They used to be few and far between, but nowadays it seems there are so many streaming services that it’s difficult to decide which one to sign up to. So, which streaming service should you invest in?
Do you choose Disney+ for the kids? Neon for the iconic HBO titles, or stick with the old trusty Netflix? There are only so many free trials to go around after all. Or do you pull out a wild card, stick it to the man and roll with ThreeNow or TVNZ+?
Do we even need to make a choice or should we live our most boujee life and complain about the consequences and our credit card bill later? The latter feels more like my journey and if it’s yours as well, buckle up.
Here are the pros and cons of the top streaming services available to Kiwis:
Pros: ThreeNow has some undeniable must-watch titles including Married At First Sight Australia, The Real Housewives, NCIS, Below Deck and how can we forget Kiwi favourites, 7Days and Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee? As well as movies, the ability to watch live tv, and the ultimate selling point - it’s free, the platform comes in as a top contender for Kiwis.
Cons: Despite having some iconic titles, the ThreeNow platform doesn’t have a massive selection of shows and films to choose from and our resident NZ Herald movie buff says it’s somewhat “niggly” to operate.
SkyGo
The Vicar of Dibley is available to watch on SkyGo. Photo / supplied
Price: Anyone can sign up for a free Sky Go account to access content from Sky’s free-to-air channel Prime. However, since your Sky Go access mirrors your Sky subscription, if you would like to access other TV, sport and movie content you’ll need a Sky subscription which starts at $19.49 per month
Ads: Yes, but only if you’re streaming live TV
Captions: Yes
Pros: You get access to plenty of local and international movies and TV shows - and you’re even able to watch Prime TV with the app, so there is something for literally everyone. Watch it on your TV, watch it on the app and in what may be the coolest part of all, you can record live shows so you won’t miss any wow-worthy moments. Wow.
Cons: This subscription service isn’t for the commitment-phobic. To gain access to most of the content onSkyGo, you have to subscribe to Sky and that means a Sky Box in your living room and a cancellation process that requires one month’s notice and the return of Sky equipment.
YouTube Premium
Stella Rose Bennett aka Benee performs onstage at the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival which was available to stream on YouTube Premium. Photo / Getty Images
Pros: If music is your journey, especially club remixes you can’t get on Spotify or Apple Music, then this is the streaming platform for you. As well as being able to utilise background play - have music and videos playing while you’re not actively using the app, you can enjoy Coachella from the comfort of your own home by watching an ad-free Livestream. Pass the glitter, it’s festival time.
Cons: I’m going to be honest with you, I didn’t even know YouTube had a subscription service let alone what it did and maybe that’s on me, but maybe it’s poor marketing? Maybe it’s Maybelline?
Prime Video
Dead Ringers follows its twin protagonists as they navigate sex, drugs and breaking down barriers of women’s reproductive health - and it is just as chaotic as it sounds. Photo / Amazon Prime
Price: $8 per month
Ads: No
Captions: Yes
Pros: Other than it being almost the same price as a large oat milk flat white, it’s full of shows that make you want to curl up in bed with a bowl of popcorn and binge. We’re talking Citadel, The Summer I Turned Pretty and Dead Ringers. Oh, and you have access to all the other perks that come with Amazon like music, fitness and gaming apps. You can parkour around them all!
Cons: It’s not the easiest service to use and there are a bunch of titles unavailable in New Zealand but such is life - Kiwis have grown used to being left off the map.
Disney+
The Mandalorian is available to watch on the streaming service. Photo / Disney.
Price: $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year
Ads: No
Captions: Yes
Pros: If you have little kids or teens, this streaming platform is perfect for the whole family. Watch old Disney favourites like Hannah Montana or indulge in newbies like The Mandalorian. It also has plenty of family-friendly movies and once the kids go to bed, there are even some addictive adult titles like Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds. Binge away, family. Binge away.
Cons: While there are what feels like millions of things to watch on here, the streaming service does feel more directed towards children. Disney adults - who are likely still mourning not getting Taylor Swift tickets - might also find their most beloved titles here.
Annus Horribilis: Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown season five. Photo /Netflix
Price: $12.99 - $24.99 per month
Ads: No
Captions: Yes
Pros: Other than being one of the founding fathers of streaming platforms, Netflix has really upped its game when it comes to content. Recent titles have found themselves at the Oscars, and rarely a day goes by where one of its shows isn’t being talked about in the media – Looking at you season five of The Crown. So, yeah. Netflix and chill because there are no ads, it’s still semi-reasonably priced and it’s got some great titles.
Cons: You can spend literally hours searching for something to watch and it isn’t until two hours have passed, your popcorn bowl is empty, it’s 10pm and you’ve concluded that Netflix looks bright and shiny but really just has a lot of lame shows and Hallmark style movies. I said what I said.
Apple TV+
Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Nick Mohammed in Ted Lasso. Photo / Supplied
Pros: Ted Lasso. It’s the only reason you should get this subscription. Binge Ted Lasso and you will find your zest for life again. Okay, now that my editor has stopped looking over my shoulder, Apple TV+ has actually invested an eyewatering sum of money into creating its own unique content and based on what it has already released eg. The Morning Show, the promise of more goodies should be a good enough sell.
Cons: You’ll probably only sign up for this service because you got a free trial and forgot to cancel your subscription, but now there is that one show on there you simply cannot give up. Been there.
Neon
The Targaryens, one big happy family in House of the Dragon. Photo / HBO
Price: $12.99 - $17.99 per month or $179.99 per year
Pros: Neon is an underdog in the world of streaming platforms. It looks kind of rough around the edges, but didn’t Mum always say don’t judge a streaming platform by its landing page? After partnering with HBO, it’s provided us with attention-grabbing shows like Euphoria, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, The White Lotus and way too many more to count. It’s ad free and it’s bound to tick your boxes, plus with titles like Bluey and Paw Patrol, even your little ones will love it.
Cons: If you are one to feed into the rumours, you may not want to sign up to Neon just yet as there is talk some of its coolest HBO-produced titles, are about to leave the service. Earlier this year there was talk HBO is planning to launch their own platform in Aotearoa in 2024, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet and doesn’t sound like it will be anytime soon, so Neon is still your best option for HBO shows and movies.
TVNZ+
Meghann Fahy as Sutton, Katie Stevens as Jane, and Aisha Dee as Kat in The Bold Type.
Pros: Other than the fact that it’s free and we are in a literal recession, TVNZ+ has actually exceeded expectations with its world-class streaming offering. Where Netflix let me down by not streaming the latest season of The Bold Type, trusty TVNZ+ picked it up and even stole back Love Island UK in a move that made them totally our type on paper. With hundreds of movies, documentaries, TV shows – and even the news, it’s really ticking all boxes.
Cons: It does have ads and if you’re in your Anna Delvey “I don’t have time for this” era then there’s that. But otherwise, I have no beef with TVNZ+.
Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter who covers lifestyle and entertainment. She joined the Herald in 2020.
