FreeviewPlus now on satellite

Freeview New Zealand has rolled out FreeviewPlus on its satellite platform, giving access to every Kiwi with a compatible FreeviewPlus device.

FreeviewPlus combines all available On Demand content from TVNZ OnDemand, 3NOW - Māori Television On Demand, with live free-to-air broadcasts.

Available since July 2015 to those living in Freeview|HD coverage areas, and requiring a UHF aerial, the move means FreeviewPlus can now also be accessed via satellite dish, so it's no longer subject to coverage restrictions, and is available to everyone in New Zealand with a compatible FreeviewPlus device.

Freeview general manager Sam Irvine says Freeview is delighted to now offer FreeviewPlus to all Kiwis looking to improve their viewing experience.

"The TV is the most preferred screen in the home. And On Demand viewing on your TV should be simple," he says.

"Our goal with FreeviewPlus is to make On Demand viewing easy and more enjoyable by bringing great On Demand content to your TV, helping Kiwis eliminate those painful streaming setups that are all-too-familiar – squinting at a tiny phone, struggling with a myriad of menus, network configurations or cords to get streaming videos onto the TV," Irvine explains.

"We achieved that for our Freeview|HD viewers in July last year. Extending it onto satellite means we can now do the same for all New Zealanders – so everyone can enjoy On Demand on their TV with FreeviewPlus, with just the click of a button," he says.

The extension of the FreeviewPlus service comes just as Freeview is celebrating another major milestone, Irvine says.

According to Irvine, new research shows that Freeview is now used in 75% of New Zealand homes – a year on year growth of 5% from 2015.

"It's great that more Kiwis are opting for subscription-free TV with us, and it's encouraging to see results like this almost 10 years after we first launched," says Irvine.

"In an increasingly competitive and crowded landscape, this continued growth shows that Freeview is a preferred option for New Zealand TV viewers," he says.

"Part of that comes down to our compelling proposition - 98 of the top 100 programmes are available on our platforms," Irvine explains.

"And with innovative new technologies like FreeviewPlus, we're also continually working with our shareholders - TVNZ, MediaWorks, Māori Television and other broadcasters, as well as leading manufacturers - to deliver what viewers want," he says.