The ‘First Light’ design is inspired by the sun’s rays hitting Mount Hikurangi

AE Live Ignite has created a new visual identity for Sky Sport in New Zealand.

The identity will be rolled out across all its locally produced sports broadcasts. It was first seen during the opening round of the domestic women’s rugby competition, Sky Super Rugby Aupiki at the weekend.

Called ‘First Light’, the refreshed design system is inspired by the sun’s rays hitting Aotearoa (the Māori-language name for New Zealand)’s Mount Hikurangi, one of the first places in the world to see the new day.

Light is a core design element, symbolising the energy of sport, creating and emphasising team emblems and acting as a point of origin for key information graphics.

Gary Burchett, head of sports content for Rangiata Sky New Zealand said: “The new ‘First Light’ creative is a modern and premium look that is a significant departure from our previous creative design.

“This new identity aims to attract and engage audiences. Its design principles and function support us to share stories and hold our audiences’ attention. It’s crafted around the idea of heroing the identity of the athletes, the teams and the competitions – and, importantly, the identity of Rangiata Sky. We’re excited to be presenting our audiences with a compelling and distinctive look that will enhance the sports viewing experience.”

Auckland-based design studio, AE Live Ignite designed the identity to be able to flexibly and seamlessly integrate team and franchise identities, ensuring the audience understands who they are watching at a glance.

Player photography is also central, helping to build fans’ awareness and knowledge of the players who represent the teams they love.

The ‘First Light’ diagonal was derived from the ‘K’ in the Sky logo, which drew inspiration from existing cultural designs that bring to life the company’s Māori strategy, Kia Rere.

Developed in partnership with creative agency Ira Aotearoa, and later supported by RUN Aotearoa, the directional arrow design acts as a navigational cursor drawing the eye to important match information, says AE Live Ignite.

The new brand will be visible across all Sky Sport channels and events in New Zealand and includes on-screen graphics and pre-match sequences, logos and studio design. Specific graphics have been designed to meet the needs of individual sports codes and their teams.

Kaylene Hurley, AE Live GM, New Zealand, said: “This rebrand celebrates our long-standing relationship with Sky Sport, built on trust, collaboration, and a shared passion for delivering exceptional sports content.”

Reuben Thorpe, AE Live Ignite’s senior creative director, added: “It’s been wonderful to partner with Sky to successfully develop this new Sky Sport identity, which is built around the iconic fern – and visually connects New Zealand sport to audiences both locally and globally.”