Sports activities Leisure Community (SEN) is about to broaden into New Zealand saying plans to accumulate 29 TAB NZ AM/FM radio licences* and signing former New Zealand Check captain Brendon McCullum as headline expertise.
SENZ – as it will likely be recognized, will turn into New Zealand’s new House of Sport and Racing – and goals to be the vacation spot for New Zealand sports activities followers, with soon-to-be-announced stay sports activities rights to be supported by marquee native programming.
McCullum will entrance and co-host the all-important breakfast shift – bringing native sports activities followers all of the breaking sports activities tales, information and opinion every morning. Different on-air expertise will probably be introduced quickly.
“I’m clearly massively excited to be taking the lead on such an ingenious transfer ahead for sports activities radio in New Zealand. This has been a very long time within the making and I have to thank Craig Hutchison who has been instrumental in each germinating the concept after which making it occur. I nonetheless stay for sport and that is one other alternative to stay immersed in it in my very own nation, placing my stamp on SENZ’s protection and hopefully having quite a lot of enjoyable alongside the way in which!” McCullum mentioned.
Sports activities Leisure Community CEO, Craig Hutchison mentioned he was excited to be increasing the SEN footprint internationally.
“New Zealand is without doubt one of the most passionate locations on this planet for worldwide and native sport and we’re delighted to have reached settlement to unleash SENZ onto an unrivalled radio footprint throughout the entire nation,” Hutchison mentioned.
“Not solely is Brendon revered as one among New Zealand’s best ever cricketers – he’s additionally a racing knowledgeable, horse proprietor, coach and commentator. There’s probably no greater identify in New Zealand sport and we’re honoured and excited that he’ll be a part of SENZ.
“Our enterprise has lengthy championed native content material for native followers and that’s precisely our plan in NZ. Our 24/7 sports activities speak format will embrace exhibits hosted by a few of New Zealand’s most beloved sporting identities – in addition to a block-buster line-up of stay sport – all delivered by a fiercely native lens.
“We thank the TAB for reaching phrases to tackle the previous Trackside radio footprint and sit up for partnering with them to offer a singular providing to sports activities and racing, pacing and chasing followers alike.”
One of many keys to SEN’s spectacular development in Australia is its fast-growing digital community offering sports activities followers with all of the breaking sports activities tales in addition to on-demand podcasts and stay streaming. The identical mannequin will probably be replicated in NZ with the SENZ radio product created in parallel to a collection of digital merchandise, together with an SENZ app, web site and social media to drive entry to the exhibits stay and on-demand.
TAB NZ Government Chair, Dean McKenzie mentioned the sale of the Trackside radio frequencies to SEN was a optimistic final result.
“SEN has a confirmed monitor document in delivering high quality sport and racing protection in Australia and we sit up for a detailed and mutually useful relationship in selling and overlaying sport and racing in New Zealand.
“We’re assured racing followers will probably be well-served by the introduction of the brand new enterprise which will probably be along with Trackside’s separate present stay simulcast of racing which continues to be out there by the TAB web site, app and streaming companies.”
Sports activities Leisure Community is a dynamic multi-platform sports activities and leisure enterprise – connecting manufacturers with followers throughout radio, tv, digital, publishing, stadiums and occasions.
In Australia, the enterprise owns and operates 18 radio stations across the nation – together with 1116 SEN Melbourne, 1170 SEN Sydney, 1629 SEN SA in Adelaide, in addition to 11 stations underneath its racing model SENTrack. It additionally owns a newspaper, journal and expertise administration enterprise.
It holds broadcast rights to the AFL, NRL, A-League, Massive Bash and Check Cricket in addition to worldwide sports activities occasions like NFL Tremendous Bowl and boasts the most important names calling the most important video games throughout its commentary groups: AFL Nation, NRL Nation and Massive Bash Nation. It is usually the biggest syndicator of sports activities radio content material throughout Australia.
SENZ will set up radio studios in Auckland and Wellington and can produce native sports activities content material from each studios.
*Topic to circumstances.
