TVNZ unveils $2.4m profit, dividend payment, reveals most-watched shows

TVNZ has unveiled a net profit of $2.4 million for the past six months and will pay a dividend of $1.6m to the Crown.

The broadcaster said today it was making “significant progress” against its Digital+ 2030 strategy, despite the broader economic environment and the market disruption posed by international tech platforms on the advertising market.

TVNZ’s $1.6m dividend to the Crown followed on from a $3.1m dividend paid for the full-year 2025 result.

Chief Executive Jodi O’Donnell said the six-month result showed resilience and a sharp focus on the core business through a difficult advertising cycle.

"We've stayed focused on delivering exceptional content that connects with audiences – from New Zealand’s most watched programme, 1News at Six, to heritage favourite Country Calendar, special format You, Me & The Economy, new local entertainment The Chase NZ and must-watch sport like the Black Caps and White Ferns cricket.”

TVNZ also released its most-watched shows for the period – with 1 News at Six coming top on both the TVNZ+ app and broadcast TV platforms. News programmes Seven Sharp and Breakfast were also top performers.

“At a time when disinformation and AI deepfakes are eroding trust on social media, we take real pride in providing Kiwi families with a viewing experience they can trust and rely on," O’Donnell said.

Kiwi content including Shortland Street, Moving Houses, Love It or List It NZ and The Chase NZ also featured in the most-watched lists.

1 1News At Six 726,000 reach / 19,842,562 streams

2 Cricket 458,000 / 6,059,529

3 The Chase 429,000 / 9,161,105

4 Seven Sharp 416,000 / 5,197,695

5 Breakfast 283,000 / 4,751,415

6 The Rookie 282,000 / 6,797,280

7 Bluey 267,000 / 31,016,706

8 Coronation Street 254,000 / 6,554,831

9 Shortland Street 247,000 / 7,020,245

10 My Kitchen Rules 231,000 / 3,941,752

1 1News At Six 589,000 / 842,900

2 Hyundai Country Calendar 574,500 / 76,200

3 Moving Houses 537,600 / 809,600

4 New Zealand's Best Homes with Phil Spencer 477,500 / 764,700

5 Love It or List It NZ 473,700 / 788,900

6 Seven Sharp 421,300 / 633,200

7 The Chase New Zealand 405,200 / 688,300

8 Motorway Patrol 387,000 / 507,200

9 The Brokenwood Mysteries 361,500 / 652,700

10 Eat Well For Less NZ* 353,100 / 584,800

The broadcaster’s digital advertising business delivered strong growth, with digital now accounting for more than 30% of total advertising revenue.

O’Donnell said the company’s digital offering was further strengthened in October 2025 with the launch of New Zealand's first co-viewing measurement tool.

With more than 70% of TVNZ+ viewing occurring on connected TVs, the tool provides advertisers with a richer understanding of shared viewing – moving beyond individual logged-in profiles to capture the full picture of who's watching.

The combination of audience data and targeting capability created a compelling proposition for advertisers, O’Donnell said.

"We can now tell the difference between someone streaming alone and a household watching together, which means we see the true scale of our digital audience. Layer on our Activate products - which let advertisers target audiences as specific as dog owners in Grey Lynn or SUV shoppers in Christchurch - and the result is a powerful advertising platform for Kiwi businesses," she said.

TVNZ’s Digital+ strategy aims to transform the broadcaster into a digital-first media entity, targeting to double digital audiences, triple digital advertising revenue by 2030.

O’Donnell said TVNZ was on track for a stronger second half of the year.

Key projects included the launch of a new TVNZ+ platform and exclusive coverage of the Fifa World Cup in June-July.

TVNZ will broadcast all 104 games at the tournament hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada on TVNZ+, with viewers able to buy a one-off event pass for access to everything. Pricing has yet to be revealed.

The New Zealand All Whites' three group stage games – as well as any subsequent matches if they get through to the knockout stages – will air on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ live and free.

O’Donnell said the new TVNZ+ would deliver an improved experience for users and a paywall, opening the door to more premium content options for audiences.

"2026 will be a defining year for TVNZ. We're investing now to ensure TVNZ is the place New Zealanders choose first for the news, entertainment and sport they love. That comes with planned short-term costs, but we're confident in the long-term value these changes will create for New Zealand audiences and advertisers."