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Live sport on SN this weekendNetball NZ at crossroads as $6m deficit fuels privatisation push
Sport Nation • August 14th, 2026 8:28 am
Photo: Marty Melville/Photosport
Netball New Zealand is confronting a financial crisis that could force significant changes to the way the ANZ Premiership is run, with privatisation among the options now being "seriously considered", admits new CEO Jenna Wootten.
Wootten has inherited a difficult situation, with the organisation expecting to post a deficit of around $6 million at the end of the financial year.
Wootten, who is only days into the role as the first permanent CEO since Jennie Wyllie's resignation in December, says the future of the domestic competition is her immediate priority, with a number of options being evaluated alongside the Players Association and the country's netball zones.
“There's a number of sports in recent years that have gone on similar journeys,” Wootten told Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy on Friday.
“We are working at pace on evaluating a number of options to ensure that we are landing on the right option that is going to provide a really bright, sustainable, high-performance pathway for netball in New Zealand.”
Jennah Wootten | Photo: Blake Armstrong
Among those options is privatisation. Earlier, it was revealed former All Black Ali Williams and his wife businesswoman Anna Mowbray have launched a bid to establish a new franchise netball league in 2028.
On Friday, NZME reported their proposal had been presented to Netball NZ, including a "bridging competition" for 2027.
Wootten admitted privatisation was being genuinely evaluated but no decision had been made.
“It's absolutely right that that is one of the options that has been seriously considered, but it is one of the options,” she said.
“What we need to do together with the Players Association and the zones is make sure that all of the options are properly evaluated and that wherever we're landing that we've collectively got the confidence that we landed on the right decision.”
The uncertainty comes after several difficult years for the domestic game, with broadcast arrangements, rising costs and challenging commercial conditions putting pressure on Netball NZ's finances.
Temepara Bailey on the future of the ANZ Premiership | Scotty & Izzy
The ANZ Premiership attracted increased attention this season, including growing audiences on free-to-air television, but Netball NZ has also had to cover the production costs associated with those broadcasts.
Wootten acknowledged the disconnect between the sport's strong participation base and its ability to generate commercial revenue.
“Revenue has been challenging, but expenses have also been increasing,” she said.
Netball NZ estimates more than 150,000 members are involved across its 83 centres, while the Silver Ferns remain one of the country's leading high-performance sporting teams.
The Silver Ferns' gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has also provided fresh momentum for the sport, with Wootten believing Netball NZ now has an opportunity to reposition itself commercially.
“Netball is an incredible value proposition,” she said.
“We've just got to make sure we're revaluing and repositioning the sport as a whole in order to capitalise on those commercial outcomes.”
For the players, however, the priority is certainty around the domestic competition and ensuring it remains a meaningful pathway towards international netball.
Wootten said the competition must be “strong” and “compelling” and something players “really value and want to be a part of”.
While the financial position means major change cannot be ruled out, Wootten said every avenue would be explored, including commercial opportunities, philanthropy, private equity and partnerships.
“We've got to look at how we need to evolve and what we need to do differently."
Listen to the full interview below:
