For the first time in almost 30 years Mt Smart Stadium, the Warriors' home ground, is being renamed as part of a new sponsorship deal.
Auckland Stadiums has signed a new commercial agreement that gives Kiwi outdoor advertising company Go Media naming rights over the stadium.
The new name, Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, was announced at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Auckland this morning. While neither organisation would divulge the value of the sponsorship agreement, experts have estimated it could be worth thousands of dollars.
The last time such a deal was made was in the 1990s that saw it called Ericsson Stadium between 1995 to 2006.
The news of the new name comes at a time when Auckland Council has forecast large cuts to the arts and events sector to help it reduce its budget deficit in the next financial year.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said the deal would help the council-controlled organisation reduce its reliance on ratepayer funding.
"Across the council group we all need to find new and innovative ways to work with the private sector to secure funding," he said. "We are more committed than ever to making Go Media Stadium Mt Smart an accessible, affordable asset for Tāmaki Makaurau."
Go Media managing director Mike Gray said it was a proud moment for the organisation.
"We are looking forward to using our networks and leveraging our shared passions for events and entertainment together."
As well as being the home for Auckland's professional league team, Go Media Stadium is one of the country's main venues for outdoor concerts.
Expressions of interest for a sponsorship deal were first sought before the pandemic, in 2018. At the time Auckland Stadiums director Paul Nisbet expressed a need to secure a "significant revenue stream" to assist with its ongoing maintenance and ensure its future viability.
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