Live Nation partners with NZ’s leading telco, Spark

Live Nation Australia and New Zealand has announced a partnership with New Zealand telecommunications provider Spark.

The announcement comes just days following the major telco’s $20 million re-brand after two decades under its Telecom mast.

The partnership will give Spark access to the promoter’s ‘Money Can’t Buy’ experiences and priority ticketing to its events. Most benefits will be made available to Spark’s loyal customers through its new ‘Thanks’ program – an invigorated focus on the local market.

The partnership was brokered by Sydney-based entertainment partnerships agency, mixitup Australia, who helmed Live Nation’s current partnerships with Qantas, NSW Health, American Express and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Greg Segal, Managing Director of mixitup told TMN that after meeting with Spark (then Telecom) six months ago, Live Nation and mixitup negotiated a deal and worked with them on the Spark launch this month.

“Spark want to truly reward and recognise their customers in a genuine way, this became clear from the moment we met,” Segal told TMN. “We have an entire program of exciting activities planned that will be rolled out in phases.”

Chris Quin, CEO of Spark Home, Mobile and Business, said: “Our customers have told us they love movies, music and technology, so we’ve designed our Thanks program around those things. We’re investing in strategic long-term partnerships with Live Nation and other premium brands to bring our customers more of what we know they love, first.”

Segal told TMN Live Nation and mixitup are in discussions with potential telco partners for Australia.

Similar to Spark’s ‘Thanks’ program, Australian telco Telstra has a loyalty program titled ‘Telstra Thanks’. Among its benefits the program offers valued customers access to discounted movie tickets, entry to football matches and pre-sale access to concert tickets.

Spark is currently one of the most influential companies on the New Zealand stock exchange and one of the country’s biggest investors in technology. According to the NZ Herald, its most recent annual revenue result was some $4.2 billion.