@TV3_NZ @LiamP @NaruTVMock @greenpea Warner Bros. Discovery NZ (WBD) plays host to not only Three but Bravo, eden, HGTV and Rush while Sky is home to its free-to-air channel, Sky Open, as well as Sky Sport. If Sky were to acquire WBD’s NZ channels (including Three) then its multiple free-to-air channels, including Sky Open, would be rebranded as (see below):
Was having a think about that, and wondered if Nine would have a crack, more of a joint-venture than anything else. They’ve already a relationship with WBD (9Rush), and they’d happen to get rights to Freeview Channel 9 in the process… I can hear the VO now, Niiiiiiineeee Neeeeeew Zeeeeeelannnnnnd.
Probably not, eh.
I reckon a sale to one of the Aussie networks could be a goer. Run it from Australia with minimal boots on the ground? Surely they can find enough Kiwis living here to run it and jave gainful employment. 
Nine was previously a joint venture partner with Prime (Australia) to form Prime (NZ). Unclear if they’d want to try that again.
It begs the question, which network would take it?
Seven as they dont seem to be doing much.
Maybe Ten if Paramount wants to expand further, but I do doubt it.
Not Nine. Possibly DAZN if they want to stick their toes in crazy.
I think TV3’s future has been uncertain since the moment it launched.
Suspect the WBD plans to split this week will change again before it’s due to happen given the way the company has run - been an absolutely disastrous merger which has had virtually no benefits for anyone.
NZ wise if the channels are sold I think the best bet of revitalising them is to find a local buyer who is actually invested in what NZ can produce - realistically any foreign owner is going to be in the same position as Discovery and want to run things as cheaply as possible.
The problem is no owner is suddenly going to invest in local programming, don’t think the ad market is going to significantly increase to the point that once was. Even the market leader TVNZ is pulling back on shows.
If Sky did buy the Three assets the only increase you would see is sports content, almost everything else would be funded by ‘partners’ i.e. NZ On Air, which is the current WBD strategy. Most local content outside of sport on Sky Open seems to be funded by NZ on Air.
Isn’t the NZ on air funding dwindling anyway? And yes you’re right ,no foreign owner will want to invest in local programming and even an NZ owner probably won’t want to.
New dating show Stranded on Honeymoon Island premieres on TVNZ 2 on Sunday, June 29 at 7pm, continuing Mondays at 7.30pm. The reality series is narrated by popular Australian radio host Jackie O.
Each episode will be shown six days after the Australian broadcast.
Aussie comedy series The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers premieres on Three on Thursday, July 3 at 8.30pm. The show sees Jack, Liam, Dom and Falcon from The Inspired Unemployed egg each other on to make absolute fools of themselves in a public setting. Three will begin with season 1 from 2023.
Premise of the show
And also TVNZ has lost the rights to screen George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces which will switch over to Sky Open for season 11, and 2018 Australian game show Pointless Australia will screen from Monday 30 June.
Whakaata Māori to become Māori+ as part of a brand unifier and digital first pivot ahead of Matariki, the Māori New Year.
Media trade update from WBD NZ today:
Wednesday, 25 June 2025 - ThreeNow is on a roll, with strong year on year growth cementing its spot as a major player in the BVOD space. New Nielsen figures show the platform is now reaching 694,000 users per week as of May—up 19% year on year and 28,000 more weekly users than last quarter*.
The growth is especially strong among younger viewers, with audiences aged 18-24 up 18.3%, and 30-34s jumping by 20.4%.
This rising momentum supports the launch of ThreeNow’s new digital product, enrich, which boosts targeting capabilities for advertisers.
Warner Bros. Discovery Senior Director of Revenue James Hole says: “We are stoked with the incredible growth of ThreeNow. This latest result represents our 12th consecutive quarter of growth with almost 700,000 New Zealanders using the service every week.
“The viewers have spoken, and advertisers are lining up too. With our enrich data offering about to launch, we’ll be offering more reach, more targeted opportunities, and ultimately more ways for businesses to reach their customers than ever before.”
More to come as ThreeNow continues to grow its digital footprint.
: The Graham Norton Show is moving from Three to TVNZ2 and TVNZ+ later this year.
Lego Masters Australia season 7, also titled Grand Masters of the Galaxy, premieres on Three on Monday, July 7 at 7.30pm, continuing on Sundays at 7pm from July 13. It pits four Australian teams against seven international teams, from Sweden, China, New Zealand, Finland, Canada and USA.
NZ is represented by Emily (44) and Sarah (43), two mums who finished runner-up in Lego Masters New Zealand season 1.
Team profiles
The winning team was revealed on Nine in Australia earlier this week, so beware of online spoilers.
Broadcaster Paul Henry has been appointed to the TVNZ Board, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
I like PH as a broadcaster but don’t think this is a great move
Also being heavily involved in the launch of Today FM is hardly something to crow abour
He was pretty scathing about traditional TV news when the Newshub closure was announced and that included TVNZ. Will make interactions with Jodie O’Donnell interesting after she highlighted how well 6pm news was doing last week.
