Potential New Game-Changing Financial Deal For All Blacks

In the disastrous financial wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the vast majority of sports franchises are desperately seeking new sponsorship deals which may keep them afloat. Interestingly, the All Blacks may be on the verge of a groundbreaking new venture with private-equity giants Silver Lake.

Silver Lake has offices in New York, Silicon Valley, London and Hong Kong with a portfolio generating about $200 billion annually. The company has recently put tendrils out into the sport and entertainment sectors and is currently associated with the UFC, Madison Square Garden Company, New York Knicks, New York Rangers and Manchester City. Talks are presently underway which may result in the All Blacks being added to the list.

A source close to the Silver Lake set-up stressed that a deal between the two entities would not amount to the selling of the All Blacks, but stated:

“You would set up a subsidiary company of NZ Rugby and get investment into that company in some form of partnership,” the source said. “You put commercial assets into that company — whether that’s in combination with Sanzaar partners and something like Super Rugby in its reincarnated form, or the Rugby Championship.”

It is believed that the talks will take on a new level of significance once an accurate blueprint for a new Super Rugby system has been rolled out.