Looks like a reskinned version of WBD’s corporate site, needs some updates. Particularly this:
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TVNZ confirms Shortland Street will be back for the 2026 season under NZ on Air funding.
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It’s easy to get confused with the various brands and their ownership. With Discovery NZ’s free-to-air television business now sold to Sky Network Television (trading as Sky NZ) for only $1 and the acquisition complete (as at 1 August 2025), Sky Free was created as a business unit of Sky which already has a free-to-air channel, Sky Open.
Three, Bravo, eden, Rush and HGTV, as well as the streaming platform ThreeNow, now operate under the Sky Free banner.
The other channels - Discovery, TLC, Investigation Discovery (ID), Discovery Turbo, Animal Planet and Living - are indeed still under the ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). These are subscription channels, not free-to-air channels, and WBD continues to license its content to Sky to be broadcast as part of its subscription packages. This is a common arrangement in the media industry.
The updated URL (skyfree.co.nz) and the new logo (above) are a clear signal of the transition of the free-to-air properties to Sky’s ownership. The fact that the WBD website for the subscription channels remains the same further reinforces that those specific channels were not part of the acquisition.
This strategic move allows Sky to consolidate its position in the New Zealand media market by having a strong presence in the free-to-air and subscription sectors. It also ensures WBD can continue to have a presence in New Zealand by licensing its content to a key partner, without the financial burden of managing the free-to-air business.
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Is it funded this year by NZ on Air just that it is less funding and that is why 3 episodes a week?
Crazy that here in Australia Home and Away airs extra episodes sometimes it seems the only soap doing decently after so many years in the region. Investing in new sets , going interstate filming etc.. Neighbours gone.
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They get some funding from NZ on air but don’t think they fund all of it.
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“It is now transitioning to a commercially funded, digitally delivered show.”
Will be interesting if this ever comes to fruition.
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