TVNZ rebrands its On Demand service, updates on premium/ad-skipping plans

A new name.

TVNZ's streaming service has been re-branded from TVNZ On Demand to TVNZ+.

But, while "+" has become the popular moniker for paid streaming services, such as Disney+, Discovery+ and ESPN+, the state-owned broadcaster says the revamp is not being used as an opportunity to introduce a premium version that would let you skip ads.

Recently departed TVNZ boss Kevin Kenrick told the Herald in June last year that the broadcaster would be willing to consider introducing a paid service that would offer ad-free viewing.

Kenrick pointed to ITV's ITV Hub+ in the UK, where viewers have the option of paying £3.99 if they want to skip ads - albeit in the context he thought British viewers were happier simply because they know now they have the option to skip ads.

And he previously raised the example of the Disney-owned Hulu, which costs US$6.99 per month with ads or US$12.99 with no ads (Netflix recently said it was assessing a similar model).

The concept of a premium version of TVNZ+ is still on the table under new CEO Simon Power. Just don't look for it today, or any time in the near future.

"While that option may come down the track as we develop our new internet platform there's no ad-free or subscription service rolling out at this stage," a TVNZ spokeswoman told the Herald this morning.

"The rebrand is one of the first steps in the evolution of streaming for TVNZ.

"The future internet platform is a multi-year project, but the brand TVNZ+ is reflective of what the platform offers and what it can be in the future versus just a catch-up service."

TVNZ is set to merge with RNZ to create a new public broadcasting entity by July next year.

Any effort to combine their respective online operations will face the same complication as the rest of the merger. That is, RNZ will remain non-commercial, while TVNZ will retain its commercial imperatives.

Meanwhile, free-to-air viewers are set to lose the Freeview On Demand service in September, following TVNZ's decision late last year to yank content from the collective platform, which is co-owned by TVNZ, Discovery, RNZ, RNZ and Whakaata Māori (formerly Māori TV).

TVNZ said it wanted to concentrate its resources on its own streaming effort.