May 24, 2025 • 9 mins
As Auckland FC gear up for their clash against the Melbourne Victory, GoMedia Managing Director joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason find
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Coming to you from an increasingly loud Tyler Street Sports
ahead of tonight's second leg of the A League Semifinal.
Auckland f C Melbourne victory, joining us now arguably the
biggest and broadest supporter of sport of this country. Mike Gray,
founder and Managing Director of Go Media. I want to
read out this list and I'm sure it isn't exhaustive,
(00:35):
but it does display your commitment to sport in this country.
You were the first sponsor to sign up with Auckland
f C. You back the Blues, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes,
the Crusaders and the Highlanders, as well as Auckland North, Harbor,
waycut Or, Wellington and Canterbury rugby unions. In cricket Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington,
Northern and Central.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
You recently took up.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Naming rights sponsorship for the Stars and the A and
Z Premiership. You also support the Mystics, the Pulse, the Magic,
the Steel and New Zealand Netport, Auckland Tennis Athletics, Emirates
Team New Zealand, Box Me and Mottu and of course,
go media stadium. What is behind this deep seated love
and passion for sport and aligning yourself and your company
(01:17):
with it?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Afternoon, Piney, thanks for the intro.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Loved to see you mate. Hey, Well, I believe in
the power of sport. I think it connects communities, It
brings people together. I think the camaraderie of sport, whether
you're playing in a team or you're supporting a team.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Look at the bar, it's pumping.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
People will be on the buses and on the train
soon the port rocking down those stairs. You know, when
you're in the stadium and it's a Warriors game, it's
a different feeling to an AFC game. But you've got
these passionate fans that are part of something bigger than
themselves and I think we all un for that.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
And isn't it great to be backing something that's winning.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
So my strategy is if I sponsor everything, I have
got someone that's doing really well, you know, so I'm
always winning and you can be part of the magic,
which is yeah, magical moments.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
You're here to make memories, Pinty.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Well, all the FC are certainly doing that, as are
the Warriors now Supporting teams is one thing, you know,
putting your name and lending support to sporting teams is
one thing. But putting your name on an entire venue,
Go Media Stadium, that's a that's another level up. Can
you tell us about the process behind that, the decision
making that went on that you and your commitment to
(02:30):
an entire venue.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Yeah. Sure.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
I was actually initially asked to come in to see
if I could help find a naming rights partner. And
so as I was drilling into it, trying to work
out how would I pitch it to someone? What are
the values? The values you could unlock, how would you
leverage it? The more and more I thought about it,
the more I thought this would be perfect for me. Right,
And it's actually quite hard to find a naming rights
(02:54):
partner that's neutral. So I couldn't be Steinlager Stadium because
of Heineken, will Rugby Caman, right, it can't be Spark
Stadium because of one anti Warriors, right, So.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
We're kind of neutrals.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
We sponsored the teams that play in the venues, and
so we just I saw this sort of alignment of sport.
We're already sponsored the teams, but why don't we put
our name up in lights And you know, initially it
was two years ago. We did the deal this month
and it was a bit of slow. It took a
while to take up. But even now of who do
you call it?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Where you go? You know, it's six to.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
One here at Go Media and you don't even use
the word stadium, which is you know, films my heart
with joy. It was a pretty audacious move at the time,
and luckily I've got two great business partners that believe
in my crazy ideas sometimes and but for us, it
was about signaling to the city that we're here for
(03:49):
the long term, that we're we're we invest in the city,
that we backed the community. And I believe in elevation
that if I can help anyone elevate, just even by
two millimeters, that's kind of my purpose and my mission.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
So you mentioned me and more two and the intro.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I'm now who made sponsor because when I found out
that she had to have a full time job and
couldn't focus on training when she's a world champion trying
to do amazing things, I just thought that's not right.
So I wanted to address that. So happy to be
part of her team and her corner.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Now you speak with great passion, and these are clearly
passionate decisions that you make, But you are also a businessman,
right You've got to make the numbers work. How much
does that figure into your decision making or is that
left in the hands of your business partners?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
And you provide the passion. No, I never take risks.
I take calculated risks.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
So I tend to move into the future and I work.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
My way backwards and go, Okay, if I took this
name and right Steel, how would I monetize it, How could.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
I get the benefit back? What would I need to do?
What are the risks? What could go wrong? And then
from that I try and build a model.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
And ultimately, when I make a decision, I've already established
in my mind that it cannot fail.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
So the stadium's gone way.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Better than I imagine, because of course at that time
we didn't know Auckland the Sea was going to exist,
but we did bring the Wellington Phoenix up, did a doubleheader,
and I convinced Aalkland Stadiums who backed that, that we
would sell it out and we got.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
About seven thousand people.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
But I had this vision of ferris wheels and you
know pack stadiums. So Auckland fcvchieved that. They even had
the fairest wheel, so you know when you've got a
when you're visionary like that. But what I really wanted
to back was football. You know, yes, I sponsored rugby, cricket, netball,
everything right, but to have a team playing in this
city in this competition. And I'm a long term sponsor
(05:43):
to the Phoenix, but to have the Derby, like, as
a football fan, what a great thing, and just have
Auckland win the Premiers play.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
And I was in Melbourne last weekend, very tense game.
You know, Melbourne came out of the blocks. I think
it's going to be a tough one today.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
I think if we can get ahead first, we score first,
that's the goal, go into halftime. If it's nil, all
that's still a win. The clock down. But you know,
I think we're the better team. I think defensively, the
way they work so hard off the ball. Poulson the strata,
he was amazing last week in effect, I think he's
been amazing all season.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
He's my favorite player in the team. Worked so hard.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
But I think, you know, like Warrior's second on the
table and I called it on a Heather show last night.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
They are going to win the ourl this year.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Well you don't. You don't take risks, you don't make
out Lander's statements.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
No, I think it's a I think it's a fair call.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I mean, if they win tomorrow, they go joint top
on points. So it's not you know, you're not you're
not really making a a big bold call. Where do
you watch games from? Where do you want when you
get out there this afternoon? Do you have your own
sweet or what? How do you watch games?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Well this is half the trick that they pulled so
to get me to look at the naming rights. We
were given the halfway sweet for the Harry Styles concert
and because I wanted some tickets to my daughter. Next minute,
we're in the halfway sweet and I'm being told, well,
this is part of the naming rights, and you know,
so as you start looking round and and then and.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
Then I got off with the Warriors game, and then
we had another Warriors game, and then we an All
Whites game, and before you knew it, I was right
doing the deal in my head.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
And then I knew the all Blacks were coming and
no one knew that, so I was like, if the
All Blacks played at.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Go Media Stadium, how cool would that?
Speaker 4 (07:32):
So I was actually in Hong Kong as in a
transit hotel, and I woke up to a text message
that said someone thought our business was a small business,
and I wanted to be seen as a big business
because I'm trying to win a big contract at the moment.
And I thought, well, okay, naming rights would perhaps change perception.
(07:53):
And I had the contract in my bag and in Germany,
I was in a hotel.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
My son was playing football in.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Germany and I'd gone to visit him, and in the
hotel in Bremen, I walked him through the whole contract
and I see, these are the problems. If I can
solve these, I'll do the deal. And so they agreed
to my changes, and so I did this deal right
now when we actually launched the stadium, and it goes
out on TV and Z I send him the YouTube
(08:19):
link and my son watches it and he rings them
out like almost gobsmacked, and he's like.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Dad, dead, it's everything you said it would be.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
And I'm like, yes, boy, yes, he goes, no, but
dead you told you what would happen, and it's actually happened.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
I'm like, yes, boy, this is this is what being
a businessman knows you. But Dad, you actually did it.
I'm like, yes, bood, this good. He's got trust in
his old man. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Well he's an entrepreneurial himself, but I'm I'm teaching him
the you know, you you make these moments, you make
the magic happen.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
You have to when you're an entrepreneur. You actually have
to go out there like a sports team.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
And sometimes chance you're up and you don't always win,
but you want to be in the competition. You want
to be there in the final round and you might
have been knocked down twice. But if you can if
you can get that upper cut in at the last
minute and sees the fight, Ye're there.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
So I'm always.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Always battling to exceed, you know, because I'm up against
these foreign competitors. I'm the big New Zealand company, and
I want us to be the biggest and the best
because then I can do more for Tommocky, for New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Well, a lot of people talk the talk Mike, congratulations
on walking the walk. I know it's not finished. I
know the walk is a long way from being finished,
but I know you will join the march, perhaps to
the to the match this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Great to see your mate enjoy the game. Thanks Pinning,
I love your calls. Great to see you again. Good
to see you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Mike Graig, founder and Managing director of Go Media. You'll
find their name everywhere, including on Go Media stadium venue
for tonight's semi final Auckland FC Melbourne victory.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Faine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason find
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Coming to you from an increasingly loud Tyler Street Sports
ahead of tonight's second leg of the A League Semifinal.
Auckland f C Melbourne victory, joining us now arguably the
biggest and broadest supporter of sport of this country. Mike Gray,
founder and Managing Director of Go Media. I want to
read out this list and I'm sure it isn't exhaustive,
(00:35):
but it does display your commitment to sport in this country.
You were the first sponsor to sign up with Auckland
f C. You back the Blues, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes,
the Crusaders and the Highlanders, as well as Auckland North, Harbor,
waycut Or, Wellington and Canterbury rugby unions. In cricket Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington,
Northern and Central.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
You recently took up.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Naming rights sponsorship for the Stars and the A and
Z Premiership. You also support the Mystics, the Pulse, the Magic,
the Steel and New Zealand Netport, Auckland Tennis Athletics, Emirates
Team New Zealand, Box Me and Mottu and of course,
go media stadium. What is behind this deep seated love
and passion for sport and aligning yourself and your company
(01:17):
with it?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Afternoon, Piney, thanks for the intro.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Loved to see you mate. Hey, Well, I believe in
the power of sport. I think it connects communities, It
brings people together. I think the camaraderie of sport, whether
you're playing in a team or you're supporting a team.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Look at the bar, it's pumping.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
People will be on the buses and on the train
soon the port rocking down those stairs. You know, when
you're in the stadium and it's a Warriors game, it's
a different feeling to an AFC game. But you've got
these passionate fans that are part of something bigger than
themselves and I think we all un for that.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
And isn't it great to be backing something that's winning.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
So my strategy is if I sponsor everything, I have
got someone that's doing really well, you know, so I'm
always winning and you can be part of the magic,
which is yeah, magical moments.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
You're here to make memories, Pinty.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Well, all the FC are certainly doing that, as are
the Warriors now Supporting teams is one thing, you know,
putting your name and lending support to sporting teams is
one thing. But putting your name on an entire venue,
Go Media Stadium, that's a that's another level up. Can
you tell us about the process behind that, the decision
making that went on that you and your commitment to
(02:30):
an entire venue.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Yeah. Sure.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
I was actually initially asked to come in to see
if I could help find a naming rights partner. And
so as I was drilling into it, trying to work
out how would I pitch it to someone? What are
the values? The values you could unlock, how would you
leverage it? The more and more I thought about it,
the more I thought this would be perfect for me. Right,
And it's actually quite hard to find a naming rights
(02:54):
partner that's neutral. So I couldn't be Steinlager Stadium because
of Heineken, will Rugby Caman, right, it can't be Spark
Stadium because of one anti Warriors, right, So.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
We're kind of neutrals.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
We sponsored the teams that play in the venues, and
so we just I saw this sort of alignment of sport.
We're already sponsored the teams, but why don't we put
our name up in lights And you know, initially it
was two years ago. We did the deal this month
and it was a bit of slow. It took a
while to take up. But even now of who do
you call it?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Where you go? You know, it's six to.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
One here at Go Media and you don't even use
the word stadium, which is you know, films my heart
with joy. It was a pretty audacious move at the time,
and luckily I've got two great business partners that believe
in my crazy ideas sometimes and but for us, it
was about signaling to the city that we're here for
(03:49):
the long term, that we're we're we invest in the city,
that we backed the community. And I believe in elevation
that if I can help anyone elevate, just even by
two millimeters, that's kind of my purpose and my mission.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
So you mentioned me and more two and the intro.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I'm now who made sponsor because when I found out
that she had to have a full time job and
couldn't focus on training when she's a world champion trying
to do amazing things, I just thought that's not right.
So I wanted to address that. So happy to be
part of her team and her corner.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Now you speak with great passion, and these are clearly
passionate decisions that you make, But you are also a businessman,
right You've got to make the numbers work. How much
does that figure into your decision making or is that
left in the hands of your business partners?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
And you provide the passion. No, I never take risks.
I take calculated risks.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
So I tend to move into the future and I work.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
My way backwards and go, Okay, if I took this
name and right Steel, how would I monetize it, How could.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
I get the benefit back? What would I need to do?
What are the risks? What could go wrong? And then
from that I try and build a model.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
And ultimately, when I make a decision, I've already established
in my mind that it cannot fail.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
So the stadium's gone way.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Better than I imagine, because of course at that time
we didn't know Auckland the Sea was going to exist,
but we did bring the Wellington Phoenix up, did a doubleheader,
and I convinced Aalkland Stadiums who backed that, that we
would sell it out and we got.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
About seven thousand people.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
But I had this vision of ferris wheels and you
know pack stadiums. So Auckland fcvchieved that. They even had
the fairest wheel, so you know when you've got a
when you're visionary like that. But what I really wanted
to back was football. You know, yes, I sponsored rugby, cricket, netball,
everything right, but to have a team playing in this
city in this competition. And I'm a long term sponsor
(05:43):
to the Phoenix, but to have the Derby, like, as
a football fan, what a great thing, and just have
Auckland win the Premiers play.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
And I was in Melbourne last weekend, very tense game.
You know, Melbourne came out of the blocks. I think
it's going to be a tough one today.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
I think if we can get ahead first, we score first,
that's the goal, go into halftime. If it's nil, all
that's still a win. The clock down. But you know,
I think we're the better team. I think defensively, the
way they work so hard off the ball. Poulson the strata,
he was amazing last week in effect, I think he's
been amazing all season.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
He's my favorite player in the team. Worked so hard.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
But I think, you know, like Warrior's second on the
table and I called it on a Heather show last night.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
They are going to win the ourl this year.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Well you don't. You don't take risks, you don't make
out Lander's statements.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
No, I think it's a I think it's a fair call.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I mean, if they win tomorrow, they go joint top
on points. So it's not you know, you're not you're
not really making a a big bold call. Where do
you watch games from? Where do you want when you
get out there this afternoon? Do you have your own
sweet or what? How do you watch games?
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Well this is half the trick that they pulled so
to get me to look at the naming rights. We
were given the halfway sweet for the Harry Styles concert
and because I wanted some tickets to my daughter. Next minute,
we're in the halfway sweet and I'm being told, well,
this is part of the naming rights, and you know,
so as you start looking round and and then and.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
Then I got off with the Warriors game, and then
we had another Warriors game, and then we an All
Whites game, and before you knew it, I was right
doing the deal in my head.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
And then I knew the all Blacks were coming and
no one knew that, so I was like, if the
All Blacks played at.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Go Media Stadium, how cool would that?
Speaker 4 (07:32):
So I was actually in Hong Kong as in a
transit hotel, and I woke up to a text message
that said someone thought our business was a small business,
and I wanted to be seen as a big business
because I'm trying to win a big contract at the moment.
And I thought, well, okay, naming rights would perhaps change perception.
(07:53):
And I had the contract in my bag and in Germany,
I was in a hotel.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
My son was playing football in.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Germany and I'd gone to visit him, and in the
hotel in Bremen, I walked him through the whole contract
and I see, these are the problems. If I can
solve these, I'll do the deal. And so they agreed
to my changes, and so I did this deal right
now when we actually launched the stadium, and it goes
out on TV and Z I send him the YouTube
(08:19):
link and my son watches it and he rings them
out like almost gobsmacked, and he's like.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Dad, dead, it's everything you said it would be.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
And I'm like, yes, boy, yes, he goes, no, but
dead you told you what would happen, and it's actually happened.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
I'm like, yes, boy, this is this is what being
a businessman knows you. But Dad, you actually did it.
I'm like, yes, bood, this good. He's got trust in
his old man. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
Well he's an entrepreneurial himself, but I'm I'm teaching him
the you know, you you make these moments, you make
the magic happen.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
You have to when you're an entrepreneur. You actually have
to go out there like a sports team.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
And sometimes chance you're up and you don't always win,
but you want to be in the competition. You want
to be there in the final round and you might
have been knocked down twice. But if you can if
you can get that upper cut in at the last
minute and sees the fight, Ye're there.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
So I'm always.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Always battling to exceed, you know, because I'm up against
these foreign competitors. I'm the big New Zealand company, and
I want us to be the biggest and the best
because then I can do more for Tommocky, for New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Well, a lot of people talk the talk Mike, congratulations
on walking the walk. I know it's not finished. I
know the walk is a long way from being finished,
but I know you will join the march, perhaps to
the to the match this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Great to see your mate enjoy the game. Thanks Pinning,
I love your calls. Great to see you again. Good
to see you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Mike Graig, founder and Managing director of Go Media. You'll
find their name everywhere, including on Go Media stadium venue
for tonight's semi final Auckland FC Melbourne victory.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Faine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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