Content & Catalog
What to watch on MĀORI+?
Content TypesMovies · Series · Live TV · Live Sport · Documentaries · Kids · News · Originals
SubtitlesEnglish
Public BroadcasterWorks with VPNUpdated September 14, 2026
Reviewed by Anna Venclikova · Affiliate DisclosureOur website contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
How to Watch MĀORI+ from Anywhere in 2026
Four minutes of advertising per hour. That is the ceiling Whakaata Māori sets for itself on its own sales page, and it says a lot about how this service is built. MĀORI+ is free to watch in New Zealand, with no paid tier and no card at sign up, because the Māori Television Service is a statutory body set up under a 2003 Act to keep te reo Māori on screen. The catalog runs from the bilingual drama Ahikāroa through kapa haka competitions, documentaries, sport, news, podcasts and graded language courses.
Geography works title by title here. Every title on MĀORI+ carries its own label: Stream Worldwide, or pinned to New Zealand, to New Zealand and Australia, or to New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Sport and live events travel the furthest; films, drama and comedy are the ones most often kept home. The help centre says the service opens from overseas, only with a smaller catalog. For the locked part, point ExpressVPN at New Zealand.
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Ready in
Quick answer
Does MĀORI+ block US viewers?
No. A large slice of the catalog is tagged Stream Worldwide and plays from any country. The rest is locked to New Zealand, sometimes to New Zealand plus Australia, sometimes to New Zealand plus Australia and the Pacific Islands, and the label sits on the title card itself. When you hit a locked show, a New Zealand server on ExpressVPN brings it back. Either way, watching MĀORI+ costs nothing.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for MĀORI+
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | MĀORI+ | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 ExpressVPNBEST | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | September 12 | Try it |
 NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | September 14 | Open |
 Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | September 12 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | September 11 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | September 11 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | September 12 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | September 13 | Open |
✓ WorksTested September 12
✓ WorksTested September 14
✓ WorksTested September 12
✓ WorksTested September 11
~ PartialTested September 11
~ PartialTested September 12
~ PartialTested September 13
Tested on September 14, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 4 working · residential IP from New Zealand · MĀORI+ updates detection continuously, results may change.
Streaming service blocking your VPN? Just disconnect and hop onto a different server in the same country. Stick to the ones labeled “streaming” or “optimized” because they’re literally built for this.
How-to
How to Unblock MĀORI+ with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Pick a VPN with New Zealand serversNot every provider runs them that far south. ExpressVPN keeps locations in Auckland and Wellington, and the annual plan works out at $2.79.Skip free networks. Multi-hour kapa haka broadcasts stall on them.
- Connect to an Auckland serverSet the country to New Zealand, wait for the handshake, then reload. Clear your cookies first, or MĀORI+ will remember the address you arrived on.
- Sign in to your free accountSince August 2026 the mobile apps ask for a free account. An email and a password will do, or Google or Apple. No payment details are requested, and the minimum age is 13.
- Open a live channel or turn on subtitlesThe Live tab carries two live channels, Whakaata Māori and Te Reo. Most titles ship with subtitles, so bilingual episodes work even if you speak no te reo.
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Availability
Which countries is MĀORI+ available in?
MĀORI+ streams in full in New Zealand, and part of its catalogue plays in 193 more countries. For the titles that stay locked, use a premium VPN.
Available in 1 country No VPN needed
Partially available in 193 countries VPN required
United StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaCanadaIrelandGermanyFranceJapanIndiaNetherlandsSouth AfricaBrazil
Show all 181 more countries
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British Virgin Islands
BruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCongo (DRC)Costa RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandGabonGambiaGeorgiaGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIndonesiaIranIraqIsraelItalyJamaicaJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé and PríncipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUAEUgandaUkraineUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabweMĀORI+ also works in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in Ireland, plus in 188 more countries, but with limited content compared to fully available countries. ExpressVPN unlocks full access.
Available
Partial
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: September 7, 2026
Steer clear of free VPNs. Most of them actually collect and sell your data, lack proper security audits, and can even expose you to malware. They’re also useless for streaming. Platforms block them instantly, leaving you with more headaches than solutions. Stick to paid VPNs with verified audits, like ExpressVPN, if you want something that actually works.
About the platform
Who’s behind the service?
What is MĀORI+
MĀORI+ is the free streaming service of Whakaata Māori, New Zealand’s Indigenous public broadcaster, run by the Māori Television Service, a statutory body established in 2003. Launched in 2021, it offers drama, documentaries, kapa haka, sport, news, te reo courses and the Tamariki Hā kids section, alongside two live channels, Whakaata Māori and Te Reo. The operator states that MĀORI+ may be accessed outside New Zealand, but programme availability varies by country. Each title carries its own label; sport and live events travel furthest, while films and scripted titles usually stay home.
Company and history
Previously known as
Māori Television
Major changes
- The Whakaata Māori channel went on air with a dawn ceremony at its Newmarket headquarters attended by two thousand people, giving te reo Māori its first nationwide television home.
- Exactly four years after the first channel, a second one arrived. Te Reo broadcast entirely in te reo Māori, with no English dubbing and no English subtitles anywhere in its schedule.
- The broadcaster fully launched its app under the new MĀORI+ brand in July 2021. Its Matarau digital first strategy meant most shows reached the app before the television broadcast.
- MĀORI+ took the OTT Platform for Aotearoa prize at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Awards, announced in Singapore. Coverage of the senior kapa haka regionals had just drawn 1.4 million video streams, three quarters of them on phones.
- On 29 August 2024 the broadcaster announced the Wai Whakaata realignment. With NZ$10.3 million of temporary government funding scheduled to phase out, nearly a quarter of its resources were at risk. The process closed in December 2024.
- From 28 March 2025 the Te Reo channel dropped off the UHF aerial and satellite and continued online only, on the MĀORI+ website and in its app, as part of the 2024 Wai Whakaata realignment.
- Eight episodes of Ahikāroa, numbers 11 to 18, dropped on MĀORI+ on the morning of 19 February 2026, while the channel aired the season seven premiere that evening. Episodes 19 and 20 landed on both screens on 19 March.
- Version 6.0.0 of the MĀORI+ app arrived. The release notes list a secure sign in experience with Google or Apple, multiple profiles, profile icon selection and improvements across the board.
- New terms of use took effect for MĀORI+. They say nothing about VPNs, unlike the house rules of the rival service TVNZ+, although the operator does address VPNs in a separate help centre article.
- Chief executive Shane Taurima said he would step down at the end of the year after almost eight years leading the organisation. In February 2027 he takes up the role of Pou Matua, Group Chief Executive, at Tū Ātea.
Trust signals
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Devices & Quality
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
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UX features
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Insider Tips
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our MĀORI+ testing team · Updated September 7, 2026
- MĀORI+ costs nothing, yet since August 2026 the mobile apps require a free account, and sign-up asks for your te reo Māori level before allowing five profiles.
- Every title page states its reach: the Tōku Reo language course reads Stream Worldwide, while films are marked stream only in New Zealand.
- Watching from overseas, point ExpressVPN at a New Zealand server before you open MĀORI+, otherwise the geo restricted titles simply will not appear.
- For the big screen, install the Android TV and Google TV app, or cast via Chromecast or AirPlay from an iPhone running iOS 16.4 or later.
- The Te Reo channel went online only on 28 March 2025 and runs entirely in te reo Māori, with Whakaata Māori capping its advertising at four minutes hourly.
Alternatives
Other services you can watch
Not the right fit? Here are services in the same category you can compare.
TVNZ+
Public Broadcaster
Open
Shine TV
Ad-supported VOD
Open
Freeview NZ
Virtual MVPD
Open
ThreeNow
Broadcast VOD
Open
SBS On Demand
Public Broadcaster
Open
C31 Melbourne
Public Broadcaster
Open
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before you start watching MĀORI+.
Nothing at all. There is no paid tier, and no card is requested when you register. MĀORI+ is funded as a public broadcaster and topped up by advertising: Whakaata Māori quotes a ceiling of four minutes per hour on its own sales page, which is a broadcaster figure rather than a published property of the on demand player. The only bill you might pick up is your own ExpressVPN plan, and only for the New Zealand locked titles.
The label on the title card decides, not the genre or the origin. Sport and live events are the most likely to read Stream Worldwide; films, drama and comedy are the most likely to be pinned to New Zealand, to New Zealand and Australia, or to New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. The help centre puts it plainly: MĀORI+ opens from overseas, but availability varies by country. Licences move, so trust the label and use ExpressVPN for the locked ones.
It gives VPNs an article of their own. The wording is that a VPN may hide or change your location, so some content may be blocked to meet regional rights and licensing requirements. Detection, or blocking of the networks themselves, is never mentioned. The practical reading from abroad: your ExpressVPN server has to sit in New Zealand, because a location set anywhere else costs you even the titles that would otherwise play on MĀORI+.
Browsers first: MĀORI+ runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. On mobile you need iOS 16.4 or newer, or an Android phone or tablet. For the living room the documented routes are Android TV, Google TV, Chromecast and AirPlay from an iPhone. Samsung, LG, Roku and Fire TV have no native app, so run ExpressVPN on a router if that is your screen.
No. MĀORI+ has no offline mode, so every minute streams over your connection. That matters for the multi-hour kapa haka broadcasts, which chew through a mobile allowance quickly. If you are abroad and running ExpressVPN on top of a hotel connection, expect the encrypted tunnel to add a little overhead as well. For a long flight, line up something else to watch.
Two of them. Whakaata Māori has broadcast since 2004 and sits on Freeview channel 5 and Sky channel 19. The Te Reo channel left terrestrial transmission and has run online only since March 2025. Live output on MĀORI+ covers kapa haka competitions, news, sport and cultural events. The help centre notes that availability varies by country, so if a stream will not start abroad, put ExpressVPN on a New Zealand server.
In the mobile apps, yes. Since August 2026 the MĀORI+ apps ask you to sign in, and the help centre explains why: signing in saves your viewing progress, syncs My List and your activity across supported devices, and helps the service meet the content rights restrictions set by its suppliers. An email and a password are enough, or Google or Apple, and no payment method is requested. One account carries up to five profiles, including a Tamariki profile for children. Connect ExpressVPN first, then sign in.
On the lock. TVNZ+ and ThreeNow keep their whole catalogs inside New Zealand, and TVNZ explicitly bans geolocation workarounds. Here the lock is applied title by title on MĀORI+, and the sport and live coverage in particular travels worldwide. The second gap is money, because no paid tier exists at all. For the locked part of the shelf, ExpressVPN still does the job.
The language section is graded into beginner, intermediate and advanced, so you pick a level rather than guess. Tōku Reo, the course for absolute beginners, carries Stream Worldwide and plays from anywhere. Bilingual dramas such as Ahikāroa are the gentler route, but that one is labelled for New Zealand and Australia only, so it needs ExpressVPN on an Auckland server. Children get the Tamariki Hā section on MĀORI+.
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