Television in New Zealand was introduced in 1960 as a state-run service. The broadcasting sector was deregulated in 1989, when the Government allowed competition to the state-owned Television New Zealand (TVNZ). There are currently two forms of broadcast television: a terrestrial (DVB-T) service provided by Freeview; and satellite services provided nationwide by both Freeview and Sky.
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a television network that is broadcast throughout New Zealand and parts of the Pacific region. All of its currently-operating channels are free-to-air and commercially funded.
Sky Network Television Limited, more commonly known as Sky, is a New Zealand broadcasting company that provides pay television services via satellite, media streaming services and broadband internet services. It is also a wholesale channel provider to New Zealand IPTV provider Vodafone. As at 30 June 2022, Sky had 965,909 residential television subscribers consisting of 529,521 satellite subscribers and 436,388 streaming subscribers. Additionally, Sky had 6,877 commercial subscribers as well as 17,975 broadband customers. Despite the similarity of name, branding and services, such as Sky Go and MySky shared with its European equivalent, Sky, there is no connection between the companies.
Three, stylized as +HR=E, is a New Zealand nationwide television channel. Launched on 26 November 1989 as TV3, it was New Zealand's first privately owned television channel. The channel currently broadcasts nationally in digital free-to-air form via the state-owned Kordia on terrestrial and satellite. Vodafone also carries the channel for their cable subscribers in Wellington and Christchurch. It previously broadcast nationally on analogue television until that was switched off on 1 December 2013.
Prime is a New Zealand free-to-air television network. It airs a varied mix of programming, largely imported from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In most telecommunications organizations, a virtual channel is a method of remapping the program number as used in H.222 Program Association Tables and Program Mapping Tables to a channel number that can be entered via digits on a receiver's remote control.
Kordia is a New Zealand government-owned company, offering a range of technology services and solutions to businesses. It provides a range of services, including mission-critical connectivity, cloud and cyber security services, as well as managed IT, field services, broadcast and safety of life communications.
Cue TV was a regional television station in New Zealand which started in October 1996 as Mercury Television. The majority of its programming was from the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT2LRN), who used the channel as a nationwide local educational television service. Most of the non-educational programming on Cue TV was locally produced, with the remainder being from international sources like Deutsche Welle. The channel was available nationwide, on Freeview, Sky and Telstra.
Juice TV, previously Juice, originally was a 24-hour music television channel operating from the Auckland suburb of Parnell in New Zealand. The channel closed on 15 May 2015 and relaunched as a 30-minute-long programme on Garage. The channel then relaunched independently from Garage on Freeview and its own online broadcast.
TVNZ 1 is the first national television channel owned and operated by the state-owned broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ). It is the oldest television broadcaster in New Zealand, starting out from 1960 as independent channels in the four main centres of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, networking in 1969 to become NZBC TV. The network was renamed Television One in 1975 upon the break-up of the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, and became a part of TVNZ in 1980 when Television One and South Pacific Television merged. The channel assumed its current name in October 2016.
TVNZ 2 is the second New Zealand television channel owned and operated by the state-owned broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ). It targets a younger audience than its sister channel, TVNZ 1. TVNZ 2's line up consists of dramas, comedies, and reality TV shows. A small number are produced in New Zealand which are either of a comedic, soap opera or reality nature, with rest of the line-up imported from mostly a Warner Bros. or HiT Entertainment or Disney catalogue or a FremantleMedia or Hasbro or Endemol soap opera/reality TV catalogue.
Best News Entertainment is a New Zealand television, radio and print media company specialising in media for Asian migrants and Asian language communities. It currently operates a free-to-air television channel on the Freeview platform and three 24-hour radio networks through terrestrial radio.
Freeview is New Zealand's free-to-air television platform. It is operated by a joint venture between the country's major free-to-air broadcasters – government-owned Television New Zealand and Radio New Zealand, government-subsidised Whakaata Māori, and the American-owned Warner Bros. Discovery. It consists of a HD-capable digital terrestrial television service to around 86% of the population in the major urban and provincial centres of New Zealand, and a standard-definition satellite television service, called Freeview Satellite, covering the whole of mainland New Zealand and the major offshore islands. Freeview uses the DVB-S and DVB-T standards on government-provided spectrum.
High-definition television in the United Kingdom is available via cable, IPTV, satellite and terrestrial television. The first high-definition broadcasts began in late 2005 and since then the number of channels available to view has grown to a maximum of 87 that can be viewed on pay-TV service, Sky.
TAB Trackside is a New Zealand horse racing and sports broadcast network, incorporating two pay TV channels. The TV channels are available on Sky channels and the Spark Sport streaming service. The radio station broadcasts on 14 AM radio and 16 FM radio frequencies from Kaitaia to Invercargill were suspended on 12 April 2020.
Igloo was a New Zealand prepaid pay TV service launched on 3 December 2012. The Pace-supplied receiver provides customers access to free-to-air channels through Freeview, and previously a small selection of pay TV channels could be purchased for 30 days. On 1 March 2017, Igloo closed and the receiver was updated to allow viewers to use New Zealand's Freeview television service.
Chinese Voice is a Cantonese, Mandarin and English language radio network based in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Best News Entertainment, an Asian language television, print and radio company, and consists of three station set up between 2003 and 2010. It produces more than 80 hours of local content each week, including live talkback on news stories, migrant issues, political developments and dealing with New Zealand Government agencies. The stations also broadcast imported talk and music programmes from China and Hong Kong.
Shine TV is a New Zealand Christian television channel operated by Rhema Media and broadcast on Freeview Channel 25 and Sky TV channel 201. The station promotes Christian lifestyles, traditional Christian values, Gospel teachings and interdenominational Christian unity. From its outset, it has focused primarily on children, young people and family audiences.
