Content & Catalog
What to watch on TVNZ+?
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 TVNZ+ from Anywhere: VPN Guide 2026
Shortland Street has run since 1992 and still pulls New Zealand to the screen, alongside the latest 1News bulletin and a fresh round of the comedy panel show Taskmaster NZ. All of it lives on TVNZ+, the public catalog TVNZ launched as TVNZ OnDemand in 2007 and renamed to TVNZ+ in 2022. Watching TVNZ+ from the US, though, is where you hit a wall, because TVNZ+ is locked to New Zealand IP addresses only.
Rights to ITV Studios shows such as Coronation Street and The Chase only clear inside New Zealand, so the player throws a VID-GEO error the moment you press play overseas. Surfshark gives you a New Zealand IP address, and that is the only thing it changes; it does not guarantee that TVNZ+ will play. Watching TVNZ+ itself stays free with a no-cost sign-up, and picture quality runs up to 1080p. The only paid extra is an optional Event Pass for selected sports events.
Free
Price
1
Country
1080p
Max quality
4 of 7
VPNs work
2-3 min
Ready in
Quick answer
Can you watch TVNZ+ in the US?
Not from a US connection, because TVNZ+ reads your IP address and serves a VID-GEO error. Licensing clears only inside New Zealand. Surfshark on a New Zealand server gives you a local IP address, and that is all a VPN changes. Registration and streaming are free, and the TVNZ+ Event Pass for selected sports events is an optional one-off. Maximum picture quality stays at 1080p throughout.
VPN Compatibility
Best VPN for TVNZ+
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | TVNZ+ | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SurfsharkBEST | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | October 3 | Try it |
 ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | October 3 | Open |
 NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | October 5 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | October 3 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | October 4 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | September 30 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | October 3 | Open |
✓ WorksTested October 3
✓ WorksTested October 3
✓ WorksTested October 5
✓ WorksTested October 3
~ PartialTested October 4
~ PartialTested September 30
~ PartialTested October 3
Tested on October 5, 2026 · 7 VPNs, 4 working · residential IP from New Zealand · TVNZ+ 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 TVNZ+ with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Pick a reliable VPNGo with Surfshark, which operates servers in New Zealand. Pricing starts at $1.78 a month.The yearly term works out cheaper per month than paying month to month.
- Connect to a New Zealand serverChoose a New Zealand location, ideally Auckland, from the server list. You get a New Zealand IP address, and that is all the VPN changes.
- Open the service and sign inCreate your free TVNZ+ account on a phone, tablet or computer, because sign-up is not available directly on a smart TV or game console. You then sign in with the six-digit code TVNZ emails you.
- Dial in the picture qualityTVNZ+ streams at up to 1080p. For HD streaming, TVNZ’s help center says you need a connection of at least 5 to 10 Mbps.
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Availability
Which countries is TVNZ+ available in?
TVNZ+ is only available in New Zealand. To access it from anywhere else, use a premium VPN.
Available in 1 country No VPN needed
Blocked in 193 countries VPN required
United StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaCanadaIrelandGermanyFranceJapanIndiaNetherlandsSouth AfricaBrazil
Show all 181 more countries
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Available
Blocked / unavailable
Last tested: July 14, 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 Surfshark, if you want something that actually works.
About the platform
Who’s behind the service?
What is TVNZ+
TVNZ+ is the free, ad-supported streaming home of Television New Zealand, the country’s state-owned public broadcaster. It took over from the old TVNZ OnDemand in June 2022. You get the live channels TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2 and DUKE alongside a deep on-demand library: homegrown New Zealand shows such as the long-running soap Shortland Street, Country Calendar and Taskmaster NZ, 1News bulletins, and international titles licensed through an ITV Studios deal, including Coronation Street, The Chase and Love Island. Everything is paid for by advertising. The service is free once you set up a registered account, with no subscription and no ad-free tier. The only paid add-on is an optional one-off Event Pass for selected sports events such as UFC. It works in New Zealand only and stays geo-blocked abroad. Video tops out at 1080p, with no 4K or HDR.
Company and history
Previously known as
TVNZ OnDemand
Major changes
- Television New Zealand launched its online catalog as TVNZ OnDemand, letting viewers catch up on shows from the TVNZ 1 and TVNZ 2 channels over the internet for the first time.
- After fifteen years the service rebranded: TVNZ OnDemand became TVNZ+. A new name and logo arrived alongside the move that united the live channels and the on-demand archive in one place.
- The broadcaster secured free-to-air rights to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and became the official New Zealand rights holder for the tournament. Key matches were set to air free on TVNZ 1 and in the stream.
- The broadcaster renewed its exclusive ITV Studios partnership for several more years. The deal keeps Coronation Street and Emmerdale, the quiz The Chase, and the full Love Island franchise on New Zealand screens.
- Flagship soap Shortland Street kicked off its 2026 season on TVNZ 2 with simultaneous streaming. Homegrown drama remains the single biggest draw across the whole catalog this year.
- The launch of a completely rebuilt platform with personalization hit bugs. Support ended for 2015 and 2016 Samsung televisions, leaving thousands of viewers temporarily locked out of the live channels.
Trust signals
See the TVNZ+ TV guideToday, tomorrow and the days ahead
Still can’t open TVNZ+ where you are?
Connect Surfshark, pick a supported country, and you’re streaming TVNZ+ in minutes, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Devices & Quality
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
1080pHDRDolby VisionDolby Atmos
UX features
Continue watching
Accessibility
Closed captions
Insider Tips
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our TVNZ+ testing team · Updated July 14, 2026
- TVNZ+ is genuinely free: just register with an email, no credit card or subscription required to stream everything.
- Beyond live TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2 and DUKE, the library pairs local hits like Shortland Street and Country Calendar with ITV Studios imports such as Coronation Street and The Chase.
- TVNZ+ turns away overseas IP addresses, and TVNZ says you cannot log in from abroad; Surfshark gives you a New Zealand IP address, but playback is not guaranteed.
- Each Event Pass covers one event only, so other paid events need their own pass, and numbered UFC events stream on just one device at a time.
- TVNZ+ has no offline downloads and caps streams at 1080p, so plan to watch online and skip any expectation of 4K.
Alternatives
Other services you can watch
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iVysílání ČT
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ABC iView
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ThreeNow
Broadcast VOD
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before you start watching TVNZ+.
Yes. The entire TVNZ+ archive and the live channels are advertising-funded, so there is no subscription, just a free account to register. The one paid item is the optional Event Pass for selected sports events. From overseas you will hit the geo-block. Connecting Surfshark to a New Zealand server changes only your IP address, and it does not guarantee playback.
The VID-GEO message means the player detected a foreign IP address and blocked playback, because the rights clear only inside New Zealand. You can launch Surfshark and choose a New Zealand server, but that changes only your IP address and does not guarantee the video will play. TVNZ’s own help center states that content playback is not available outside New Zealand, and for playback errors it advises turning off any VPN.
TVNZ+ does not describe any VPN detection in its help center. It does, however, advise turning off any VPN when you hit a playback error, note that VPN connections can affect streaming quality, and state that content playback is not available outside New Zealand. Surfshark changes your IP address to a New Zealand one, and nothing more. Rival broadcaster ThreeNow is locked to New Zealand in the same way.
Playback runs up to 1080p Full HD; there is no 4K or HDR on the service. TVNZ’s help center says HD streaming needs a connection of at least 5 to 10 Mbps. When you stream through Surfshark, pick a server as close to Auckland as possible to keep latency low, and be aware that TVNZ says VPN connections can affect streaming quality.
The core is New Zealand content: long-running soap Shortland Street, the comedy panel show Taskmaster NZ, the rural staple Country Calendar, and 1News bulletins. On top sit British titles from ITV Studios such as Coronation Street and The Chase. TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2 and DUKE stream live. Outside New Zealand, the archive stays locked; Surfshark on a New Zealand server gives you a local address.
The Event Pass is an optional add-on for one specific event, bought with a single up-front payment rather than a subscription. Buying one requires a registered account, and the TVNZ terms require you to be in New Zealand both to purchase and to watch. By default you can stream on two compatible devices at once, but numbered UFC events are limited to a single device. Current passes are listed at tvnz.co.nz/passes; as of September 2026, UFC 331 streams via an Event Pass.
The app runs on web, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, most smart TVs and via Chromecast. After the April platform rebuild, support dropped for 2015 and 2016 Samsung televisions, though. On a TV the easiest way to add Surfshark is on your router, since the sets rarely run a VPN client themselves.
No, they are two separate services. TVNZ+ is the public broadcaster with an ad-funded archive, while Sky NZ is a paid satellite and streaming platform. Do not confuse it with rival ThreeNow either. All three are meant for New Zealand only. Surfshark can show them a New Zealand IP address, but that does not guarantee access to any of them.
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