Jason Pine: Inside the Long Career of New Zealand’s Sports Broadcaster
From childhood commentary games to Newstalk ZB and Sky Sport, Jason Pine has spent more than three decades talking about New Zealand sport.
Introduction
Jason Pine, often called “Piney,” is a New Zealand sports broadcaster, journalist, writer, and football commentator.
His career goes back decades.
He has worked across radio, television, sports journalism, live commentary, and football administration. Many listeners now know him as the host of Weekend Sport on Newstalk ZB.
Football sits close to his story. Very close.
Pine has covered the All Whites, Wellington Phoenix, A-League football, rugby, cricket, Commonwealth Games events, and other major sporting moments.
Here is what is publicly known about his life and work.
Quick Facts About Jason Pine
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jason Pine |
| Known As | Piney |
| Birth Year | 1970 |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Profession | Sports broadcaster, journalist, writer, commentator |
| Education | New Zealand Broadcasting School |
| Broadcasting Study | 1992 |
| Main Radio Role | Host of Weekend Sport |
| Radio Network | Newstalk ZB |
| Television Work | Football commentator for Sky Sport NZ |
| Location | Wellington, New Zealand |
| Wife | Bex |
| Children | Emma and Jonny |
| Football Role | Deputy Chair of Capital Football |
| Book Work | Fully Committed: The Ben Sigmund Story |
| Career Length | More than three decades |
Who Is Jason Pine?
Jason Pine is a familiar voice in New Zealand sport.
He has spent much of his working life behind a microphone. Sometimes in a studio. Sometimes beside a football pitch.
His career has covered several parts of sports media.
Radio became his main base, though Pine has also worked in television commentary and written sports coverage for the New Zealand Herald.
Basically, sport has been the thread running through most of his professional life.
Early Interest in Sports Commentary
Pine’s interest in commentary started young.
He has publicly recalled being about eight years old and pretending to commentate on sport in the back garden.
That childhood habit later became real work.
Years later, he found himself calling matches involving the New Zealand national football team, the All Whites.
For someone who imagined doing commentary as a child, that was a big jump.
Jason Pine’s Education
Pine attended the New Zealand Broadcasting School in 1992.
The school has trained many people for New Zealand’s radio and television industry.
His professional broadcasting career began soon after.
By 2021, industry reports said Pine had spent around 28 years with TRN and NZME-related radio operations.
That places the start of his long broadcasting run in the early 1990s.
Building a Career in Radio
Pine did not stay in one job.
He worked across several positions.
His roles included sports reading, radio presenting, live commentary, operations work, and programme management.
He was closely linked with Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport for many years.
At one point, he served as Operations Manager for Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport in Wellington.
He was also heard as a sports reader during Newstalk ZB’s weekday breakfast programming.
So, he knew both sides of radio.
On-air work was one part. Running radio operations was another.
Wellington All Sports Breakfast
One of Pine’s longest-running jobs was hosting the Wellington All Sports Breakfast.
He presented the Saturday programme for about 20 years.
That is a long run.
The programme built a strong local audience and kept Pine closely connected with Wellington’s sporting community.
His Wellington connection has remained clear throughout his career, especially through football coverage and his later work with Capital Football.
Radio Sport Mornings
Pine later became a presenter on Radio Sport Mornings.
He worked on the weekday morning programme before Radio Sport shut down in 2020.
His work gained industry recognition.
Pine became a finalist for Best Sports Reader, Presenter or Commentator at the 2020 New Zealand Radio Awards.
That would not be his last awards appearance.
Far from it.
Covering the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Football gave Pine one of the biggest assignments of his career.
He travelled to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to cover the New Zealand national team.
The All Whites went through the tournament unbeaten, drawing all three group matches.
Pine was there covering the campaign.
The assignment became part of his long connection with New Zealand football.
He has since spoken about the tournament in interviews and sports discussions.
Football Commentary
Football remains one of the sports most closely tied to Jason Pine.
He has called matches involving the All Whites, Wellington Phoenix, A-League clubs, and New Zealand football competitions.
He also works as a football commentator for Sky Sport New Zealand.
For Pine, this part of the job has personal meaning.
He has spoken publicly about how special it felt to call All Whites matches after spending his childhood pretending to be a commentator.
That story says a lot.
The childhood idea actually happened.
Rugby and Cricket Coverage
Pine’s broadcasting work is wider than football.
He has also covered rugby and cricket.
His radio career has included live sports commentary and reporting around major New Zealand competitions.
He has worked around All Blacks coverage as well.
At times, that meant presenting a radio show before heading into match-day commentary duties.
It is the kind of schedule sports broadcasting often brings.
Long days. Quick changes.
Then back on air.
Commonwealth Games Work
Pine was part of NZME’s broadcasting coverage of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
He was also involved with coverage surrounding the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
That later team coverage received recognition at the New Zealand Radio Awards.
It added another major international event to Pine’s broadcasting record.
Leaving NZME for SENZ
A big career change came in 2021.
After roughly 28 years associated with TRN and NZME, Pine moved to SENZ.
He became the station’s Content Manager.
SENZ was being built as a new national sports radio operation in New Zealand.
The job placed Pine in senior management.
But the move was short.
He later explained publicly that the management-heavy position was not the best match for the kind of work he enjoyed most.
He preferred creating sports content and being behind the microphone.
Family time mattered too.
So, he changed direction again.
Return to Newstalk ZB
Jason Pine returned to NZME after his SENZ period.
He first came back in a newsroom role with Newstalk ZB.
Then another major opportunity arrived.
In 2022, Pine was confirmed as the permanent host of Weekend Sport on Newstalk ZB.
He also worked on the Monday-night Sportstalk programme.
The move put him back where many listeners knew him best.
Talking sport.
Weekend Sport with Jason Pine
Weekend Sport with Jason Pine became his main radio programme.
The show airs on Newstalk ZB and covers New Zealand and international sport.
Pine interviews athletes, coaches, reporters, and people working inside sport.
Listeners also get discussion and reaction around current matches and major sports stories.
As of September 2026, Pine remains associated with the programme.
New episodes were still being published during September 2026.
So this role is current.
Football Fever Podcast
Pine also hosts Football Fever.
The programme focuses heavily on New Zealand football.
Topics include the Wellington Phoenix, Auckland FC, the All Whites, New Zealand players overseas, and international competitions.
The programme has also produced special football coverage around major tournaments.
For football followers, it gives Pine more room for longer discussions than a standard match broadcast.
Writing for the New Zealand Herald
Pine also writes about sport.
His work has appeared through the New Zealand Herald, covering subjects such as football, the Wellington Phoenix, national-team matches, and sports analysis.
This side of his career sometimes gets less attention than his radio work.
Still, it matters.
He is not only a broadcaster.
He is also a sports journalist.
Fully Committed: The Ben Sigmund Story
Pine has worked on a published book too.
In 2016, he helped tell the story of former Wellington Phoenix and All Whites defender Ben Sigmund.
The book was titled:
Fully Committed: The Ben Sigmund Story
The National Library of New Zealand records the book as Ben Sigmund’s story “as told to Jason Pine.”
It runs for 274 pages.
The book covers Sigmund’s football career and life experiences, drawing on material from people around him as well.
It later received recognition in New Zealand football publishing awards.
Capital Football
Pine’s relationship with football goes beyond reporting matches.
He joined the Capital Football board as an elected member in 2021.
Capital Football runs and supports football across the Wellington region.
In May 2024, Pine was appointed Deputy Chair of the organisation.
He continues to be publicly listed in that role.
This gives him a place inside football administration as well as media.
Jason Pine’s Awards
Pine has received repeated recognition from New Zealand’s radio industry.
He was a finalist in the sports presenting category in 2020.
More recognition followed.
In 2023, Pine won the award for Best Sports Reader, Presenter or Commentator.
He won again in 2024 for his work on Weekend Sport with Jason Pine.
In 2025, he was a joint winner in the Best Sports Presenter or Commentator category.
He returned as a finalist in 2026.
That run shows how strongly his recent radio work has been received within the industry.
Jason Pine’s Wife and Children
Pine keeps much of his private life away from detailed public coverage.
Public profiles identify his wife as Bex.
He also identifies himself as a father to Emma and Jonny.
There is little reliable public information about his wife’s work, their marriage date, or detailed information about his children.
Those details should stay out unless Pine or another strong source confirms them publicly.
How Old Is Jason Pine?
Public records from the National Library of New Zealand list Jason Pine’s birth year as 1970.
His exact birth date does not appear in reliable public sources checked for this profile.
Because of that, giving a specific birthday would be guesswork.
His birth year is enough.
Where Does Jason Pine Live?
Pine is professionally associated with Wellington, New Zealand.
His work with Newstalk ZB Wellington, Wellington football, Capital Football, and the Wellington Phoenix has kept the city closely tied to his career.
A private home address should not be published.
Jason Pine Net Worth and Salary
There is no reliable public source confirming Jason Pine’s personal net worth.
His exact salary is also not publicly verified.
Any website giving a precise figure without documented financial evidence would be making an estimate.
So, no number should be treated as fact.
What Is Jason Pine Doing Now?
As of September 2026, Pine continues to work across New Zealand sports media.
His main public role remains Weekend Sport on Newstalk ZB.
He also works in football commentary for Sky Sport New Zealand and presents football-focused audio content.
He remains connected with sports writing and serves as Deputy Chair of Capital Football.
The microphone is still central.
Just as it was decades ago.
Final Thought
Jason Pine’s career has lasted more than 30 years because he has kept working close to the sport itself.
Radio has been the main stage.
Football has been a major part of the story.
Yet his work stretches into television, writing, live event coverage, and football administration.
Actually, the most interesting part is where it started.
A child pretended to call games in a backyard.
Years later, Pine was calling the All Whites for real.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jason Pine?
Jason Pine is a New Zealand sports broadcaster, journalist, writer, and football commentator. He is widely known as the host of Weekend Sport on Newstalk ZB.
When was Jason Pine born?
Public National Library records list his birth year as 1970. His exact birthday is not reliably published.
What does Jason Pine do now?
He hosts Weekend Sport on Newstalk ZB and works as a football commentator for Sky Sport New Zealand. He is also Deputy Chair of Capital Football.
Is Jason Pine married?
Yes. Pine publicly identifies his wife as Bex.
Does Jason Pine have children?
Yes. His publicly identified children are Emma and Jonny.
Where did Jason Pine study?
He studied at the New Zealand Broadcasting School in 1992.
Did Jason Pine cover the FIFA World Cup?
Yes. He travelled to South Africa to cover the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the All Whites’ campaign.
What book did Jason Pine work on?
He worked with former New Zealand footballer Ben Sigmund on the 2016 book Fully Committed: The Ben Sigmund Story.
