Auckland’s Go Media Stadium attracts record-breaking NRL attendance

September 19, 2024

Events / Sport / Tourism / Venues /

Auckland’s multi-purpose Go Media Stadium (Mount Smart Stadium), attracted nearly a quarter of a million rugby league fans in 2024 with the One New Zealand Warriors smashing NRL attendance records, becoming the first team ever to sellout an entire home NRL season.

A record-breaking total of 235,581 people attended 10 Warriors home games at Go Media Stadium through the 2024 season, averaging 23,578 per match.

The 2024 average attendance figure surpasses the Warriors’ previous average home attendance record of 22,739, set during the remarkable home season in 2023.

A total of 250,395 tickets were sold through the 2024 season to members, casual ticket buyers and corporate attendees – which is also a record sales figure.

Warriors home matches attracted visitors to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland from all over Aotearoa and beyond. Approximately a third of match-goers surveyed by Auckland Stadiums travelled from outside of Auckland to attend matches, with over 84% confirming that the Warriors were their sole reason for visiting the region.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s Director of Auckland Stadiums James Parkinson enthused “this record-breaking season will go down in history and when the Warriors are thriving, it has a fantastic benefit for Tāmaki Makaurau and the whole of Aotearoa. We have loved welcoming sellout Warriors crowds into Go Media Stadium every matchday this season. We aim to deliver extraordinary experiences for our patrons and are already looking forward to the challenge of trying to top this remarkable season next year”.

One New Zealand Warriors Chief Executive Cameron George added “this has been a special, record-breaking season at Go Media Stadium for the One New Zealand Warriors and our fans. Selling out the season is a testament to our amazing fans who travel from far and wide to support the team. They turn this stadium into a fortress and have shown that they love coming back time and again”.

The atmosphere at Warriors games is unique in the NRL and the New Zealand sporting landscape. A sound monitor used to record the raucous crowd over the course of the year reached peaks of over 110db every game, the equivalent volume of a rock concert or helicopter landing.

Customer satisfaction surveys run throughout the season highlighted immense pride in the home playing venue, with 85% of the crowd confirming themselves to be having a great time at Go Media Stadium.

Warriors superfan Robert Harris, better known as The Sign Guy, has become one of the most recognisable faces in the crowd with his signature banners always entertaining fellow fans.

Harris believes this season was one of the best yet and shared “in all my years following the Wahs, this season has been a special one. We showed up and packed out Go Media Stadium every week, showing the rest of the NRL that we’ve got the best fans in the league – bar none. Next season we’ll be back bigger and better than ever. I’m planning my Las Vegas signs already!”.

With such significant crowds comes a huge cleanup operation and vast quantities of waste and this record-breaking season saw sustainability efforts boosted at Go Media Stadium. Auckland Stadiums successfully diverted more than 80% of waste from landfill through the course of the season, equating to nearly 40,000kgs of waste that has been directed to either recycling or compost.

A full stadium also needs a full stomach to keep roaring support for the Warriors. Go Media Stadium sold over 107,000 portions of hot food through the season, with 350,000 beverages and more than 25,000 portions of hot chips enjoyed by Warriors fans.

The White Lady are a firm fan favourite and have become a staple for the sellout crowds with each visit. The White Lady’s Max Washer added “we’ve been doing the Warriors at Go Media Stadium for over 11 years and this season has been the biggest year so far! The Warriors have such dedicated fans, there’s always an amazing buzz in the stadium and we have a great time serving them. We can’t wait for next season.”

Over 220,000 visitors attended events at Auckland Stadiums venues over summer 2023/24 and Auckland is set for another sizzling summer ahead. Listen In kicks off a concert season that also sees Pearl Jam make their long-awaited return to New Zealand. New A-League football team Auckland FC kick off their debut season at Go Media Stadium and are bookended by international sporting fixtures from the All Whites and the Kiwis.

The One New Zealand Warriors will return to Go Media Stadium in 2025.

2024 Statistics

235,581 fans attended 10 One NZ Warriors home matches at Go Media Stadium
An average of 23,578 per match
250,395 tickets were sold throughout the season
Noise levels regularly exceeded 110db
88% crowd satisfaction through surveyed patrons
34% of surveyed patrons travelled from outside of Auckland for matches. 84% of those travelled exclusively for the game
80% of waste diverted from landfill, equating to 40,000kg
Approx. 350,000 beverages served, 107,000 portions of hot food through the season

Upcoming events at Auckland Stadiums venues include:

Friday 4th October - Listen In, Go Media Stadium
Friday 14th October – All Whites vs Malaysia, North Harbour Stadium
Saturday 19th October – Auckland FC vs Brisbane Road, Go Media Stadium

18th July 2024 - Ticketmaster New Zealand reveals multi-year renewal of ticketing partnership with Auckland Live and Auckland Stadiums

3rd July 2023 - EVANZ announces award of Go Media Mt Smart Stadium All Blacks Scholarship

9th June 2023 - NRL’s Warriors welcoming highest home crowds since the 1990s

16th May 2023 - Naming rights sale sees Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium rebranded as Go Media Stadium

10th July 2024 - Auckland Stadiums announces multi-year deals with Go Media and the Auckland FC

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