Wellington Phoenix’s Football United Tour will be broadcast to millions when West Ham and Newcastle United tour New Zealand in July 2014.
Wellington Phoenix-s Football United Tour will be broadcast to millions when West Ham and Newcastle United tour New Zealand in July 2014.
Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome said there had been strong interest in the international TV rights for the Tour.
“The Football United Tour will take New Zealand to the world and the international football community is curious to see Premier League teams in New Zealand” Dome said.
“The tour of these two famous old Clubs to the bottom of the South Pacific has caused quite a stir internationally!
“There has been a lot of interest in how the A-League-s Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC will fare against West Ham and Newcastle United in a part of the world primarily known for its natural beauty and rugby!”
“Markets as diverse as China, the Middle East and North Africa will screen the matches alongside more expected countries like the UK, United States and Australia.
“It-s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the country, the cities the Tour will play in and of course the Wellington Phoenix to many millions of people from around the world” Dome said.
Dome also announced that the Tour is to be made available in New Zealand on SKY Arena pay per view television.
“The assistance of SKY is fundamental for the tournament.
“The costs of bringing two English Premier League teams out to New Zealand is large and pay-per-view can help us mitigate the risk.
Dome said that pricing matches for pay per view was a delicate balancing act.
“We want fans from outside Dunedin, Auckland and Wellington to be able to access the matches for a good price.
“However, we also know from the A-League that live televised sport contributes to people staying at home and watching the game on TV and we want to encourage fans to turn out for these two teams and create a really special atmosphere for them.
“We believe that at $24.99 per game and $39.95 for the Tour we-ve got a good balance between the two objectives”
At A Glance:
• Countries taking the Football United Tour: Australia, UK&Eire, France, Norway, Portugal, Balkans, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, China, Indonesia, North America & Canada, Mexico, Middle East & North Africa, Israel, South Africa. More territories to be added.
• Sky Arena pay per view pricing – one game $24.99, Tour package $39.95
• Auckland and Wellington tickets can be bought online at ticketek.co.nz or 0800Ticketek. Dunedin at www.ticketdirect.co.nz.
