The Spinoff‘s social-first news series, Now You Know, has been funded for a second season by NZ On Air after amassing 14 million views since its July 2025 launch.
Hosted by Robbie Nicol, the series delivers short-form news explainers to bridge the gap between traditional journalism and the digital habits of young New Zealanders.
The 18-24 demographic has made up 30% of total viewership since the series’ debut.
Massive appetite for local journalism
The Spinoff CEO Amber Easby says: “Younger viewers aren’t looking for less news, they’re looking for news that respects their time and the platforms they live on. This milestone of 14 million views proves there is massive appetite for high-quality, local journalism from these audiences.”
The creative team behind the series is returning for season two, including host Nicol, whose comedic sensibility helps build trust with a digital-native audience. Joining him are Isaiah Tour (DP/editor/motion graphics), Jin Fellet (producer) and Toby Manhire (executive producer).
Incredible talent behind it
Easby adds: “The success of Now You Know is a testament to the incredibly talented people behind it.
“It takes immense skill to distill complex topics into 90 seconds without losing nuance, and our team does it with a level of craft and personality that is rare in this space.”
Now You Know will continue to be distributed on The Spinoff, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube shorts, ensuring New Zealand’s most important stories remain accessible and relevant to the next generation of news consumers.
