Before anything else, a disclosure: Vivimate, the IPTV subscription we sell, is one of the options on this page, so we don't rank anyone. This page reports no measurements of our own. Every New Zealand dollar figure below was read on November 10, 2026from the provider's or rights holder's own site, and where a page wouldn't load we leave the figure out. If you've already chosen IPTV, our checks for vetting an IPTV seller are the next read.
The broadcaster apps: TVNZ+ and ThreeNow
Start with what costs least. TVNZ+ describes itself as free movies, TV shows, news, sport and live TV online, and its site lists TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2 and DUKE. Some titles sit behind paid passes, including a rental pass that opens a film for 48 hours. You need to be 13 or older to register, and TVNZ's house rules say an account is meant for one household.
ThreeNow streams Three live and on demand, along with Three Movies; its pages carry a 2026 copyright line for Sky Free Limited. The rest of ThreeNow's site needs a browser script our reader couldn't run, so we don't state its prices or terms. Between the two apps, a household that watches mostly local news, drama and reality shows may not need to buy anything.
Sky: one box, one bill, everything stacked on Starter
Sky's help centre sets out its packages plainly. Sky Starter costs $25.99 a month and is required before you can add anything else. On top of it, Sky Sport was $52, Sky Entertainment $28 and Sky Movies $20. Recording with My Sky added $15, or $20 for My Sky+, and each extra TV needs its own Sky Box at $25 a month. The page says its rates assume a Sky Box in the home, and channels shown with the right logo also stream in the Sky Go app.
- Fits: households that want sport, films and entertainment from one company whose rights aren't in doubt.
- Read closely: the Starter requirement under every add-on, recording fees, and the cost of a second TV.
- Compare offers: set any bundle price against the standard rates above, and ask what it becomes later.
Sky Sport Now: sport without the box
Sky Sport Now sells the Sky Sport and ESPN channels as an app, by the pass. A Day Pass was $29.99 for 24 hours. The Month Pass was $59.99, with Sky Sport in Full HD and ESPN in HD, and a 4K month pass was $64.99. The Annual Pass, $599.99, includes 4K. Month and annual passes renew automatically; you can cancel any time, keep watching to the end of the term, and get no refund for the rest. Its help page adds that only one device can stream at a time.
Rugby from 2026 to 2030: who holds what
For most New Zealand households, sport means rugby, and New Zealand Rugby's announcement settles who shows it. Sky is the broadcast partner for all rugby in New Zealand from 2026 to 2030, with exclusive rights to the All Blacks, Black Ferns, Super Rugby Pacific, Super Rugby Aupiki and the Lions series, and shared rights to provincial rugby. TVNZ is the free-to-air provincial partner: 93 matches free on TVNZ+, three a week on TVNZ 1, those three also live on Sky. Up to five offshore Tests each for the All Blacks and the Black Ferns are outside the domestic deal and will be sold match by match.
Independent IPTV sellers
The last option is an IPTV seller: a login for a player app on a smart TV, stick or phone, usually priced in US dollars, with a list far longer than any local package. IPTV is only a delivery method, and the seller's rights decide whether a service is lawful. We haven't cited New Zealand legislation because we didn't read it for this page; our guide to whether IPTV is legal sets out how to judge a seller.
- Fits: viewers who want many channels in one app for less and accept that a seller may not publish its rights.
- Be wary of: every All Blacks Test promised for a few dollars, and long plans paid up front with no trial.
- During a trial: search for each channel you watch, at the hour it's on, before you pay for months.
New Zealand TV from the US or Canada
Plenty of our readers are Kiwis in North America who want the news, a soap or a Test from home. The honest answer is that the local apps stay at home. TVNZ's house rules say TVNZ+ content can only be watched from within New Zealand and ask people overseas not to get around that; its Event Pass terms also require you to be in New Zealand. Sky Sport Now's help page says it can only be viewed in New Zealand, to comply with its broadcasting rights. We don't advise working around a broadcaster's regional limits.
Whatever you use, allow about 10 Mbps per HD stream, 15 for Full HD and 25 for 4K; our guide to IPTV internet speed shows how to check your line, and how simultaneous connections work matters if more than one screen is on.
Matching the option to the household
- Mostly local TV: TVNZ+ and ThreeNow, before paying for anything.
- Rugby and other sport, no box: Sky Sport Now, choosing between monthly and annual on how long you'll watch.
- Sport, films and entertainment on one bill: Sky, starting from Sky Starter.
- A big list for little money: an IPTV seller, after a trial and a direct question about rights.
Where Vivimate fits
Vivimate is an IPTV subscription seller charging in US dollars, prepaid, with no contract and no auto-renewal. We don't publish the rights agreements behind our channels, and we don't promise any named New Zealand channel, competition or match. If a service problem you report can't be fixed, our refund policy gives a 7-day refund window.
| Plan | One device | Two devices |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | $19.99 | $31.98 |
| 3 Months | $29.99 | $47.98 |
| 6 Months | $39.99 | $63.98 |
| 12 Months + 2 free | $69.99 | $111.98 |
The 24-hour Vivimate trial needs no card; use it to search the guide for the New Zealand channels you follow. You can also ask us on WhatsApp, see all Vivimate plans, read our guide to IPTV in Australia, or browse the IPTV guides by country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best IPTV option in New Zealand?
That depends on what you watch, and since we sell Vivimate we don't pick a winner. This page reports no measurements of our own. TVNZ+ and ThreeNow cover a lot of local TV, Sky Sport Now sells sport without a box, Sky's packages put everything on one bill, and IPTV sellers offer long lists cheaply, so ask about their rights and test first.
How much does Sky cost each month?
Sky's help centre, read November 10, 2026, listed Sky Starter at $25.99 a month and says it is required before any other package. Sky Sport was $52, Sky Entertainment $28 and Sky Movies $20 on top, with My Sky at $15. Starter plus Sport comes to $77.99 a month.
Who shows the All Blacks from 2026?
New Zealand Rugby named Sky its broadcast partner for all rugby in New Zealand for 2026 to 2030, exclusive for the All Blacks, Black Ferns and Super Rugby Pacific. Up to five offshore Tests each for the All Blacks and Black Ferns sit outside that deal and are negotiated match by match. TVNZ has 93 provincial matches free on TVNZ+.
Can I watch TVNZ+ or Sky Sport Now in the US or Canada?
No. TVNZ's house rules say TVNZ+ content can only be watched from within New Zealand and ask viewers abroad not to get around that. Sky Sport Now's help page says it is only available for viewing in New Zealand, to comply with its broadcasting rights.
Does Vivimate carry New Zealand channels?
We don't promise any named New Zealand channel, competition or match. Search the trial's guide for each channel you watch, at the time it airs, before you pay.
Sources
Read November 10, 2026: Sky help centre, TV packages; Sky Sport Now, passes; Sky Sport Now help; TVNZ+; TVNZ house rules; TVNZ+ Event Pass terms; ThreeNow; New Zealand Rugby, broadcast agreement (22 August 2025). Speed figures: our internet speed guide. Vivimate prices: our pricing page. Totals are our arithmetic.
Couldn't read: sky.co.nz main and offer pages (no text without scripts), TVNZ+ pass prices (didn't load), help.tvnz.co.nz (didn't resolve), ThreeNow beyond its page description (no text without scripts), and New Zealand copyright legislation (not read, so not cited).
New to the service? Start with what Vivimate IPTV is — what it includes, what it costs and how to set it up.