New Zealand broadcaster TVNZ has transitioned its TVNZ+ platform to a hybrid streaming model using the Evergent monetization platform. The integration enables TVNZ to offer premium paid event passes alongside its existing ad-supported tier, as demonstrated by the platform's support for 20 million streams during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
TVNZ’s pivot to a hybrid model reflects a broader shift among public and free-to-air broadcasters to offset volatile advertising markets with transaction-based revenue. By leveraging Evergent’s scaling infrastructure, TVNZ successfully managed a high-concurrency sporting event, proving that legacy broadcasters can compete for premium D2C sports rights previously dominated by pay-TV incumbents like Sky NZ. This sets a precedent for regional broadcasters to adopt modular, cloud-native monetization stacks to remain competitive against global streaming giants. Watch for TVNZ's upcoming conversion rates from free-to-paid tiers as it expands its 'Digital+' strategy into late 2026.
The transition to a hybrid model comes as New Zealand's digital advertising market reached $2.97 billion in 2025, according to IAB NZ (March 2026). While overall TV advertising revenue has faced headwinds, TVNZ reported a 15.4% year-on-year increase in digital revenue in its FY2025 interim report. This digital growth now accounts for over 30% of TVNZ’s total advertising income, a critical metric as the broadcaster executes its 'Digital+' strategy. Per Screenscribe (March 2026), the focus on first-party data via the 'Activate' product suite has allowed TVNZ to outperform the wider market in digital ad growth.
Competitive pressure in the New Zealand market intensified in mid-2026 with the June launch of HBO Max via Prime Video Channels and the expansion of Disney+ ad tiers (May 2026). TVNZ has responded by aggressively securing long-term sports rights, including the 2030 FIFA World Cup, to anchor its premium streaming offering. This strategy contrasts with incumbent pay-TV provider Sky NZ, which recently reclaimed domestic cricket rights for 2026–2032 after they briefly sat with TVNZ and the now-defunct Spark Sport, according to Sportcal (February 2025).
Technologically, TVNZ’s migration follows a broader industry trend toward outsourcing complex monetization to SaaS specialists. Evergent, which manages over 950 million subscribers globally for clients including the NBA and Sony Pictures, recently unveiled an agentic advertising OS at the April 2026 NAB Show to automate churn reduction and payment success. For local players like TVNZ, these technical partnerships are essential to mitigate the 90-cent-per-dollar dominance that global tech platforms hold over the digital advertising ecosystem, as noted by TVNZ CEO Jodi O’Donnell in recent performance briefings.
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