All Blacks v Springboks: Baltimore test believed to deliver NZ Rugby record $9m payday

Gregor Paul in Baltimore
A late ticket surge and the release of extra seats sold with dynamic pricing is believed to have led to New Zealand Rugby making close to $9 million in Baltimore – a record payday that has validated the national body’s plans to keep taking the All... Blacks around the world.
The test in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium, which was attended by more than 68,000 people, now sits as the most lucrative game the All Blacks have ever played and has encouraged New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to consider taking the All Blacks to yet bigger venues in the US in the hope of cracking the $10m barrier for a single game.
NZR has, effectively, begun a US gold rush, having realised that the real money to be made is directly from staging the game rather than indirectly hoping to win new fans and monetise them some time in the future.
In the past three years, NZR is thought to have made about $16m playing three games in the US and there are now fledgling plans to play in Miami next year against Argentina in the Rugby Championship.
It would be a home game for the Pumas, but the concern in New Zealand is the potential heat in Florida at what would be the height of their summer and the potential impact that would have on the players’ physical wellbeing in World Cup year.
While playing in the US next year remains a possibility for the All Blacks, they will almost certainly be coming back in 2028 – looking to play in an iconic venue with the sort of capacity that will enable them to pocket $10m-plus if they can sell it out.
The probability is high that they will also be back in 2029 and almost definitely in 2030 when Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry will come to New Zealand, with an agreement that the two teams will again play a fourth test in a neutral venue.
Animated graphic: dollar bills falling across the image
The obvious location for that fourth game in 2030 is the West Coast of the US – a one-leg direct flight from New Zealand – with Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle all potential options.
“We’re in talks currently about a fixture here next year in the US, it’ll be in another state. We would like to be here every year leading up to the World Cup and beyond,” NZR chief executive Steve Lancaster said.
“It’s a very important market for New Zealand Rugby, it has proven successful every time we’ve come here and we want to keep building on that.
“We have got ambition and imperatives to maximise return. We have also got a small population and market with five million people.
“It’s a finite commercial base. So we need to take games offshore to maximise engagement and interest and grow the global fanbase. This market is really important to us.”
The 68,000 tickets sold at M&T Bank Stadium was a record rugby crowd in the US and the Herald has been told that the average price of tickets in the primary release was 20% higher than it was for the game against Ireland in Chicago last year, while the prices in the secondary tranche were significantly higher again.
Data tracking showed that tickets were bought in all 50 states, with seven Canadian provinces also registering sales, and while the crowd was dominated by Springboks fans – estimates suggest that about 90% of the people there in Baltimore were supporting South Africa – NZR can argue that it is the lure of being able to watch the All Blacks that is driving record ticket sales in the US.
The All Blacks have now played five tests in the US since 2014 and sold out every time, regardless of the opponents or the occasion.
In 2014, they sold out Soldier Field when they played the USA Eagles and did so again against the same opponents in Washington five years ago. They sold out Soldier Field again in both 2016 and 2025 when they played Ireland.
The All Blacks are, therefore, the common denominators when it comes to games in the US selling out at iconic stadiums. While Baltimore’s NFL citadel was a sea of green and last year, Soldier Field was mostly full of Irish, it’s questionable whether either game would have proven as popular if the All Blacks weren’t the opponents.
Evidence that the All Blacks are the drawcard was there to be seen when South Africa played Wales in Washington in 2018 in front of just 22,000 people.
“We have been coming here since 2014 and we have filled the stadium every time we have come and we have learned a few things along the way about who we compete against,” Lancaster said.
“We had a couple of games against the US and while they were commercially successful, on the field they were a bit one-sided. So, playing against the Irish [and] now the Springboks for the first time here, that is a compelling contest.”
The real awakening in regard to the All Blacks’ ability to fill enormous stadiums in major sporting markets is that it has convinced NZR to take greater control of the promotion, ticket sales and marketing – therefore securing a greater share of the money.
In 2016, when the All Blacks played Ireland, NZR asked for a fee of $3m and took no risk in the promotion of the game – leaving that to a promoter.
It was a conservative strategy as it meant that the promoter took the lion’s share of the gate. Now, NZR is maximising the power of the All Blacks brand, as part of a strategy to increase overall match-day income.
Last year, 47% of NZR’s income came from sponsorships, 31% from media rights and just 11% from match day.
In comparison, England made about 70% of their revenue last year from match day – a picture that would be typical for the Six Nations.
“Their revenue profiles are the inverse of ours,” Lancaster said. “What’s driving their revenue is match day, and less is broadcasting and sponsorship and commercial.
“But for us, commercial partners are the strongest part of our revenue – that, and broadcast and then match day. That is not going to change for us unless we continue to explore fixtures like this [Baltimore].”
Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand’s most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.