Despite attracting its biggest television audience in years, the ANZ Premiership is set to record a significant loss of around $3.7 million in 2026, casting further doubt over the future of New Zealand’s domestic netball competition. 

Netball New Zealand board chair Alastair Carruthers said the shortfall would be covered by the organisation’s cash reserves, but warned that approach could not continue. 

Speaking on Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast, Carruthers admitted the loss would be hard to cover, adding that the overall deficit for Netball New Zealand would be far greater. 

“It’s going to be hard to cover,” Carruthers said. “We do have reserves sufficient to deal with it this year. 

“The board last year, when committing to the third year of this this premiership, knew that it had reserves that that would cover the loss, but [the loss] is bigger than we expected. 

“I think it’s important to note that also this year Netball New Zealand in total is likely to run up a loss greater than $3.7m. It’s going to be close to $6m. Reserves will cover this year. 

“I don’t think next year is going to be easy to cover at that level from our reserves position, so we need to start redesigning our business and redesigning the way that this competition is played.” 

The loss is part of the fallout after it was revealed Netball New Zealand emailed coaches and staff at the Northern Stars, Mainland Tactix and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic telling them their contracts cannot be extended at this stage. 

The three franchises are all run by Netball New Zealand, while the Northern Mystics, Central Pulse and Southern Steel are run by their respective netball zones. 

Carruthers is adamant the governing body remained committed to maintaining a strong domestic competition while ensuring the long-term health of the sport. 

With that in mind, Netball New Zealand has agreed to change the eligibility requirements for Silver Ferns selection, following discussions with the Players Association with an eye on the 2027 Netball World Cup. 

Players who choose to sign with overseas clubs will now remain eligible for Silver Ferns selection. The change takes effect immediately for the current selection cycle and will continue for the duration of any multi-year overseas contract. 

Netball NZ Board Chair Alastair Carruthers. Photo / Photosport 

“Any player is welcome to play anywhere in the world if they wish to and will still be eligible for selection for the for the Silver Ferns,” Carruthers said. 

“We did that because while there is uncertainty about what form of domestic competition we can offer at home, people need freedom of choice and the opportunity to keep working and the opportunity to keep playing at an elite level.” 

He said any future model would continue to prioritise a high-quality domestic competition, alongside supporting community netball. 

The big financial loss comes despite the ANZ Premiership attracting 1.05 million unique television viewers on TVNZ this season, excluding audiences who watched live or on demand via TVNZ. 

Figures obtained by the Herald show that represents a 16% increase on 2025 and a 64% increase since 2024. 

The average live television audience for an ANZ Premiership fixture was 51,800, a 32% increase on 2025 for the average number of people watching a game live on TV2. 

The grand final between the Northern Mystics and Southern Steel saw a 60% increase in viewership, with more than 120,000 New Zealanders watching live – the most ever. Before that, 82,159 viewers had tuned in for the elimination final, 25,742 more than last year. 

The overall average attendance for the ANZ Premiership is up 3.2%, following a 15% jump in 2024. In total, 70,236 fans attended games, including the finals. 

Social media presence has also increased with the official ANZ Premiership pages (not including teams) having seen a 33% increase in followers, totalling 166,500. 

Carruthers expects discussions to continue with broadcasters for at least a few more months. 

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news. 

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