What do the biggest HAL clubs have?
Derbies.
People will pay to watch a team they despise hopefully lose to their home team. Why does Floyd Mayweather make so much $$ from PPV's? People will pay to hopefully see him lose (of which he never does, so the general audience pays again to hopefully see him lose next time, but alas, he never did).
Hype a transtasman fixture up as the glamour transtasman derby. Hype the footballing rivalry and "hate" - really get the YF crowds going on game day, build it up through coach and players in media interviews all week leading up to the game. Look at Collingwood vs Carlton in the AFL - two teams that absolutely hate each others guts, their fans hate one another, which just leads to more passion on the field and in the stands on game day.
Nearly everything is worth a go, but think this will only happen if there is a real villian in the other team. Say when Muscat was at Victory. Otherwise will just be too manufactured to appeal to many, esp casual fans.
Collingwood & Carlton are in the same city, and have had a 100 years to despise each other, including various grand final wins/losses, rich history of stealing players etc etc. A full on genuine rivalry.
Of course if Auckland had an A League team......