Broadcaster Stephen McIvor on life after Sky and hustling for his next gig
It’s been a year since much-loved sports broadcaster Stephen McIvor was told his time at Sky TV was over. An original staff member of the pay-TV network, he opened up to Carolyne Meng-Yee about his exit and hustling for a new job at 61.
Former Sky broadcaster Stephen McIvor had a gut feeling something was off.
He arranged a coffee meeting with his then-boss, Gary Burchett, the broadcaster’s head of sports content.
Then came the bombshell.
“I want to know what’s going on next year,” McIvor asked.
“It’s not looking good,” Burchett replied.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m struggling to find good male talent.”
“There’s one sitting in front of you, and you’ve just let him go.”
Burchett didn’t respond, McIvor said.
That was November last year.
At 61, McIvor is still hustling for his next gig. His first choice? Talkback radio.
“I was unceremoniously dumped after 35 years. My heart was pounding. I thought, WTF? I went home and had a good bawl. Doing live commentary on TV and radio is my drug,” McIvor told the Herald.
“The thing that stung most was that I was never given an explanation. I get angry when people say, ‘You’ve had a great career’. I say, ‘Well, it’s not over yet.’
“I’m not a planner; that’s a big mistake. There was probably a bit of ego and confidence that something else would come along, but it hasn’t yet.”
McIvor became a familiar face and voice on Sky Sport after the broadcaster launched in 1990.
He began as a fulltime staff member before moving to freelance contract work in 2016.
Over more than three decades, he has covered everything from the Warriors and motorsport to the ASB Classic and equestrian events.
He has anchored Sky’s coverage of two Rugby World Cups, the 2010 Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games, and the 2012 London Olympics.
In 2021, the official America’s Cup website named him as commentator and anchor for the 36th America’s Cup, held in Auckland.
At the 2024 America’s Cup in Barcelona, British skipper Sir Ben Ainslie infamously misinterpreted a comment from the Kiwi commentator, calling him a “f***ing w*****” live on air.
McIvor claims he has been traded in for younger, shinier presenters with less experience.
He says he refused to keep dyeing his hair to disguise his age.
“I’d been dyeing it since I was 25. A manager came up to me and said, ‘Are you going for the old look?’
“I thought, WTF? I gave him the bird, then I knew I was done.
“I want to be clear – there’s no ‘poor me’ here. It’s a realisation that, in this business, they don’t give a s*** about legacy or experience,” McIvor said.
He is a fan of sports presenters Laura McGoldrick and league superstar Shaun Johnson.
“Laura is lovely. When she landed the job, she reached out. She was the first to show me some respect. She is pretty, with a certain vulnerability and charm.
“Shaun is one in a million. He is naturally talented and gets it. He’s the find of the year. But I’d like to see him tested across other sports.”
In a statement, a Sky spokeswoman said: “We don’t comment publicly on individual employment or contracting matters.
“Sky is committed to developing and nurturing on-screen talent, bringing together experienced broadcasters and people building their careers to deliver great sports coverage for New Zealand audiences.”
The youngest of four, McIvor grew up in Putāruru, a small South Waikato town, with siblings Mike, Kevin and Anne. His father, Fred, was a timber company credit manager; his mother, Irene, a stay-at-home mum.
At Putāruru College, McIvor was a confessed “goody-goody” – school council chairman, house captain and favourite for the leadership prize.
Then he told the principal to get f***ed after the man made a slur about his Irish father.
He was never a natural sportsman, although he captained the hockey team. His real passion was drama. McIvor loved being centre stage.
At college, he had a radio shift at Radio Forestland.
After leaving school, he worked his way through radio, starting at Radio Lakeland in Taupō, moving to Radio Scenicland before ending up at Hamilton station 2ZH.
In 1998, he married Maria. They have three children: Mia, 27, Patrick, 25, and Charlotte, 21.
He can’t imagine a nine-to-five existence, but one of his biggest regrets is not being there enough for his children. They remain his proudest achievement.
“I regret missing my kids’ birthday parties, and that’s bounced back at me. Maria has been a huge support to me. She is my rock.”
David Lange ranks among McIvor’s most memorable interviews. Ironically, for a man who has spent much of his career behind a microphone calling sport, he is less enthusiastic about interviewing sportsmen.
“All they talk about is sport. They have PR handlers and only want to talk about the game,” he said.
“Women sports stars, on the other hand, are easier to talk to. They’re more unfiltered. Social media has helped create that, which is a good thing.
“Another massive flaw is that sports reporters are too afraid to ask the hard questions because you can’t afford to upset the agents.
“[Mike] Hosking is a great interviewer. He is polished and unafraid to stand up for who he is. He doesn’t faff around.”
The naughtiest thing McIvor ever did on air – and one he suspects his bosses still don’t know about – was being tipsy while co-hosting with former rugby league player and commentator Peter Ropati.
He hosts The Inside Line, Motorsport New Zealand’s programme on TVNZ+, but he’d love a go at talkback radio.
So far, he has applied for four media jobs and has yet to get a foot in the door.
“I’ve had zero response. Not being wanted and losing relevance was harder than losing my job. I’ve even applied for an overnight radio job. It’s hard not to get despondent, but I do find myself asking: am I wasting my time?”
On Monday, he had another door slammed in his face, missing out on a role at TVNZ.
McIvor has considered mowing lawns for a living.
“I love mowing lawns and the smell of freshly cut grass. But you know, it’s that classic TV thing. I can’t shake it off. I don’t want people driving past and thinking, ‘Oh, that’s that guy from TV’.
“That’s my weakness. It’s ego.”
“Are you yesterday’s man?” the Herald asks.
“No. God, no. If I thought I was, we wouldn’t be sitting here. Hire me.”
Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards. This year she was a finalist for Best Current Affairs. She worked for the Herald on Sunday from 2007-2011 and rejoined the Herald in 2016 after working as an award-winning current affairs producer at TVNZ’s 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.