Full TVNZ content on SkyTV from June-July this year
This means high-definition versions of TV ONE and TV2 will be available to MySkyHDi viewers from June 1, and the digital TVNZ 6 and 7 channels from July 1.
TVNZ will provide regional advertising from July 1 too, on TV ONE, and of course, the state broadcaster's full content will now reach a combined audience of two million viewers. No doubt this makes TVNZ look financially rather attractive, perhaps ahead of the rumoured sell-off by the National government.
While TVNZ's policy is to be available on every screen in New Zealand, you have to wonder where this leaves the digital Freeview service. In fact, I'll ask them... stand by, blog update coming up.
TV3 can't be happy about this though.
Update As RedJungle says below, how about it, Sky? Prime TV on Freeview. Surely that's only fair?
Update II An industry watcher suggests that Prime axing its news service may be related to this announcement.
Update III Comment from Freeview CEO Steve Browning: "Freeview has never been about exclusivity. We are NZ’s only open digital TV and radio platform, which means we do not require any channel to be Freeview exclusive."
"We always expected TVNZ 6 and 7 to be made available on Sky. The appeal of Freeview is once you have purchased a Freeview approved receiver all the channels are free. Conversely, with SKY you are paying a monthly subscription to watch free-to-air digital channels."
"We believe that the added exposure for these channels on Sky will draw attention to what viewers can get elsewhere for free and that’s good news for Freeview,” he says.
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Comment by MakX, on 25-Mar-2009 16:44
Sucks for me because we just bought Freeview HD last year (we already had MySkyHDi). :(
Comment by Regan Cunliffe, on 25-Mar-2009 16:48
Sky have told us that Prime won't be going on Freeview...[Throng]
Comment by Dave, on 25-Mar-2009 17:01
Will the HD channels be FTA for those of us outside the main centres? Sky's SD signals of TVONE and 2 were FTA for several years before the launch of Freeview. Hopefully a similar deal has been made.
Comment by ZiglioNZ, on 25-Mar-2009 17:11
Once they decide when to phase out Analog transmission, Prime will have to go on terrestrial Freeview. Or it will just go away
Comment by allan, on 25-Mar-2009 17:19
How do you do regional advertising on a satellite delivered service?
Comment by sbiddle, on 25-Mar-2009 17:19
@ziglionz Not necessarily. Sky have made mention of the fact they are investigating their own DVB-T platform.
There would probably exist a greater chance of Sky deploying their own DVB-T network than Prime ever appearing on Freeview.
Comment by Jono, on 25-Mar-2009 17:58
I don't see this as bad for Freeview. What percentage of people really buy Freeview decoders for the crappy 6 & 7 channels or even for the HD? The "geeks" know when they're getting HD but do "normal" people care?
I would guess a great number buy it just to improve reception - even good reception areas often have a channel or two with poor reception. I could see the Skytower from my old place but had terrible One reception - but not with Freeview.
Comment by Pomphobetus, on 25-Mar-2009 18:45
Does this announcement suggest that TV6 and TV7 will be broadcast in HD too? The wording is a bit unclear.
Comment by ZiglioNZ, on 25-Mar-2009 23:12
@sbiddle
mmm, why would Sky want to develop their own DVB-T?
they already reach everyone via satellite.
It would be cheaper to buy additional frequencies, but again: they couldn't possibly offer something on terrestrial and not on satellite
Comment by sbiddle, on 26-Mar-2009 08:29
I am serious about Sky rolling out their own DVB-T network.
In Sky's submissions to the MED they have made it quite clear this is an option open to them and that discussions with suppliers had taken place. Sky have issues with some of the proposed ASO criteria including the loss of existing analogue frequencies which they believe they should be able to keep and reuse.
Comment by jpollock, on 26-Mar-2009 09:34
If you look at the information on Freeview's website, they don't provide transmission capability as part of membership. The only thing they seem to provide is a channel number and access to the EPG. All for $200k+ (year 3) per year (excl GST!).
Yeah, I'd balk at that too.
Comment by Tom Ackroyd, on 26-Mar-2009 11:24
Allan - one way of doing regional breakouts is to have region-aware STBs that follow alternate commercial break feeds from the satellite on cue. I don't know if this is how TVNZ will do it, though.
Comment by sbiddle, on 26-Mar-2009 12:13
@juha There is a potential business model there. Look what it costs to launch on the Freeview platform.
If Sky could roll out DVB-T and offer organisations like NZRB and smaller regional players DVB-T services for cheaper than what Freeview want then why would you go with Freeview when ASO occurs?
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Comment by RedJungle, on 25-Mar-2009 16:32
How about a bit of reciprocation from Sky - in the form of making Prime available via Freeview?