All happening without a taxpayer or ratepayer subsidy

The Herald reports:

Joseph Parker’s handlers are sufficiently confident of breaking even to announce Auckland’s Vector Arena as the venue for the WBO heavyweight title fight against Andy Ruiz Jr on December 10, but they admit they are taking a huge risk.

The fight will cost about $4million to put on. It will easily be the most expensive fight held here in New Zealand. Parker’s fight against Carlos Takam in May at Auckland’s Vodafone Events Centre cost $2.2million to hold, Duco’s chief executive Martin Snedden revealed today.

Excellent. Great news for Joseph Parker to get a home fight.

The key lesson here is that even without a taxpayer and/or ratepayer subsidy the event is still happening in Auckland. That’s a win/win.

This is the test that those who approve such funding decisions should apply in future. Is a subsidy absolutely needed to have this happen in New Zealand? Often the case is it is not – the promoter just (understandably) would like a subsidy.