Programmatic Advertising
CTV Advertising in New Zealand: 2026 Guide
Part of the guide: Connected TV (CTV) Advertising
CTV advertising in New Zealand means showing your video ad on streaming services watched on the TV, such as TVNZ+, ThreeNow, Neon and Sky Sport Now. A small business can usually start through a platform's sales team or a programmatic ad partner, with a modest budget and regional targeting. Rates and minimum spends are not published for most of these services, so ask each seller for a current rate card before you plan.
New Zealand had a provisional resident population of 5,324,700 on 30 June 2025 (Stats NZ via Scoop), and Auckland had about 1.82 million of them (Stats NZ via Scoop). That is roughly a third of the country in one city, and about 3.5 million people everywhere else.
5.32M→
NZ resident population, June 2025 (provisional)
Stats NZ, second-hand via Scoop
1.82M↑
Auckland population, June 2025
Stats NZ, second-hand via Scoop
2033↑
Year Auckland is projected to reach 2 million
Stats NZ projection, via Scoop
1 Aug 2025→
Date Sky took over ThreeNow
per Wikipedia, citing the announced effective date
Estimates for illustration; actual numbers vary.
Audiences are small, inventory is limited, and that is exactly why a local business can afford to be on screen: you are not buying the country, you are buying your region.
The pitch is a local ad inside an ad break on a free ad-supported service, shot on a street the viewer knows. Below: how to buy it, what to ask, and the arithmetic to check before you sign.
Which NZ streaming platforms sell CTV ads?
Ownership, audiences and ad products change regularly, so use the list below as orientation and confirm details with each seller (checked Oct 2026). Items that could not be confirmed from a readable source are marked as such.
- TVNZ+: The streaming service of state broadcaster TVNZ. A recent platform upgrade added new ad formats (connected-TV login screen creative, branded content belts and sponsored title artwork) and more detailed audience data for advertisers (B&T). It is usually the first platform to price for broad NZ reach.
- ThreeNow: A free, ad-supported streaming service. Warner Bros. Discovery announced on 22 July 2025 that it would sell ThreeNow to Sky Network Television, effective 1 August (Wikipedia), so Sky is now listed as its owner.
- Neon (Sky): A subscription service. Sky announced it would introduce ads into Neon from January 2024 (Stuff). The source page gives only the headline, not the ad formats, so ask Sky which ones are on sale today.
- Sky Sport Now and Amazon Prime Video: Both may offer advertising, but current ad products or availability for small advertisers could not be verified. Ask Sky and Amazon Ads directly.
Can you target CTV ads by region in New Zealand?
Most platform sales teams target by region (for example Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury or Waikato), while programmatic partners can sometimes add finer location data. Availability depends on the campaign. Before you commit, confirm:
- Which regions and postcodes the platform can target
- The minimum audience size for your area
- Whether you can set a frequency cap
What does a NZ$3,000 CTV budget buy?
No New Zealand CPM (cost per thousand impressions) or minimum spend from these sellers could be verified. So the table below uses made-up CPMs to show how the arithmetic works. They are examples, not quotes and not market averages. Replace them with the number your seller gives you.
Assumptions (all examples): NZ$3,000 budget, a frequency cap of 4 views per household, 0.2% of reached households become a new customer, NZ$60 average first sale.
| Example CPM (NZ$) | Impressions (budget / CPM x 1,000) | Households reached (impressions / 4) | New customers (0.2%) | Revenue (x NZ$60) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 150,000 | 37,500 | 75 | NZ$4,500 |
| 30 | 100,000 | 25,000 | 50 | NZ$3,000 |
| 40 | 75,000 | 18,750 | 37.5 | NZ$2,250 |
Read the middle row. At an example CPM of NZ$30, NZ$3,000 buys 100,000 impressions and about 25,000 households. That revenue just equals the spend, before the cost of the ad itself and before your margin. You only profit if those customers come back, or if your conversion rate is higher than 0.2%.
At the NZ$40 row, you are short by NZ$750 on revenue alone.
Two lessons. First, get the CPM before you produce the ad, because production cost comes on top.
Second, the frequency cap decides how many households you reach: without one, the same 100,000 impressions could land on far fewer. The 0.2% rate is a placeholder. Your real number comes from the promo code or landing page in Step 4 below.
What advertising rules apply to NZ streaming ads?
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the industry regulator. It sets the Advertising Codes (a general Advertising Standards Code plus six sector codes, including alcohol, children, food and finance) and runs a free consumer complaints process (ASA). Under the Advertising Standards Code truthful presentation principle, ads must not mislead or be likely to mislead consumers, including through exaggeration, omission or unrealistic claims.
- Substantiate claims such as "best" or "cheapest".
- Show prices that include GST. New Zealand's Commerce Commission has taken the view that small print saying prices are GST-exclusive cannot fix a misleading headline price (Commerce Commission).
- Individual broadcasters and platforms may run their own creative approval, so ask your seller for specs and review steps.
- The Privacy Act 2020, in force since 1 December 2020, governs how businesses handle personal information (Office of the Privacy Commissioner). Ask any targeting partner how they comply.
Which local businesses fit CTV in New Zealand?
- Coffee shops and cafés: Target nearby suburbs and pair TV with a clear Google Business Profile. See CTV ads for coffee shops.
- Fitness studios and gyms: Sports content can suit gyms. See CTV ads for fitness studios.
- Hair salons and pet groomers: Pick the platform that matches your clientele and target your suburbs. The CTV advertising service page covers how these campaigns are planned.
How should a small NZ business budget for CTV?
No published New Zealand CPMs or minimum budgets could be verified, so do not plan from averages. Ask each seller for a current quote and work through the stages below.
| Stage | Approach |
|---|---|
| Test | Buy a single region on the platform with the lowest minimum, enough to run for a few weeks |
| Core local campaign | A managed or programmatic campaign on a main platform such as TVNZ+, with regional targeting and a frequency cap |
| Premium | Add a subscription service such as Neon where your customers are |
| Sports | Time a short campaign around major sport seasons if your customers watch live sport |
For cost context from the US market and what drives CPMs, see how much CTV advertising costs.
How do you set up a CTV campaign in New Zealand?
Step 1: Choose your buying path
- Direct buy: Contact TVNZ or another platform's sales team. Good for simple campaigns on one platform.
- Programmatic: Work with a partner who buys CTV inventory through a demand-side platform. Useful if you want to combine CTV with digital retargeting.
- Self-serve: Ask each seller whether a self-serve booking option exists for small advertisers.
Step 2: Define your audience
Typical options include region, age range, content genre and device. For a single-city business, target your region, match the age range to your best customers, and set a frequency cap so households do not see the ad too often.
Step 3: Produce your video creative
Check the platform's current technical specs before you produce anything. A strong local ad shows your business in the first few seconds, includes a recognizable place or neighborhood reference, makes one clear offer, and ends with your website or location.
Step 4: Set up measurement
CTV attribution is more limited than search, so use simple methods:
- Promo code: "Mention this ad for 10% off."
- Dedicated landing page: A short URL used only in the TV ad.
- QR code on a companion banner, if the format supports it.
- Branded search: Watch whether searches for your business name rise in Google Search Console.
- Before and after: Compare customer counts during and before the campaign.
What should you do today?
- Email TVNZ and Sky sales and ask for three things: CPM, minimum spend and regions you can target. Ask for the answer in writing.
- Pick one region and one platform for a test of a few weeks. Do not start with three.
- Set up the promo code and the landing page before the ad is made. Count a baseline: how many new customers did you get in the 4 weeks before?
- Run your example numbers through the table above with the real CPM. If revenue is below spend at a realistic conversion rate, shrink the test or choose another channel.
- Check every claim in the script against the ASA truthfulness rule, and show prices with GST.
FAQ
Q: How much does CTV advertising cost in New Zealand?
A: It depends on the platform, region and time of year, and most sellers do not publish rates. Pricing is typically quoted as CPM (cost per thousand views). Ask TVNZ, Sky (for ThreeNow, Neon and Sky Sport Now) or a programmatic partner for a current rate card and any minimum spend.
Q: Which streaming platform is best for NZ small business advertising?
A: TVNZ+ is a common starting point for broad reach. Neon and Sky Sport Now suit subscriber audiences and sports fans, and ThreeNow is a free ad-supported option now owned by Sky. Choose based on where your customers watch.
Q: Can I target specific suburbs in Auckland or Wellington?
A: Platform-managed campaigns often target at the regional level, and programmatic buying may allow more granular targeting. Ask your partner what is currently available.
Q: Can a business outside Auckland run CTV ads in New Zealand?
A: Yes, if the platform offers targeting for your region. Confirm availability and audience size first.
Q: Do NZ streaming ads need to be pre-cleared?
A: The ASA page describes codes and a complaints process, not pre-approval. Individual broadcasters or platforms may have their own approval steps. Ask your seller, and make sure your claims are truthful and substantiated.
Sources
- ASA: About us
- ASA: Advertising Standards Code, Principle 2 Truthful Presentation
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner: Privacy Act 2020
- Commerce Commission: fine print and GST-exclusive prices
- Wikipedia: ThreeNow (secondary)
- Stuff: Neon NZ to introduce ads (headline only readable)
- B&T: TVNZ rolls out major overhaul with new ad formats
- Scoop: Auckland population projected to reach 2 million by 2033 (secondary, retells Stats NZ)
- Scoop: National population estimates at 30 June 2025 (secondary, retells Stats NZ)
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ctv advertising new zealandconnected tv nztvnz+ advertisingthree now adsneon adslocal business marketing nzstreaming tv adsprogrammatic advertising nzsmall business nz
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Nataliia
Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.
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