Netball News 2026: Craig Hutchison acquires NSW Giants; Owns multiple Super Netball and WNBL teams

Australian media mogul Craig Hutchison has quietly amassed a number of Australian and New Zealand sporting franchises over the last few years.

The latest purchase was confirmed on Wednesday, with the announcement that his company, Sports Entertainment Group (SEG), has taken ownership of the New South Wales Giants Super Netball team.

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The licence, previously owned by AFL team Greater Western Sydney and run by Netball NSW, had reportedly been looking for new ownership for some time.

It is expected that the team will remain based in Sydney, but will undergo a total rebrand before the 2027 season.

“We have a fantastic fan base in the Giants who will be part of the process and we will work through with them on how it will evolve,” Hutchison said on Thursday.

“Fans can take comfort that we will invest in the team.

“It’s an opportunity for a fresh look and feel, we’re really committed to winning Sydney over as a business. We want to be part of the social fabric of Sydney.

“It’s the best league in the world and it’s a city we want connection with. We are all in.”

Hutchison and SEG now own two of the eight Super Netball teams and have acquired both licences previously owned by AFL teams.

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In 2023, the prominent AFL media personality was awarded the licence previously owned by Collingwood, turning the team into the Melbourne Mavericks.

SEG has a lot of work to do before the 2027 season, given every player in the league is currently out of contract, and he has two teams to fill.

This is due to collective bargaining negotiations between players and Super Netball, which ended on Wednesday thanks to a one-year bridging agreement.

For the first time in league history, players can now sign multi-year deals to go with significant salary and working condition improvements.

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It’s not the only Australian women’s sporting league where Hutchison owns multiple teams either. His SEN Teams business also controls the Perth Lynx and Bendigo Spirit in the WNBL.

League integrity questions surrounding multiple teams being owned by the same company have been raised in the WNBL, and will similarly need to be addressed by Super Netball. Netball Australia was reached for comment on the matter.

Hutchison was also heavily involved in the NBL, previously owning the Perth Wildcats, before selling the team in 2024 to Mark Arena’s MT Arena Capital Investment at an estimated value of $40 million. Before that, he had a 25 per cent ownership stake in Melbourne United.

SEN Teams also owned two franchises in New Zealand’s own National Basketball League in the Southern Hoiho and the Otago Nuggets, before exiting both in the middle of 2025. This came a year after Hutchison sold his ambitious 24/7 sports radio network in New Zealand, SENZ, after it operated at a $2.4m loss in the previous financial year.

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SENZ was forced to pivot early into its life after it bet big on Brendon McCullum to be the face of the network’s breakfast radio program. He then moved to the other side of the planet to become coach of the England cricket team.

The media mogul, who purchased Victorian radio network SEN in 2018, has had his eyes firmly on Sydney for some time now. As his comments earlier in this article state, purchasing the Giants is part of his desire to “win Sydney over”.

Nine.com.au spoke to insiders within Hutchison’s SEN, who wished to remain anonymous, who said the company has been focused on growth in New South Wales and Queensland above all other priorities, since launching radio stations in both states in recent years.

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His Sydney-based sports radio station, 1170 SEN, is headlined by NRL personalities like Andrew Voss, Greg Alexander and Matty Johns.

Beginning his career as an AFL reporter, Hutchison then launched his own company, Crocmedia, which has since been rebranded as Sports Entertainment Network.

The business was initially best known for broadcasting AFL games into regional Victoria, before expanding nationwide. The push into New South Wales and Queensland has seen it heavily invest in the NRL.

Hutchison now owns four sporting franchises across two leagues, and has sold off three others.

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