Mobile Menu

Television Broadcasting in New Zealand - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Jayson Cooke Jayson Cooke Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: July 2025 ANZSIC J5620NZ

Revenue

$1.1bn

2025-26

$1.1bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xm

Employees

2,084

Businesses

64

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Television Broadcasting in New Zealand industry analysis

Fierce competition from internet-based media platforms poses a growing threat to the Television Broadcasting industry. Free-to-air (FTA) TV networks like Television New Zealand Limited (TVNZ) and subscription TV operators like Sky Network Television Limited have found adjusting to the challenges of internet-based media difficult. SVOD services, like US-based Netflix, provide users with a convenient platform to watch TV programs and movies at a cost that remains popular among consumers. SVOD services have a notable advantage over live television, as viewers can conveniently watch content across several platforms. Downstream media buying agencies have recognised these changing media consumption habits and have progressively shifted advertising towards social media, search engines and other forms of online content and entertainment. Consequently, industry revenue is anticipated to sink at an annualised 5.7% over the five years through 2025-26 to $1.1 billion. This trend includes an expected drop of 1.5% in 2025-26, as internet-based media platforms' prevalence erodes demand for traditional television broadcasts.

Trends and Insights

  • Online media platforms pose a growing threat. Services like Netflix, TikTok and YouTube are a substantial and growing threat to pay TV’s subscriber numbers.
  • Pay-TV providers in New Zealand prioritise live sports content to retain subscribers, while consumers increasingly opt for streaming services over traditional pay TV. This shift poses funding challenges for domestic content-focused broadcasters like Whakaata Māori.
  • Auckland is the broadcasting hub. All of New Zealand's major TV broadcasters are based in Auckland as they seek to take advantage of the city’s highly skilled workforce.
  • A few major players dominate the industry, making it difficult for new entrants to gain market share. Streaming services and alternative entertainment options further challenge traditional TV broadcasters.
Show more

Get more expert insights that help you cut through the noise.

Get fast answers to complex questions about your business or your client’s industry. Annual memberships include unlimited access to data and analysis for thousands of industries globally.

Get in Touch

Unlock Expert Insights with Full Platform Access

  • Human Driven & Verified Analysis
  • Structured Database Powering Workflows
  • Intelligent Tools Empowering Confident Decisions
  • Insight where-and how- you need them

How you can access insights on the Television Broadcasting in New Zealand industry

The Television Broadcasting in New Zealand Industry Report is available in multiple formats to fit seamlessly into your workflow.

IBISWorld Platform

Answer any industry question in minutes with our entire database at your fingertips.

Screen of the IBISWorld platform user interface Book a demo

API Data Delivery

Feed trusted, human-driven industry intelligence straight into your platform.

Code example of using the IBISWorld API API documentation

Integrations

Streamline your workflow with IBISWorld’s intelligence built into your toolkit.

Screen of Client Application integrating with IBISWorld data View integrations

Related Coverage

Understand the landscape with full access to an IBISWorld license

Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 5.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $1.1bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

A small group of broadcasters control the television landscape

  • New Zealand’s Television Broadcasting industry has long been dominated by a tight circle of major broadcasters. The country’s light-touch regulatory environment, lacking formal limits on cross-media or foreign ownership, has provided fertile ground for market concentration.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Television Broadcasting in New Zealand
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

High industry concentration will restrict opportunities for further mergers

  • TV broadcasters are projected to seek cross-media mergers or acquisitions, as traditional media platforms attempt to lower costs in a changing landscape. However, prospective mergers may find it difficult to gain regulatory approval from the Commerce Commission (Te Komihana Tauhokohoko), as New Zealand's media sector is already highly concentrated.

Biggest companies in the Television Broadcasting in New Zealand

Company
Market Share (%)
2026
Revenue ($m)
2026
Sky Network Television
572.4
TVNZ
252.5
Discovery NZ
136.8

To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Television Broadcasting in New Zealand
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Subscription television network operation, Free-to-air television network operation and Government-supported network operation. Subscription television network operation is the largest segment of the Television Broadcasting in New Zealand.

Trends and Insights

Pay-TV providers are consolidating and focusing on premium content, including live sport

  • Sky Network Television Limited is the largest subscription TV services provider in New Zealand. The firm offers basic and premium packages that bundle a combination of dramas, entertainment, movies and sports programs.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The industry includes firms that broadcast visual content on free-to-air television or on a subscription basis, which is typically through a digital terrestrial broadcast, cable or satellite. The industry excludes revenue derived from SVOD and internet protocol television services that are transmitted online.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand include Government-supported TV, Free-to-air TV and Subscription TV .

Companies

Companies covered in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand include Sky Network Television, TVNZ and Discovery NZ.

Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand include premium content, subscription video on demand (svod) and internet protocol television.

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 5621 - Television Broadcasting in New Zealand

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Online media platforms pose a growing threat. Services like Netflix, TikTok and YouTube are a substantial and growing threat to pay TV’s subscriber numbers.

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Pay-TV providers in New Zealand prioritise live sports content to retain subscribers, while consumers increasingly opt for streaming services over traditional pay TV. This sh...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Auckland is the broadcasting hub. All of New Zealand's major TV broadcasters are based in Auckland as they seek to take advantage of the city’s highly skilled workforce.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

A few major players dominate the industry, making it difficult for new entrants to gain market share. Streaming services and alternative entertainment options further challen...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Showcasing live sporting events helps to draw in viewers. Sky centralises its offering around sporting events, typically watched live with a captive audience, making them per...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Sky Network Television's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of TVNZ's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Discovery NZ's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Sky Network Television, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for TVNZ, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Discovery NZ, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Advertising is strictly regulated. The Advertising Standards Authority assists broadcasters in ensuring that their advertising practices meet the code of practice.

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Falling advertising revenue has put significant pressure on broadcasters' profit margins. Advertising budgets are shifting to digital and social platforms, driven by declinin...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand in 2025?

The market size of the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand is $1.1bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand in 2025?

There are 64 businesses in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand, which has grown at a CAGR of 3.5 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand?

The Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand?

The Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand has been declining at a CAGR of 5.7 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand?

The biggest companies operating in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand are Sky Network Television, TVNZ and Discovery NZ

What does the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand include?

Government-supported TV and Free-to-air TV are part of the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand?

The company holding the most market share in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand is Sky Network Television.

How competitive is the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Television Broadcasting industry in New Zealand.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in New Zealand include:

  • Statistics New Zealand
  • New Zealand Company Register
  • Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

feedback