Rangatahi Sports Clocks 1.4 Million Viewers On Whakaata Māori

Coverage of secondary school sports on Whakaata Māori has scored a home run with rangatahi and whānau across Aotearoa.

Since launching in March 2022, total audiences have hit 1,481,820 with more than one thousand hours of hākinakina rangatahi available on Whakaata Māori platforms.

The groundbreaking collaboration between Whakaata Māori and the New Zealand Sport Collective (NZSC), introduced te reo Māori for the first time to multiple school sports from rugby, basketball, touch, swimming, volleyball and waka ama to surfing, orienteering, weightlifting, wrestling and adventure racing.

All participating sports now have a reo Māori language plan with increasing bilingual commentary and sporting kupu.

Whakaata Māori Kaihautū, Shane Taurima, announced today that Whakaata Māori had committed to supporting hākinakina rangatahi for a further three years.

“The genuine efforts of sporting groups to support te reo Māori across such a wide reaching community is an unprecedented breakthrough for language revitalisation. It is a shared success and Whakaata Māori will continue to invest in the health and wellbeing of today’s rangatahi and tomorrow’s rangatira,” he said.

The exclusive broadcast rights agreement with the New Zealand Sport Collective, NZSC, has been extended to the end of 2026, ensuring all New Zealanders could still tune in and support rangatahi on Whakaata Māori free to air platforms.

To date, $2 million in sponsorship has been raised to support schools and students from shoes and uniforms to coaching, equipment, health and safety gear, transport and accommodation,

NZSC director and Olympian, Rob Waddell, said the new three year agreement meant critical sponsorship could again be secured to help schools, students and families.

“Our partnership with Whakaata Māori was cemented in our mutual values to provide opportunities and remove barriers. We believe that every child in Aotearoa, New Zealand should able to afford to play sport, be healthy and have the tools to make great choices for life,” he said.

Hākinakina rangatahi upholds the Charter on the Broadcast and Sponsorship of Secondary School Sport whereby protection of students, event safety, equitable opportunities, balance and fair play provide a positive and enjoyable experience.

All sports fixtures can be watched live on Whakaata Māori YouTube rail, MĀORI ACTIVE, with a number of finals also broadcast live to Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+.

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