
Sky Sport Next is a platform designed to be a launching pad for some of New Zealand’s most popular grassroots sports and rising young talent and gives New Zealanders free access to watch more than 50 different sports and thousands of events.
The events are streamed, and highlights packages made available, on the Sky Sport Next YouTube channel and some content may be broadcast on Sky Sport, Sky’s sport streaming service Sky Sport Now, and Sky’s free-to-air channel Prime.
Since launch there have already been more than 500 pieces of content produced or Sky Sport Next, ranging from Olympic Qualifiers & World Championships to National Championships across many grades.
“American Football has a great following in New Zealand. This year’s Super Bowl LIV saw nearly 80,000 viewers stream the match on Sky Sport Now. It’s a game full of intrigue, strategies and statistics - and we’re excited to be part of its growth through Sky Sport Next,” says Cathryn Oliver, Sky Sport Relationship Manager.
The NZ American Football Federation will be working with Regional bodies and Clubs to build out an event schedule to showcase on the platform, across both Contact and Flag disciplines and Men’s and Women’s games. NZAFF have also recently started running “NFL Combine” style athletic testing events which could also see coverage to help showcase local talent at an individual level.
The event streaming will be undertaken by professional production companies with 3+ cameras and live commentary to ensure footage is suitable quality to be made available on core Sky platforms, should this opportunity arise.
NZAFF Chairman Todd Wackrow says: “Sky Sport Next gives us a fantastic opportunity to showcase our local game and talent to a wider audience, and will see a quality of live stream made available which our Sport has never seen in New Zealand. The NFL and College Football have a large fanbase in New Zealand, and NZ American Football fans will now be able to support the local athletes, Clubs and Regions playing the game locally.”
For more information on this exciting development for the Sport, to discuss sponsorship opportunities please contact NZAFF General Manager Russell McConnochie – gm@nzaff.co.nz