the
junior ranks for Australian rugby. It's probably not something I
wouldn't look at. But if he's interested, you certainly have
a chat to him.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
How many stops would they pull out Rugby Australia financially
to get a hold of someone like that.
Speaker 7 (33:42):
See that's the balance.
Speaker 11 (33:43):
See, so you know you'd have to get a third
party involved. You know, you'd have to get a couple
of rugby supporters to fund the cost of it, because
if you end up spending a couple million bucks a
year on Nathan Cleary, all the junior rugby clubs and
all the schools and all the young kids would go,
hang on, well, you're spending all this money on one player.
Speaker 7 (34:04):
What about us? How do we support the game?
Speaker 11 (34:07):
So I'd have to be probably a fifty to fifty
split I think from Rugby Australia and a third party
better factor if it was to happen, I think to
be there's a slim chance it could happen. But you know,
as I say, if there is interest from Nathan, you'd
be mad if you didn't have a chatter him if
they haven't already done.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
So how many eyeballs would he bring? Dear thing? How
effective would this be for eyeballs on screens and I
suspect bums on seats long term?
Speaker 11 (34:32):
Yeah, it'd certainly bring more interest to the game.
Speaker 7 (34:35):
And you know, at the time the game now in
Australia it's reasonably solid.
Speaker 11 (34:39):
You know, it's after the spring tour for the wall
of his last year with Joseph Sulee, how well he
played and how well the super rugby's going and the
brand of rugby. I think that everyone's playing has brought
a lot of interest back to the game. So yeah,
it certainly would help Phil.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
It would be looking at this and trying to work
out that balance. As you said, a gross the unfair
for the kids coming through. The superstar of league just
wanders into the role from a financial point of view
and a faith point of view of guys who come
up through the system. So he seems to be have
a good hand on what's going on in rugby Australia.
What do you think he's thinking, what's going through his mind?
Speaker 11 (35:16):
I think he'd be thinking, okay, well, if someone like
you know, if there's any high profile you know, rugby
league players that are interested in, you know, playing the
game of rugby, you certainly want to have a chat
to them.
Speaker 7 (35:27):
You want to have a chapterman personally, not to their managers.
Speaker 11 (35:30):
You want to go okay if they are series I
want to look the guy in the eye and say, okay,
are you really interested in playing rugby? If you are,
having a few more talks and then you've got to
go Okay, well, is the money best spent on junior
players coming through or do you throw a big number
at a player who's already established.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
That's the challenge for Rugby Australia.
Speaker 11 (35:47):
If there's any chance of Nathan Cleary potentially looking at
rugby UNI, I think it's a slim chance, but you
never know.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
What would you do.
Speaker 7 (35:58):
I probably wouldn't do it.
Speaker 11 (36:00):
I think Joseph Sully certainly has been outstanding, but it
would sort of probably come down to meeting Nathan face
to face and go okay, well, how serious are you?
And then you could certainly if he's very serious and
it's not just about the dollars, it's about playing in
a Rugby World Cup and doing something different. I think
(36:21):
probably if there's any opportunity for Nathan to play rugby,
he might go the Northern Hemisphere, but that's where his
girlfriend lives.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
That's a very good point. What about pushback from the NRL.
They wouldn't like this at all. He's there golden boy,
well short of this season which hasn't been great, but
he's still got New South Wales to have fun and games.
So when you look at the NRL, what their possession,
how much will they fight. This's just based on your
experience in lee and rugby in the media.
Speaker 7 (36:49):
Oh, I don't really know.
Speaker 11 (36:50):
It's probably you know, it's a case for probably more
so for Nathan than the NRL. But they wouldn't want
to lose him so surely. But it then comes down
to the player and how serious he is about it.
But as I said, there are any rumors at the moment,
I have spoken to two or three people six weeks
who are in the know, who have you know, decent
(37:11):
dealings with different managers, and you know, if there's a
slim chance, you'd certainly give Nathan a call. And so
is it real or not? And if it.
Speaker 7 (37:18):
Is, well, happy to catch up one of my stars,
you'd probably take it.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
And one last thing, Tim Horan, thanks so much chef
for joining us. How would he transition do you think
from league to rugby union?
Speaker 11 (37:29):
It's interesting with most of the transitions of NRL players,
whether it's a Lotty Takiri, Wendell sailor Matt Rodgers, they're
all outside backs.
Speaker 7 (37:40):
And for Nathan, you.
Speaker 11 (37:42):
Know, I'm certainly he says he's a wonderful player, you know,
one of the best players we've seen in the game. So,
but it is more difficult the closer you go in
to the breakdown, whether it's nine or ten or twelve.
You know, probably if it was to do itn it,
he'd probably be at number ten and run the show.
But rugby union is a totally different game than rugby league.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
There's no doubt about that. And look, if he does,
I'm sure a lot of people will be keen to
see how he goes. And after winning well four consecutive titles,
I don't know if there's much else that he can
actually do, so he can understand maybe why he's sniffing around.
Tim Horan, always a pleasure, my friend. Thanks very much
for your time. Have great weekend, mate.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
You no need for bedmo. We've got the breakdowns on
sports talk call news talk.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
It's got to be a firm No, surely doesn't it.
He's a wonderful player and he knows exactly what he's
doing in rugby lee does that transfer? As Tim Horn
pointed out, to rugby union at the highest level, what
did he say? The best players who have jumped across
the codes have done particularly well outside backs. I suppose
(38:57):
some of the big grunts and the loose forwards have
done a right as well bit to play a key
part in the game distributing too much of a punt,
and I think they have a point that to may
really irrelevant. How much is it going to cost him?
The rest of Rugby Australia going well, we're finally getting
(39:20):
back up on our feet again. We've got to coach
who thinks things that think he knows what he's doing,
even though he's not quite arrived. Less kiss and then
they go and give a hold of money to a
rugby league player. I don't see it. I think would
be fascinated by it, and I understand if he does
want to do it. He's done everything in the game
(39:41):
of rugby league, so I get it. Maybe going and
play a World Cup. It doesn't sit particularly. It's not
very comfortable for me. I mean Roger two, I vas
As Ship he was an outside back and even Crumb
and they stuck him in the centers and he just
he wasn't fast enough as mine didn't click over fast enough.
(40:02):
It wasn't instinctive for him to play the game because
he's not played it his whole life. It's the same
with a guy like Clary and stick them halfback. But
you put him in position as the number ten or
the number nine in rugby, he'll have to think about
everything he does. It won't be an instant reaction and
you lose half a beat and it's over. I don't
(40:23):
see it happening. It is at five minutes to eight.
We'll be talking with Craig at Gabriel tomorrow morning on
the All Sport Breakfast. Just looking ahead overnight. Excuse me
at some of the games that are probably worth taking away.
Look at not a lot a great deal of seed
action going on. Cutching off up against Paul. That's the
(40:47):
twenty fourth seed, be the twelfth seed. That might be
worth a bit of a look. Shelton is playing tonight
the American. Really the rest of it not great. But
what about old mate? Not that I ever met him,
and he probably wasn't like me anyway. Novak Djokovic, Djokovic,
Djokovic on his way back and he had a horrible
(41:12):
situation yesterday. Do you want to hear about it? Go on,
let's have a listen to.
Speaker 10 (41:19):
I mean it was a good match, a good fight,
particularly in the third. Things got a little bit complicated
with with the blister and that was bothering me for
a bit. But I ended up the match well, you know,
moving well and playing a great tiebreak. Obviously, atmosphere was electric,
especially in that third set was he was close to
(41:41):
win it, so the crowd got involved and it was
not much fun for me, you know. Of course, it's
never easy, but I try to try to stay calm
and do what I need to do, and I think
I've I've done that in a really good way.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
More on the blustered iveak.
Speaker 10 (41:58):
Took me like almost an hour or to deal with
the blister and the.
Speaker 7 (42:03):
Uh, the bleeding that I had.
Speaker 10 (42:06):
So they had to use the injections and get to
draw the blood out and then inject something to dry
out the blisters.
Speaker 7 (42:14):
So that was not really a pleasant process.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
Thanks for that, Ama, smell it can you sorry? Unnecessary change?
Nineteen Holander is a seven wait, thirty nine minutes gone,
so after getting punched, they had gone quite well.
Speaker 7 (42:34):
Hey catch it for more from Sports Talk.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Listen live to News Talks it'd be from seven pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News Talk SED be.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Good evening, and it is. It's seven minutes after seven
on a Friday, thirtieth of May twenty twenty five. Public
service announcement, as I'm prone to giving guy traveling for
the long weekend, make like little Fonsi's out there, be cool,
good distance between you and the car in front of you.
(00:54):
It's best you get there late than don't get there
at all. Thank you, thank you, thank you very much.
Right now, on to sport, because driving is not a sport.
Although some people think it's a combat sport, it's not.
It's a mode of transport. In tonight's program, we're joined
by Ka Gabriela Craig Gabriel. Later on in the Peace
(01:14):
Rolling Gross Caes, a tennis commentator, a friend of the programs.
As we look toward the weekend and what he's managed
to glean through the week in the French are open
plenty to talk about with Craig Gabriel. Tim Horns on
the show too, from the Wallaby Skipper. They're all talking
about the possibility of Nathan Cleary abandoning the seller dwelling
(01:38):
Penrith Panthers who have been top of the roost for
years now and maybe playing at Rugby Union. Talk to
Tim about that, the likelihood of and of course his
reaction to the possibility of another league Hee turning up
to play rugby in Australia. And we're going to kick
things off with Nick Saunner eden Park at Chief executive Officer.
(01:59):
Eden Park the most expensive in terms of price for
a night out at the rugby one hundred and ninety
bucks for tickets and food. I find that difficult to
accept in the fact that everybody has different wants and
needs when they go to a game, right, So we'll
talk to Nick about how they price eden Park, who
controls the price where the profit has made The list
(02:21):
goes on. Nick Santner to join us shortly, but as
per let's get on with a bit of this sort
today and sport today. Rivers Rahana is making the most
of the Crusader's Oka insider Jock, as he is affectionately known,
has been providing good oil all season as James O'Connor
if you need it spelled.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Out, All of us backs are just constantly clicking his brain.
Given some great insight into the Australian teams that we
potentially wouldn't have gotten having no Australians in our side,
so he's been invaluable.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Mainland Tactics coach Donald Wilkins is pretty keen to know
if the Mystics Ossie import the now Wullham is available
for the Angora base to a in Z Premiership clash
tomorrow afternoon.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Have you seen your lineup? Have they there or not?
Can you leat me in until we.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Haven't heard anything, so they're keeping it pretty hush hush,
but you know our expectation is that she will be there.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Good things come to those who ask well, stated Formula
one racing ball pilot Liam Laws, and it is now
known as their shield. After last week's defensive team driver
to Monaco is happy enough with his first points of
the season, but he wants more at the Spanish Grand
Prix in Buthalona.
Speaker 6 (03:38):
It's a nice feeling, obviously to have points on the board.
It was a very very good weekend for the team.
From my side, personally, it wasn't perfect, but obviously you
know we have another weekend this weekend to try and
keep them breathing.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And the Knicks have owned their home court to keep
the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals breathing a loss in order
been gone burger, but they beat the places in game
five one eleven ninety four and New York now have
gained some ground. They trail Indiana two games to three,
and Jalen brown and pocketed thirty two points for the
(04:08):
next and he told ESPN it was a more rounded
example from the New York massive.
Speaker 6 (04:14):
We were just able to get stops earlier, run we
will convert and.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
We just gone the way. I just feel like we
just play it better.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
We played better if we played through our standards, and
you gotta giving a.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Lot of credit for the way they play, but we played.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
The next house. And that's Sports Today, eleven after seven.
This is Sports Talk on at news Talk ZB. Article
in the Herald print today around the relative cost of
attending matches at stadium across Auckland, New Zealand and what
they cost and according to their calculations, the most expensive
(04:49):
terms for the price of a night out at the
Rugby comes at one hundred and ninety bucks for tickets
and food. And we're going to talk to that now.
To the chief executive officer of Eden Park. Nick good evening,
Nick good, Eden Gas and thanks to you John, and
thanks very much for joining us ahead of another weekend
(05:11):
of action at Eden Park. But it's not about the
action on the park, it's about the action off the park.
Now Herald released an interesting article today talking about the
costs for your average family at a game, and it
might be Eden Park, it might be over the North
Harbor Stadium, down and Wellington wherever, and they came out
with these interesting figures around the costs surrounding them. You
(05:34):
have seen this article. Is it accurate? More's the point?
Is it relevant when you consider the different strokes that
go to these games?
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Well, it is relevant because we are in a cost
of leading crisis and we're operating the experience economy.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
So we need to respond.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
We need to look at the street to set experience
and how we can work with our hires to make
that experience at a level where is affordable but also memorable.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So when you come to putting these prices, obviously there's
a baseline for you to work from, but what do
you work in with the costings behind everything that you
can control? What are the key drivers and what money
you're charging?
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Well that see as you know, if you go to
a cafe in Auckland, a coffee seven dollars. If you
go to restaurants, cafes and bars, the hospitality sector through COVID,
including stadiums, took ahead and then we've seen inflationary prices
across the entire supply chain. We have three thousand staff
(06:41):
working on a sold out of it at Eton Park.
We have a billion dollars worth of infrastructure. When constants
like Luke Cohn's or an All Blacks test comes to Auckland,
over fifteen million dollars of economic benefits delivered for the city.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
And since the Rugby World Cup, Eden.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
Park has delivered a billion dollars of economic benefit of
the city. So I think we have to look at
it in its entirety. What we have done at the
park is work with our cater who does catering at
the Sun Corpse Stadium in Brisbane, has got the contract
down in Wellington, and look at it and say how
can we provide an opportunity for a product offering that
(07:17):
is comparable to the high street. So we work with
our caterer here to introduce twelve food trucks on the
back of the West concourse that offers from wood five
pizzas through to orkeetter rolls. The food offering differs from
a concert to a sports event, and that may even
differ from an All Blacks test.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
To a Super Rugby game.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
We know that it is a challenge for families and
we need to get more people coming to Eden Park,
and part of that is it is the food offering,
but it's the overall experience. One of the things I
wanted to touch on is that our sensory room. We
invested two hundred thousand dollars in the sensory room.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
What's the room stop, sorry, what's the Century Room.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
So that is an area where up to sixty five
families access on an event day, for kids who are
neurodiverse or who are autistic can go in and have
a fifteen minute break. Now, Darcy, I can assure you
two hundred thousand dollars, that's a lot of buckets and chips,
that's a lot of drinks to be sold to cover
the cost of that room. But we acknowledge that that
(08:22):
room is required now in a modern stadium for societal purposes.
And I could list off the forty five million of
upgrades we've done over the last five years here at
the park. But coming back to the cost of living crisis,
we acknowledge it. If you go to Subway and get
a six inch roll, it's twelve or fourteen dollars, And
(08:42):
so how do we provide an offering when people come
to the venue. So we offer discounts for the first
half an hour that people arrive. Because the reality is
at a rugby game, you have a ten minute halftime break.
Now you can't serve fifty thousand people in that period.
So we've introduced where you can scan a QR code
and in certain areas have delivery year seat.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
There's a whole.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
Range of initiatives that we're looking at, including Australian venues
and moved away from having staffing so you're going your
pre purchase and you walk out and so but those
outlets can be up to five hundred thousand dollars an outlet.
So for our sets around looking at the entire experience,
we need to see more content at Eden Park and
you've seen that over the last five years. Seventy percent
(09:28):
of today's revenue and activity wasn't part of our business
model five years ago. But we need this billion dollar
asset to be used and one of the best things
I think we're going to see is the CRL opening
and eden Park will be seven minutes to town. We
need to consolidate our content at our National Stadium see
more content here, more concerts. And the last thing I
(09:48):
want to say is Darcy is we need to get
either a bed living or an event fund because otherwise
the likes of Lady Gaga, the likes of an NURL
state of origin aren't coming to New Zealand. And as
a result of that, we'll have to see infation on
prices for all events because we just don't have the content.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
What is you feed? I'm presuming you're constantly talking to
your customers to find out what they want, what they
think is fair, is unfair, where they're prepared to spend more,
where they wiggle. What does that research tell you.
Speaker 5 (10:18):
The research there's a couple of areas, so in our
member areas, Eden Park has control over the porridge. So
people are after a variety of options they want, whether
it be craft beers or they want a variety of
products that aren't available in the public areas.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Because they're hiring.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
New Zealand gets priority, So the All Blacks determined or
the Black Caps determine what porridge goes into the retail
outlets and that might change. You remember earlier this year
we went from cricket to rugby to football. That could
be three different porridge partners and so our caterer there
needs to go and take out literally tens of thousands
of cans from one event to the next and you
(10:57):
can imagine the labor costs there. So there is actually
some change that needs to happen in terms of user
agreements with our codes, consolidation of Orge Ticket and others
that get some economies of scale too.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Who has the ultimate control and plainly the poordge rights
something completely different. But when it comes to bit food
more than anything else, this is all your call. Or
do the sports involved have a part to play in
that the sports have a part to play.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
We've done a number of initiatives this year with the Blues,
so we've had from Boden Barrett Berger's through to Blue
Cups of Chips, but it doesn't really shift the dial
in terms of the volume. What we need to see
consistently twenty thousand plus people coming to Super Rugby. That
should be the benchmark across the competition and if that's achievable,
(11:46):
everyone wins. So my focus now is to say we
can provide hot chips and cold beer, but it's the
overall experience from the street to the seat that people
are interested in, and that is the public transport offering.
We've had disruption with trains and buses, but the CORL
opens and as I say, seven minutes to town, does
(12:07):
that make it easier for people to get to Eden Park. Yes,
from the north Shore, they'll get a bus to town
and trained to Eden Park. That hasn't been the case
and it will be a game changer. You would have
experienced some of the venues internationally seven minutes to the CBD.
There's very few globally that have that proximity ticket price.
That's plainly a driver to bring your whole family game.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
So the range of prices across the board, this is
set by you and I expect by the organizations as well,
and you'd be very aware of the limitations and the
crisis that people have. Has that worked as hard as
you can into your program or is that where a
(12:51):
lot of the profit actually is for the sports and
for Eden Park?
Speaker 5 (12:56):
So Eden Park doesn't set the prices that's set by
the hire or the code. We give feedback and if
we have the opportunity to set price, we set it
on a price point that we know.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
So it's very different talking about the.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
All Blacks versus South Africa to week in, week out
content and so from our side, we want to drive
down the entry price to get more people in attendance,
to increase the experience, but also to see greater sales
across the board from merchandise for the clubs or indeed
food and beverage for our staff, to give more shifts
and more economic benefit to the supply chain. Now, the
(13:34):
piece of what I'd say we've seen with the likes
of Auckland f ceed where the introduction of a slide
or some instance as a ferris wheel, price point plays
a part, The experience plays apart. And we know that
Eden Park has challenges. We've got fifty thousand seats. Are
you going to get fifty thousand people week in week
out Super Rugby?
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Probably not.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
So what we need to do is then work with
in our instance, the Blues and we acknowledge this to say,
how do we create a different experience in areas that
may not be occupied. The other piece I would say
is that you see with the Warriors. The Warriors always
talk about being sold out, but there's a number of initiatives.
They win a game in Australia, they offer I think
it's ten dollar tickets for twenty four hours and they
(14:17):
shift a large volume of tickets. So I think that
the industry has changed dramatically. I mentioned earlier that we
are in the experience economy and we're fighting for that
discretionary spend and families are looking at it and saying, well,
what am I choosing? Some families sadly, are probably choosing nothing.
But in this instance we need to be part of
(14:39):
the solution to drive greater attendance.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
By and large, Nick Sultan, thanks so much for joining us.
As always, across all of these venues, it's their open
communication between you all about what the best path is
in order to encourage more people, their price setting and
the like. Is this a combined is this a group efort.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Or probably there's more collaboration. For example with Eden Park
and the number of the Australian venues, we don't see
the necessarily as competitors to us in Auckland. The Council
controlled venues, whether it be Mount Smart, Western Springs and
North Harbor, they receive subsidies from Council, but they also
(15:19):
are operated under a different model. So in that instance
we are in arguably direct competitors to content. We are
in discussions regularly with the other venues across the country.
I think we need a national stadium strategy and a
regional stadium strategy. Hamilton and Mount Smart as a regional
(15:41):
venue and an Eden Park, and perhaps the new Christch
Stadium is more a national asset. But we also need
an event strategy. When you look to Melbourne, when a
major event is held in Melbourne, Taylor Swift is an example.
There's four major venues and a population of seven million,
so she doesn't play at four venues, she plays at
(16:01):
one venue. And I think we saw this with the
likes of Luke Comb's or Coldplay, where artists are now
going to one venue and the sooner we can deliver
that model in New Zealand, the better where they come
to one venue and people go to that. But then
there's a whole range of economies that can be then
delivered and achieved.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
So much work and I know you've got it Nix Scelton,
thanks very much for joining us and DEAs hope that
you get a good crowd tomorrow afternoon for the Blues
and that they can get through the finals playoff time
so you can get more bums on seats. Good on
your neck, Thanks so much, Darcy.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
Tonight we've got art Battle at eden Park with over
five hundred guests, So I'm off to now art battle.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
You hear it from the biggest names and sports and men.
Have your say on eighty sports Talk or more on
your hole of sports news talks.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
It be an art battle, got everything going on there. Now,
that's an excellent CEO of Eden Park. A Herald article
today looking at the best bang for buck the cost
of a family night out at the rugby at the
top of the pile, Eden Park, one hundred and ninety
dollars a fmg's down one fifty nine North Harbor, one
(17:15):
thirty nine fifty I should stop talking like some kind
of gangster out of the West Coast sky Statium on
hundred and seventy six Apollo Project leaned to one seventy
two full size bar one eighty seven. I will say
that surprised me that one that the average is up there.
So they're looking at taking from available ticketing websites, searching
(17:36):
the lowest price, and it assumes the average family is
two adults, two children, four pundits of chips, two burgers,
two piles, two beers, two soft drinks, and a coffee
to wash it all down with. They and that spot
is that average. I don't know. I'm not average, so
I can't count myself. But what about you? What's your
(17:59):
driver when you go to things? Do you look at
this and go, hold on, this is how can I
afford this? And do you do you trim it down
immense so you can actually get there like you forego
chippies and burgers on Bowden Barrett Burgers or what's the
important driver? And if the experience is going to be
good enough, do you mind even paying for that? How
(18:21):
much do you be driven by value for money when
you go to an event like this? Because I look,
I haven't got a family of four, right, I'm single. Now,
I've got one child who I have in the weekend.
So for me to go, hey, oh, well, you know,
I can't because I don't know, I don't experience then
that I take one kid and she doesn't even want
(18:45):
to come anymore. So it's mainly just myself. And because
I drive maybe one beer tops and I don't worry
about it. I don't eat, I fill myself up before
I go, or I worry about it when I get home.
I don't think that people should be taking count of
food into these things, but when you've got family, they
(19:07):
want to eat, right. So this is all this that
you've got to look at when you go along there.
But for me that that's not expensive, that doesn't represent
a huge amount of money. You're not going to do
it every night, but if you do it once a month,
a couple hundred bucks for the whole family for two
(19:27):
hours of top entertainment, which I believe it is, it's
not so bad as it. And if you're down the
bottom meat of the scar it's one hundred and thirty
one hundred and forty bucks.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
Is that.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
These people have to make money last time I checked
Eden Park, North Harbor Stadium of it. They're not charities,
and neither are the Blues or the teams that hire
these places out. They've got to make money, ye, They've
got to have a package that represents value for dollars.
(20:01):
So people turn up. But as Nick sort of pointed out,
and you're paying fifteen bucks for a subway sandwich. They
tried selling you one of those eating park for that.
They cry fail. I think they do a reasonable job anyway.
From your perspective, you'll view out there are eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty The lines are open, your driver.
(20:22):
Is it what it's going to cost you or the
experience itself? And then the rugby And if you're a
Chiefs fan, you're probably rejoicing right now. Twenty minutes done
and the heart unders are getting pasted nineteen zip. Yikes,
this is News Talk zb Does someone just takes them
(20:44):
to the have I seriously? Bred? Wow?
Speaker 8 (20:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Yeah? You send the world.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
Just gone?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
The right call? Is your call on eight hundred eighty
ten eighty sports talk call on your home of Sports
News Talk ZBJ.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
How about seven on a Friday night, May thirty, twenty
twenty five? Lines are open on eight hundred eighty ten eighty?
Is it the experience? Is it the price? People have
to make money? It's not a charity. I think sometimes
people forget that. Good a Brad, how are you?
Speaker 8 (21:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (21:45):
Good?
Speaker 8 (21:46):
Thanks Stacy. Here the thing about eaton Park though, is
to get a premium seat, and to get one undercover,
it's still always going to be expensive. A lot of
background is out in the open, and then if you
do want a decent seat in the north stand, you're
miles and miles away from the ground. You know, the
(22:06):
proximity to watching rectangular football all rugby at Eden Park
is really really tricky. It can't compete with Mount Part
Mount Smart has you know, twenty five thousand and you're
right on top of the of the ground. And Eden
Park two point zero does not commit to being a
rectangular stadium. Yes, they want to bring the North stand closer,
(22:29):
but the angle of the tear of the bottom tier
will then you know, the pitch will be less because
it goes back further. They need to commit to being
a rectangle rapey ground, not a hybrid cricket rugby ground,
but a ground where they say we're going to be
a football rugby ground. Let cricket find somewhere else and
(22:50):
commit to that. Because Eden Park look so many great memories.
I love the place, I've been hundreds of times, but
it just is not up to it for watching rugby
compared to a white Kiddo Stadium compared to Mount Smart,
compared to Dunedin and soon to be compared to the
new stadium in christ Church. So until they do that,
(23:12):
they're never going to compete with those guys. In my opinion,
I don't care how good the food is or if
I scan to get a pie. It's my view and
my experience of the game that matters.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
And so for you when you come to buy tickets
or groups of tickets, that's what you're take into account. First,
is it going to be worth my while based on
what you see as an insufficient setup?
Speaker 8 (23:35):
Well, I want spy and I'm happy to pay for
the like a busy ticket between the twenty twos and
as close as I can get if I'm in the
South Standard, I do that. At Eaton Park, I'm going
to get rained on if it rains, and let's be honest,
the time of year they play in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
The time it rains all the time. Man, it doesn't
stop it. It goes away pretty fast. So when a roof,
if they manage to get a roof, put a lid
on Eden Park, that will change your experience. I mean,
obviously keen to go your rugby fan, which is great.
Speaker 8 (24:06):
Absolutely, I'm a fan of all the codes. The roof
will be a massive help. But you know, you need
intimacy and the thing that Rugby needs to remember is
when you're switching over and you're watching a game the league,
the crowd comes through the TV into your living room
and creates that atmosphere in your living room and Rugby,
if you switch over and there's you know, ten to
(24:27):
fifteen thousand people eating parking a bunch of empty six,
it's less enjoyable to watch. You don't give that atmosphere
coming through.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
And that's what we're seeing we with MPC, when you're
seeing all these smaller grounds being utilized because the energy
has better. Hey Bread, thanks very much for your input.
There got a fight. It's our roll on now to Peter.
Speaker 9 (24:45):
Hello greetings. Well, on the other there's nothing like watching
it on television. You get the best few and I
find it difficult to and it's it's a stadium which
I'd like to go to. The one I haven't been
to is the one in Whales the Cardiff. I heard
(25:07):
that one's quite an awesome place to watch.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It came and yeah, they kind of rebuilt that around
the outside of what was there already card of Farmers Park. Yeah,
I should liked it as well, but I'm not flying
to Wales for a recent experience. What do you do
better when you go buy tickets? What do you look at?
What's your driver?
Speaker 9 (25:27):
Well, I've only been to one All Blacks game, a
few Crusaders game and in the UK a few football games,
and the driver, I guess is the company and you know,
the people who are going and the attraction. For the
All Black game it was during the day with South
Africa with Todd Blackheader as the captain, and that was
(25:49):
an awesome experience. I'm not in favor of going to
night games. And you know, if there was, you know,
a really toast close game, I would be interested if
it could be undercover. Otherwise I wouldn't even consider it.
Speaker 8 (26:04):
Now.
Speaker 9 (26:05):
I guess when you're you are probably more keen that
when you're older, when you have all the parking to consider,
like the Christier Stadium, I'll definitely go and see what
that's like to have that experience, but right in the
middle of.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Town, and that's extraordinary having that right there's going to
be a boom. Look there is Neck pointed out that
when the city rollings worked out. You're not there far
from the middle of town, and once they put popola
roof on it, it will be a lot more attractive,
but that will come with extra cost for that. And
as I said, it's a business, it's not a charity.
(26:39):
You said that you're going to have to pay. That's
the way the world.
Speaker 9 (26:42):
Well, I'll be interesting to see how the travel arrangements
they're talking about. N z TA has one of the
roads there and it's going to be restricted as allegedly
as how many events they can have there and the
distruction for n zta's operation. I don't know how it
(27:03):
is going to be. It's about two hundred meters walk
from the bus exchange, and I guess I don't like
trouble with cars and all that stuff, so I probably
look at going to the bus there, maybe for going
to an event there. I just you know, the traffic,
you know, to get into a place, and the access
is an important back when. I don't know if I'll
(27:26):
have you know, buses going to the stadium itself.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I think I'll make it as easy as they possibly can.
Because mass transport, public transport, mass transportation hugely important in
any city center. This is NEWSTALK'SB. Thanks for your call, Peter,
only are there you go? They've stopped the bleeding. It's
still nineteen nil to the Chiefs over the Highlanders twenty
(27:52):
seven months gone. There's Newstalk's EB running out, running down
of a dead eight sports look on news Talk at
z B eighty drives you go to games, price, location,
(28:16):
quality of entertainment. Hey Elga.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
Hello. I worked at the park from eighty six to
ninety six looking after the original executive sweets, So I
wanted to tell you about the food. We may I
help with the food and we made sandwiches for the public,
which is actually a better idea. Or they could make
fill voles and sell that.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
But they leaveling up to the vendors to do that
and let them provide what is going to sell, right.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
Yeah, well I used to help them with food side,
even though I did the executive sweets, and sandwiches sold
well rather than the greasy stuff.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
I'm thinking though, for turnover and cost and profit, because
they've got to make a profit out of it, they're
going to take the.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Options cheaper to make lanwiges. Then this is to cook
greases food sausages and biggers than that, and it's more healthy.
And also they need to drop the price of the tickets.
You look at all the Indian restaurants and Chinese, they're
cheap and they go for twenty years and now when
the Kiwi ones all shut down that if you have
(29:25):
the price cheap, cheaper, you'll get more people going because
people are really struggling.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
That's the cost even but it goes. Thanks for your call, Helger.
But it's quality. Ver's cost and what people are after.
The whole sandwich and roll things all well and good,
but I don't see profit margins in that. And as
I keep saying, these people are in business, it's not
a charity. They're not. Try and open their doors and
go come on out away our place and just trace it.
(29:51):
We don't care it. It won't cost you anything, and then
clean up the mess and then it's not you know,
it's changed cost of living crisis. I get that, hey, Darcy.
The bus hub is literally down the road from the
new christ Cha and plenty of car park and buildings
close by. The nice thing about christ Church or today
(30:13):
there's flat ass You can pretty much walk from anywhere
and it doesn't make any difference unless you're gifted. You
live up on the hill. But it's easy to get
anywhere in christ Church. It really is public transport, ain't drive.
I've been to Eden Park, right's another accountant's blues and
all blacks events and seats and corporates, and the venue
has no vibe. It's got terrible parking. It's not worth
(30:35):
your time. Go to Mount Smart. It's intimate. It's a
great vibe in the crowd of having such fun. Well,
I'll take umbrage with that because you've plainly never been
to a big event at Eden Park. And when that
place has got people and it fizzes. I've been to
some banging games of cricket, of rugby for everything there
it grunts it you need more people. But when you've
(30:55):
got a big event, it is going to bounce right.
The vibe is fine. Parking, catch a train, it's not
that bad. I come in from west Auckland. I leave
it a little early. I park twenty minutes walk from
now walk in. It's not a problem. As for Mount Smart,
it's in the middle of nowhere. It takes ten thousand
(31:17):
years to get there. You've got to take a search
party to walk from the train station in case one
of your members get lost. So you know it's different.
It's different, and Mount Smart's falling down as well as
it's intimate. Absolutely it is, but it is pluses and
minuses with all of these. Tim Horran joins us after
(31:41):
the break, do you reckon Nathan Cleary is going to
play rugby? Could he be an All Black? No? No?
In Australia, Tim Horan joins us next as News Talk's
e B s the Severn forty Sex sports talk on
(32:01):
News Talk zed B holdands score a trial. Well nineteen
five were joining it now by Tim Mhorn as we
look at the interesting case of a Cleary who might
play rugby from Wallaby's captain.
Speaker 11 (32:17):
Good evening, Tim, very well, Darsie, nice to be on
your show mate.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Thanks very much for joining us. All the talk around
rugby and rugby league at the moment is about one
Nathan Cleary, in the chance of him actually deserting the
NRL starting to play rugby. This is huge for rugby,
maybe not so big for rugby league. But how solid
is that rumor? Tim?
Speaker 11 (32:41):
Yeah, it's been the room has been around for the
last six or eight weeks. That you know, Nathan, whether
it's his management team, whether it's Nathan, I'm not sure
who it is. But it's especially interesting, you know, potentially
playing the game of rugby, probably you know, in the
World Cup year and you don't think or what Nathan
Cleary's done in the game of rugby, Leagu's been unbelievable.
(33:02):
He's achieved everything and more than what anyone would probably expect.
And maybe he's thinking of you know, aka, my last
couple of years of my career, I can have a
crack at rugby. So yeah, I think, you know, if
there's an interest there from either his management or from Nathan,
you'd certainly go and have a coffee with Nathan Cleary
(33:23):
and go, ok, are you serious? And then you just
have to think about it from there. But I think
also there's so much talent coming through you know, the
junior ranks for Australian rugby. It's probably not something I
wouldn't look at. But if he's interested, you certainly have
a chat to him.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
How many stops would they pull out Rugby Australia financially
to get a hold of someone like that.
Speaker 7 (33:42):
See that's the balance.
Speaker 11 (33:43):
See, so you know you'd have to get a third
party involved. You know, you'd have to get a couple
of rugby supporters to fund the cost of it, because
if you end up spending a couple million bucks a
year on Nathan Cleary, all the junior rugby clubs and
all the schools and all the young kids would go,
hang on, well, you're spending all this money on one player.
Speaker 7 (34:04):
What about us? How do we support the game?
Speaker 11 (34:07):
So I'd have to be probably a fifty to fifty
split I think from Rugby Australia and a third party
better factor if it was to happen, I think to
be there's a slim chance it could happen. But you know,
as I say, if there is interest from Nathan, you'd
be mad if you didn't have a chatter him if
they haven't already done.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
So how many eyeballs would he bring? Dear thing? How
effective would this be for eyeballs on screens and I
suspect bums on seats long term?
Speaker 11 (34:32):
Yeah, it'd certainly bring more interest to the game.
Speaker 7 (34:35):
And you know, at the time the game now in
Australia it's reasonably solid.
Speaker 11 (34:39):
You know, it's after the spring tour for the wall
of his last year with Joseph Sulee, how well he
played and how well the super rugby's going and the
brand of rugby. I think that everyone's playing has brought
a lot of interest back to the game. So yeah,
it certainly would help Phil.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
It would be looking at this and trying to work
out that balance. As you said, a gross the unfair
for the kids coming through. The superstar of league just
wanders into the role from a financial point of view
and a faith point of view of guys who come
up through the system. So he seems to be have
a good hand on what's going on in rugby Australia.
What do you think he's thinking, what's going through his mind?
Speaker 11 (35:16):
I think he'd be thinking, okay, well, if someone like
you know, if there's any high profile you know, rugby
league players that are interested in, you know, playing the
game of rugby, you certainly want to have a chat
to them.
Speaker 7 (35:27):
You want to have a chapterman personally, not to their managers.
Speaker 11 (35:30):
You want to go okay if they are series I
want to look the guy in the eye and say, okay,
are you really interested in playing rugby? If you are,
having a few more talks and then you've got to
go Okay, well, is the money best spent on junior
players coming through or do you throw a big number
at a player who's already established.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
That's the challenge for Rugby Australia.
Speaker 11 (35:47):
If there's any chance of Nathan Cleary potentially looking at
rugby UNI, I think it's a slim chance, but you
never know.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
What would you do.
Speaker 7 (35:58):
I probably wouldn't do it.
Speaker 11 (36:00):
I think Joseph Sully certainly has been outstanding, but it
would sort of probably come down to meeting Nathan face
to face and go okay, well, how serious are you?
And then you could certainly if he's very serious and
it's not just about the dollars, it's about playing in
a Rugby World Cup and doing something different. I think
(36:21):
probably if there's any opportunity for Nathan to play rugby,
he might go the Northern Hemisphere, but that's where his
girlfriend lives.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
That's a very good point. What about pushback from the NRL.
They wouldn't like this at all. He's there golden boy,
well short of this season which hasn't been great, but
he's still got New South Wales to have fun and games.
So when you look at the NRL, what their possession,
how much will they fight. This's just based on your
experience in lee and rugby in the media.
Speaker 7 (36:49):
Oh, I don't really know.
Speaker 11 (36:50):
It's probably you know, it's a case for probably more
so for Nathan than the NRL. But they wouldn't want
to lose him so surely. But it then comes down
to the player and how serious he is about it.
But as I said, there are any rumors at the moment,
I have spoken to two or three people six weeks
who are in the know, who have you know, decent
(37:11):
dealings with different managers, and you know, if there's a
slim chance, you'd certainly give Nathan a call. And so
is it real or not? And if it.
Speaker 7 (37:18):
Is, well, happy to catch up one of my stars,
you'd probably take it.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
And one last thing, Tim Horan, thanks so much chef
for joining us. How would he transition do you think
from league to rugby union?
Speaker 11 (37:29):
It's interesting with most of the transitions of NRL players,
whether it's a Lotty Takiri, Wendell sailor Matt Rodgers, they're
all outside backs.
Speaker 7 (37:40):
And for Nathan, you.
Speaker 11 (37:42):
Know, I'm certainly he says he's a wonderful player, you know,
one of the best players we've seen in the game. So,
but it is more difficult the closer you go in
to the breakdown, whether it's nine or ten or twelve.
You know, probably if it was to do itn it,
he'd probably be at number ten and run the show.
But rugby union is a totally different game than rugby league.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
There's no doubt about that. And look, if he does,
I'm sure a lot of people will be keen to
see how he goes. And after winning well four consecutive titles,
I don't know if there's much else that he can
actually do, so he can understand maybe why he's sniffing around.
Tim Horan, always a pleasure, my friend. Thanks very much
for your time. Have great weekend, mate.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
You no need for bedmo. We've got the breakdowns on
sports talk call news talk.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
It's got to be a firm No, surely doesn't it.
He's a wonderful player and he knows exactly what he's
doing in rugby lee does that transfer? As Tim Horn
pointed out, to rugby union at the highest level, what
did he say? The best players who have jumped across
the codes have done particularly well outside backs. I suppose
(38:57):
some of the big grunts and the loose forwards have
done a right as well bit to play a key
part in the game distributing too much of a punt,
and I think they have a point that to may
really irrelevant. How much is it going to cost him?
The rest of Rugby Australia going well, we're finally getting
(39:20):
back up on our feet again. We've got to coach
who thinks things that think he knows what he's doing,
even though he's not quite arrived. Less kiss and then
they go and give a hold of money to a
rugby league player. I don't see it. I think would
be fascinated by it, and I understand if he does
want to do it. He's done everything in the game
(39:41):
of rugby league, so I get it. Maybe going and
play a World Cup. It doesn't sit particularly. It's not
very comfortable for me. I mean Roger two, I vas
As Ship he was an outside back and even Crumb
and they stuck him in the centers and he just
he wasn't fast enough as mine didn't click over fast enough.
(40:02):
It wasn't instinctive for him to play the game because
he's not played it his whole life. It's the same
with a guy like Clary and stick them halfback. But
you put him in position as the number ten or
the number nine in rugby, he'll have to think about
everything he does. It won't be an instant reaction and
you lose half a beat and it's over. I don't
(40:23):
see it happening. It is at five minutes to eight.
We'll be talking with Craig at Gabriel tomorrow morning on
the All Sport Breakfast. Just looking ahead overnight. Excuse me
at some of the games that are probably worth taking away.
Look at not a lot a great deal of seed
action going on. Cutching off up against Paul. That's the
(40:47):
twenty fourth seed, be the twelfth seed. That might be
worth a bit of a look. Shelton is playing tonight
the American. Really the rest of it not great. But
what about old mate? Not that I ever met him,
and he probably wasn't like me anyway. Novak Djokovic, Djokovic,
Djokovic on his way back and he had a horrible
(41:12):
situation yesterday. Do you want to hear about it? Go on,
let's have a listen to.
Speaker 10 (41:19):
I mean it was a good match, a good fight,
particularly in the third. Things got a little bit complicated
with with the blister and that was bothering me for
a bit. But I ended up the match well, you know,
moving well and playing a great tiebreak. Obviously, atmosphere was electric,
especially in that third set was he was close to
(41:41):
win it, so the crowd got involved and it was
not much fun for me, you know. Of course, it's
never easy, but I try to try to stay calm
and do what I need to do, and I think
I've I've done that in a really good way.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
More on the blustered iveak.
Speaker 10 (41:58):
Took me like almost an hour or to deal with
the blister and the.
Speaker 7 (42:03):
Uh, the bleeding that I had.
Speaker 10 (42:06):
So they had to use the injections and get to
draw the blood out and then inject something to dry
out the blisters.
Speaker 7 (42:14):
So that was not really a pleasant process.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
Thanks for that, Ama, smell it can you sorry? Unnecessary change?
Nineteen Holander is a seven wait, thirty nine minutes gone,
so after getting punched, they had gone quite well.
Speaker 7 (42:34):
Hey catch it for more from Sports Talk.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Listen live to News Talks it'd be from seven pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Boysober
Have you ever wondered what life might be like if you stopped worrying about being wanted, and focused on understanding what you actually want? That was the question Hope Woodard asked herself after a string of situationships inspired her to take a break from sex and dating. She went "boysober," a personal concept that sparked a global movement among women looking to prioritize themselves over men. Now, Hope is looking to expand the ways we explore our relationship to relationships. Taking a bold, unfiltered look into modern love, romance, and self-discovery, Boysober will dive into messy stories about dating, sex, love, friendship, and breaking generational patterns—all with humor, vulnerability, and a fresh perspective.
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!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com