TVNZ+

Launch

In January 2007, TVNZ announced the launch of a new online service called TVNZ OnDemand in March that year, which would feature a wide range of content including the drama series Shortland Street.^[5] TVNZ OnDemand was launched on 20 March 2007 with an initial selection of 300 videos from 100 television shows. Early content included the television series and programs Rude Awakenings, Karaoke High, Fair Go, Agenda, Eating Media Lunch, Praise Be, Treasure Island, and Mai Time. TVNZ OnDemand hosted shows and television clips from the TVNZ Archives. Some of the clips are free while others can be purchased using a credit purchasing system called PlayPoints.^[3][4] In early March, a young teenager named Kyle Wadsworth was able to access the unreleased website and start downloading shows prior to its official release.^[6]

In April 2010, TVNZ announced that TVNZ OnDemand would be available on the PlayStation 3 console, making it the first catch-up TV service to be optimised for viewing on the living room TV through PS3.^[7]

Watch First

From 2012, TVNZ OnDemand began uploading episodes of select shows prior to their airing on TVNZ channels and usually within a day of their original overseas airings (although sometimes this was weeks or months after their international airing).^{[citation needed]}

In February 2014, senior telco figure Jason Foden was appointed as TVNZ OnDemand's new general manager and was tasked with leading the expansion of the streaming platform's content. TVNZ OnDemand reportedly experienced record growth over the past six months, a 90% increase on the previous year. It was also announced that TVNZ would be developing a newer and more innovative version of the streaming platform.^[8]

In September 2014, it was announced that episodes of seventeen shows would be uploaded within a day of their airings in the US, coinciding with the 2014–2015 season.^[9] One of the shows, Manhattan Love Story was cancelled by the US network ABC, but episodes continued to be uploaded to TVNZ OnDemand in line with their intended US airings, making TVNZ the de facto original broadcaster of the series.^{[citation needed]}

Expansion

In April 2016, TVNZ shut down its children's programming channel TVNZ Kidzone after the satellite provider Sky TV decided not to renew their contract. TVNZ transferred Kidzone's content online to TVNZ OnDemand.^[10]

In October 2019, a Horizon Research survey of 1,000 adults estimated that 59% of adults used TVNZ OnDemand, making it the most widely used streaming service in New Zealand. Its competitors have included Netflix (56%), Sky TV (29%), MediaWorks' ThreeNow (28%), Lightbox (18%), and Neon (7%).^[11]

Rebranding

On 13 June 2022, the service rebranded from TVNZ OnDemand to TVNZ+. TVNZ confirmed that the rebrand was not being used as an opportunity to introduce a premium version that would allow viewers to skip ads.^[1][2]

On 7 October 2024, TVNZ proposed investing more in its TVNZ+ streaming service as part of restructuring measures to find NZ$30 million in cost savings.^[12] On 29 October, TVNZ proposed expanding the news content of TVNZ+ while abandoning plans to shut down 1News' website.^[13]