Auckland FC, with support from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, has revealed the economic impact of the club’s sellout A-League Grand Final win in May, a night that delivered benefits well beyond the football.
The first A-League Grand Final played on New Zealand soil, Auckland FC’s 1-0 win over Sydney FC was attended by 28,576 fans at Go Media Stadium, Mt Smart.
The historic night generated an estimated $2.5 million net benefit for the Auckland region, according to an independent post-event evaluation by Fresh Info.
The evaluation, based on survey research following the 23rd of May fixture, shows the benefit came without any government costs recorded against the event, with the return instead driven by the value fans and local businesses placed on the occasion.
More than 3,000 fans travelled from outside Auckland, 654 internationally, to watch the club claim its maiden A-League Championship. Between them, they generated 2,960 visitor nights in the Auckland region and $857,099 in visitor expenditure.
Across the full cost-benefit analysis, the event generated $7.7 million in total benefit against $5.2 million in total cost to the host region, a net benefit of almost $2.5 million, equivalent to a 48% return on investment for the city.
Fresh Info estimates the 654 international visitors who travelled for the match spent an estimated $414,713. and delivering a $2.5 million net benefit to the country as a whole – a 1.47 benefit-to-cost ratio.
The result stands out against comparable events. Fresh Info benchmarks the Grand Final against the median for medium-to-large sport-spectator events it has evaluated, and Auckland outperformed every measure that matters most.
The benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.47 against a 1.25 median, a Net Promoter Score of 78 against a median of 56, and resident pride of 95% against an 88% median and liveability of 94% vs a 90% median. All well clear of the typical events in Auckland.
It wasn’t just the balance sheet that stood out. Of those surveyed:
- 96% of attendees said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience, five points clear of the median for comparable sport-spectator events.
- The match returned a Net Promoter Score of 78, more than 20 points above the typical score for similar-sized sporting events, and comfortably inside the “amazing” band on Fresh Info’s benchmark scale.
- 95% of Auckland resident attendees agreed the Grand Final increased their pride in the city, and 94% said hosting events like it makes Auckland a more enjoyable place to live.
- Among visitors, 46% said the experience had improved their perception of Auckland as a place to visit, and 31% said it improved their perception of Auckland as a place to do business.
“A sellout crowd at Go Media Stadium, for a game of football in New Zealand, is unprecedented, and this report shows just how well Auckland got behind us,” said Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker.
“Hosting an A-League Grand Final for the first time in New Zealand was a special moment for our club but also the city.
“It clearly demonstrates the value of major events in Auckland and why we need to invest in more of them.”
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Director of Destination Annie Dundas says, “This evaluation looks at one night, but it also highlights the quality of Auckland’s venues and our ability to host major sporting occasions. Auckland FC’s impact on the region is much bigger than just one game.
“We’re seeing big crowds at Go Media Stadium throughout the season and fans getting behind the team in bars and restaurants across Auckland.
“That’s good for local businesses; it brings energy to the city and gives Auckland something to rally around. The Grand Final showed what having a successful home team can bring to the city, both economically and socially, and there’s a lot to be excited about as that support continues to grow.”
