Freeview is launching Freeview NextGen, a new service expanding access to popular New Zealand TV channels.
Built on the global DVB-I standard, Freeview NextGen is on track to be the world’s first nationwide free-to-air TV platform powered by this solution. It delivers television channels seamlessly over the internet while maintaining the familiar experience of watching live TV.
Work in harmony with traditional TV setups
The new service allows viewers to tune in to Freeview channels via Wifi or broadband, without the need for a dedicated app, a satellite dish or aerial connection.
Freeview remains common in New Zealand homes, but more people now rely on broadband for entertainment. It says the new service will keep free-to-air channels easy to find and widely accessible as TV technology evolves, while maintaining a simple, familiar viewing experience.
Freeview NextGen is also designed to work in harmony with traditional TV setups. For viewers who choose to connect both an antenna and broadband, it will intelligently combine both signals into a single, clutter-free TV Guide.
This hybrid approach automatically removes duplicate channels and provides access to the widest possible range of content all in one place.
Simpler than ever
Freeview, alongside launch partners Hisense and TCL, plans to debut Freeview NextGen in Q3 of 2026.
Leon Mead, Freeview general manager, says: “Freeview NextGen represents momentum in futureproofing free-to-air television for all New Zealanders.
“There is no doubt we love streaming live TV, and Freeview NextGen makes this simpler than ever. While the trusty aerial and satellite will be around for a while, this is the future for TV.”
At launch, the service will be available only on TCL and Hisense TVs, but we expect to see it become widely available as more brands adopt the standard, Mead adds
