Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic featured franchises for the first time, with the overall aim of increasing the public profile of the sport in New Zealand. The inaugural competition was contested between ten teams, including the Waikato Wildcats and the Bay of Plenty Magic. At the end of the first season both teams finished at the bottom of the ladder, with the Wildcats 9th and the Bay of Plenty Magic last. Both teams decided to merge for the 1999 season: a new franchise was developed adopting the team name from Bay of Plenty and the colours of Waikato, becoming the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic. Bay
Radio Bay of Plenty closure was "a sign of the times". The closure was also met with disappointment from local businesses that had advertised on the station. One Double X is an adult hits radio station in Whakatane. It reaches the entire Bay of Plenty, with specific frequencies Ohope Beach and Te Puke and live streaming on its website. As the flagship network of Radio Bay of Plenty, it reaches the entire Bay of Plenty. It is heard throughout the region on 90.5 MHz & 1242 kHz, at Ohope Beach on 92.9 MHz, in Te Puke on 89.0 MHz and also streams on the