Hawke's Bay Hawks

What Hawke's Bay Hawks does

The Hawke's Bay Hawks is a professional basketball franchise based in Napier, New Zealand, founded in 1976 and currently operating under the Big Barrel Hawks commercial identity following a March 2025 naming rights partnership. The club competes in the Sal's NBL (New Zealand's top professional league) and the Sky Broadband Rapid League development competition, playing 10 regular-season home games per year at Rodney Green Arenas in Taradale, Napier, known as 'The Hawks Nest'.

The organisation operates four primary revenue lines: (1) ticket sales and season memberships via Flicket and the club website, ranging from $10 single-game child admission to $365 family season passes and $280–$360 courtside/Hollywood memberships; (2) a tiered corporate sponsorship programme (Bronze $8,500 to Platinum $25,000, plus naming rights), with Big Barrel as the flagship partner and TotalEnergies, NZME, Black & White Accounting, Colourcraft, and others across Platinum and Gold tiers; (3) merchandise sold through Stirling Sports Napier and on-site; and (4) grant funding from Pub Charity, Napier RSA, Four Winds Foundation, and Air Rescue Services. Beyond the senior team, the franchise runs paid elite youth camps (Hawks LABS, launched 2024), a free school-visits programme (40+ visits annually, gifting 1,000+ tickets to local whānau), and a podcast (Above the Nest), positioning it as a community-anchored sports entertainment and player-development business.

Governance is provided by a board led by Chair Sally Crown and General Manager Jarrod Kenny (former Tall Black), with Keith Price and Kevin Atkinson as Patrons. The senior coaching staff blends Australian NBL and NBA pedigree (Head Coach Will Lopez, ex-Cairns Taipans; Assistant Coach Willie Burton, ex-Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers) with deep local continuity (Dr Andy Edwards, 40+ years; physiotherapist Colin Tutchen, 20+ seasons). The franchise is privately structured, has no parent company, and is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026 with the retirement of Paul Henare's number 32 jersey.

Name

Hawke's Bay Hawks

Legal name

Hawke's Bay Hawks

Website

https://hawks.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hawke's Bay Hawks is a New Zealand professional basketball franchise (Sal's NBL), founded 1976 in Napier, that sells memberships, tickets, sponsorships, and merchandise, and runs youth development and community programmes across the Hawke's Bay region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Basketball Leagues (MPAKAAAD)

Keywords

• Professional basketball team
• Sports entertainment services
• Season ticket memberships
• Corporate sports sponsorship
• Youth basketball development

Headquarters

HQ city

Napier

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single-game tickets sold through Flicket platform, with general admission ($10-20), child tickets ($10), family packs ($45), and courtside/hollywood seats ($35-45)
2. Membership Subscriptions: Season memberships offering guaranteed entry to all 10 home games with various perks including merchandise, priority access, and voting rights. Memberships range from $80 (child) to $365 (family) for general admission, $135-145 for adult red hot specials, $280-360 for courtside/hollywood seating, and $45/week for Hawks Experience membership including gym access and training sessions
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnership tiers from Bronze ($8,500) to Platinum ($25,000) offering branding, hospitality, courtside seating, and player access. Includes naming rights partnerships and elite partnership opportunities
4. Merchandise Sales: Team merchandise including jerseys, hoodies, tees, and accessories sold at Stirling Sports Napier and home games

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Hawke's Bay Hawks field a professional basketball team competing in the Sal's NBL and Sky Broadband Rapid League from their home venue, Rodney Green Arenas (The Nest) in Taradale, Napier. The franchise sells single-game tickets, tiered season memberships (general admission, courtside, Hollywood), the Hawks Experience subscription (gym plus games), youth development programs (Hawks LABS elite camps, Hawks in Schools community clinics), and branded merchandise, while generating secondary revenue from corporate sponsorship tiers and grant funding.

Product overview

Hawke's Bay Hawks is a professional basketball organization competing in the Sal's NBL and Sky Broadband Rapid League. The club operates as a single unified sports entertainment brand with multiple interconnected product lines: ticket-based products (single game tickets, season memberships, premium courtside/hollywood memberships), membership programs (The Hawks Experience combining gym access with game tickets), youth development programs (Hawks LABS elite camps and Hawks in Schools community visits), and a development league (Rapid League). The organization also produces a podcast (Above the Nest) and sells branded merchandise. The portfolio is unified by the Big Barrel naming rights partnership and the Rodney Green Arenas as the home venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hawks LABS: Elite three-day training camps for promising young basketballers in Hawke's Bay, launched in 2024, focusing on high-performance skill development and personal growth.
• Sky Broadband Rapid League
• Hawks in Schools
• Above the Nest

Products and services

• Season Memberships Full-season membership providing guaranteed entry to all 10 regular-season home games, preferred seating, 10% off merchandise, priority entry, early access to finals tickets, and exclusive member communications and events. Priced at $145 adult, $80 child (15 & under), and $365 whānau/family for general admission.
• Single Game Tickets Individual game admission tickets for specific matchups, available for general admission ($20 adult, $10 child under 14, $45 whānau/family) and courtside ($35) or Hollywood ($45) seating, sold through the Flicket platform.
• The Hawks Experience Premium weekly membership program offering 20 weeks of full arena gym access, on-court fitness sessions, two programmed gym sessions, 24/7 gym and court access, and a guaranteed mezzanine seat at every home game for $45 per week. Season runs 23 March – 10 August.
• Courtside & Hollywood Memberships Premium seating season memberships offering courtside seats ($280/season) or Hollywood centre-court sideline seats ($360/season) directly behind team benches at every home game, including priority entry, finals access, and all standard season member benefits.
• Hawks LABS Elite Training Camps Elite three-day training camps for promising young basketballers, focusing on high-performance skill development and personal growth, led by Tall Blacks assistant coaches and Hawks staff. Designed as a player pathway offering for aspiring Hawke's Bay basketball talent.
• 2026 Hawks Merchandise Range Official branded merchandise including game-day kits, hoodies, tees, and junior gear featuring the 2025 brand refresh and Hawks identity imagery, distributed through Stirling Sports Napier and on-site at home games.
• Corporate Sponsorship Partnership Tiers Tiered corporate partnership packages from Bronze ($8,500) to Platinum ($25,000), offering branding, hospitality, courtside seating, player access, and game-night dedications, with naming rights and elite partnership opportunities available above the standard tier structure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,600 hours of televised content reaching 21.6 million international viewers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, platinum, gold, silver and bronze.

• Big BarrelflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 March 2025Naming Rights Partner for the 2025 Sal's NBL season and beyond. Big Barrel is a family-owned liquor retailer founded in Napier in 2003 with 40+ stores nationwide. Partnership supports elite player development, grassroots community programmes, and fan-first experiences. Shared focus on responsible approach to youth-facing events and creating positive community experiences.
• Total Energies New ZealandcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2025Naming Rights Partner for Sky Broadband Rapid League team for over 7 seasons. Supports development of next-generation Hawks talent. Provides quarter-time competitions and collectible trading cards. Partnership built on shared values of performance, respect, community, and continuous improvement.
• Black & White AccountingplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum partner providing behind-the-scenes support. Focused on clear thinking and smart business decisions, backing the Hawks through seasons of growth.
• ColourcraftplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum partner since 2012 - one of the longest-standing partnerships. Local painting company providing practical support including team accommodation. 30+ years delivering residential and commercial painting projects.
• NZMEplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner through Hawke's Bay Today, The Hits, and wider network. Helps share Hawks stories with fans across the region and keeps community connected to the team.
• Decibel WinegoldGTM or Marketing PartnerHospitality partner adding Hawke's Bay flavour to game-day experiences at Rodney Green Arenas. Dan and team pour support into the Hawks Whānau.
• Easy PrintgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerProduces sharp game-day programmes, schedules, and posters for fans. Long-time supporters helping bring Hawks stories to life on paper.
• FizzyPopgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerHawke's Bay-based creative agency behind Hawks brand refresh and digital direction. Brokered the Big Barrel naming rights partnership. Brings heart and hometown edge to all work.
• Focus Health PhysiotherapygoldGTM or Marketing PartnerGay and Colin's sports physiotherapists assist with injury prevention and tailored rehab programmes, keeping players at top performance level.
• Hawke's Bay ToyotagoldGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Vehicle Partner ensuring team transportation safely and in style. Shares commitment to excellence and community engagement.
• PGC ConstructorsgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerHawks in Schools sponsor for 5 years. Residential and commercial construction company mirroring Hawks dedication to building strong foundation.
• Westshore Beach InngoldGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of Hawke's Bay oldest pubs offering warm hospitality for team and fans post-games. Proud local hospitality partner.
• Te Taiwhenua o HeretaungasilverGTM or Marketing PartnerHawks LABS sponsor. Values-led partner committed to community, whānau, and future of the Bay.
• Arataki HoneybronzeGTM or Marketing PartnerNaming rights sponsor for Hawkey mascot. Brings sweetness and community spirit to Hawks games.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nelson Giants: Nelson Giants operate the same Sal's NBL franchise model as the Hawks with a regional New Zealand catchment, similar membership/sponsorship stack, and overlapping broadcast and media partnerships.
• Otago Nuggets: Otago Nuggets are a Sal's NBL rival operating under a similar regional-franchise model with membership tiers, sponsorship partners, and community programmes comparable to the Hawks' structure.
• Canterbury Rams: The Canterbury Rams are a fellow Sal's NBL franchise operating on a similar corporate-sponsorship, membership, and ticketing structure. Comparable regional sports franchise economics with overlapping Sponsorship and ticketing partners.
• Auckland Tuatara: Auckland Tuatara compete directly in the Sal's NBL with a similar revenue stack (tickets, memberships, corporate hospitality). They share broadcast inventory on Sky Sport and contest the same regional sponsorship market.
• Manawatu Jets: The Manawatu Jets are a direct Sal's NBL competitor sharing the same league governance, broadcast inventory, and sponsorship landscape; their operational scale and structure are directly comparable to the Hawks.
• Wellington Saints: Wellington Saints are the most-decorated franchise in the Sal's NBL, directly competing against the Hawks in the same league with comparable ticket, membership, and sponsorship-driven revenue model. They are the benchmark for on-court success and crowds.
• Taranaki Airs: The Taranaki Airs compete alongside the Hawks in the Sal's NBL with a comparable regional provincial structure, naming-rights sponsorship model, and grassroots programming.

Broad incumbents

• Cairns Taipans: The Australian NBL's Cairns Taipans provide a comparable professional basketball franchise model in a neighbouring country, and Hawks Head Coach Will Lopez was previously on their staff. Useful benchmark for professional NBL operations and sponsorship economics.
• Illawarra Hawks: The Illawarra Hawks are an Australian NBL franchise sharing the Hawks branding legacy (Hawks LABS alumnus Willie Burton played there). They serve as a comparable professional basketball franchise in a larger league with similar ticketing and membership economics.

Others

• Flicket: Flicket is the Hawks' primary ticketing platform. While not a peer in the competitive sense, they are a key ecosystem partner delivering the e-commerce infrastructure for the Hawks' ticketing and membership transactions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NZBayHawks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HawkesBayHawks
• Facebookfacebook.com/bayhawksbasketball
• Instagraminstagram.com/hawkesbayhawks
• TikToktiktok.com/@hawkesbayhawks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hawke's Bay Hawks