Living as a Kiwi ex-pat can be challenging. You are homesick, the food doesn’t taste the same and you miss your country. But some things can help you regain some of that feeling of home; like watching your favorite shows and movies from back home on TVNZ, the OG streaming service for cord-cutters like you.
Hence, to make it easy for you in a foreign land, we will guide you on how to watch TVNZ outside New Zealand and get over the homesickness….or trigger it even more. Not sure about that one…
If you are new to this channel and would like to find out whatever the hell we are talking about, then there is a little recap for you on what TVNZ is exactly about.
- What is TVNZ?
- How To Watch TVNZ Outside New Zealand With 5 Easy Steps
- How To Subscribe To TVNZ In New Zealand
- The Best VPNs To Stream TVNZ Outside New Zealand
- How a VPN Allows you to Access TVNZ Outside New Zealand
- How Can You Chromecast TVNZ
- Can you use a Free VPN to Watch TVNZ Outside New Zealand?
- Why Does My TVNZ Keep Buffering?
- What Can You Watch on TVNZ
- Device Compatibility With TVNZ
- FAQs
- Conclusion
What is TVNZ?
TVNZ more commonly known as Television New Zealand is a national TV broadcaster in New Zealand and is known for hosting the best original and local entertainment. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive streaming services and includes the option of broadcasting live channels like TVNZ1 and TVNZ2.
And the best thing is that it’s absolutely free, yes, even if you are trying to access it from outside NZ.
Unfortunately, there is a bit of a problem for the ex-pats. TVNZ is geo-restricted, which means that people outside New Zealand cannot access it. If you do try to load the website abroad, you get the following error message on your screen:
“Whoops! Looks like you’re trying to watch from outside of New Zealand. Our videos are only available to watch within New Zealand due to rights issues.”
But it definitely does not mean that accessing TVNZ is impossible. We know exactly how to watch TVNZ in New Zealand, and we will guide you on how to do it too with a VPN.
With a bit of guidance from us, you will be running your favorite Kiwi entertainment in no time. All you need to do is read till the end.
How To Watch TVNZ Outside New Zealand With 5 Easy Steps
Through trial-and-error methods, we have devised the easiest steps through which you can watch TVNZ outside New Zealand.
- Get yourself a trusted VPN. (ExpressVPN and NordVPN is our top recommendation)
- Install the VPN app and sign up for the service.
- From the list of country servers provided, select a New Zealand server.
- Visit TVNZ and subscribe to their on-demand streaming service (this has been explained in detail separately below)
- Bring in the nostalgia and binge the new films and movies whenever you want, wherever you want.
Offers 30-day money-back guarantee!
How To Subscribe To TVNZ Outside New Zealand
Making an account and subscribing to TVNZ is even easier. Just follow these simple steps.
- After successfully connecting to the New Zealand server, visit the TVNZ website or app
- On the top right corner click on “Log in.”
- From the menu select “Sign-up.”
- Add your credentials, check the ‘I Agree to the House Rules’ and click on “Sign-up.”
- As TVNZ is free, you won’t need to select any plan or add your account details, all now left for you to do is enjoy the entertainment.
The Best VPNs To Stream TVNZ Outside New Zealand
There might be a number of VPNs out there, but we have selected the best ones for you on the basis of security, speed, authenticity, number of features, and ease of operation.
ExpressVPN
One of the best VPN service providers, ExpressVPN is no doubt our topmost choice, all day, every day.
The reason why their service is seamless when it comes to streaming is that they have dedicated servers just for streaming, with unlimited bandwidth and built-in ad-blockers.
This means that you experience uninterrupted streaming with no issues of weird pop-ups. Providing their services in 94+ regions with 3000+ servers in 160+ locations means that you can access their services from any part of the world.
But that does not mean that they have compromised their security. The military-grade encryption keeps you anonymous and secure.
Apart from helping users to access TVNZ outside New Zealand, ExpressVPN also helps its users access some of the top streaming services in New Zealand. These streaming services are Showtime, Kayo Sports, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, SBS on Demand, SonyLIV, etc.
Moreover, one ExpressVPN account gives you 6 simultaneous connections on any device of your choice, as it is compatible with almost all of them, along with 12+3 months free on their yearly subscription with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Offers 30-day money-back guarantee!
Shows you can watch using ExpressVPN:
- Sprung in New Zealand
- House of The Dragon in New Zealand
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most prominent VPN providers in the market. Operating in 60+ countries, its network is based on 5400+ servers worldwide.
NordVPN takes its security very seriously therefore along with secure connection, kill switch, private DNS, and no log policy they have increased the privacy up a notch by using split tunneling, obfuscated servers, and adding Onion routers for double anonymity.
The fast and uninterrupted VPN connection can be supported on 6 simultaneous connections. NordVPN has a dedicated mobile application and provides all of its users with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Sports Documentary you can watch using NordVPN:
CyberGhost
A new addition to our lot is another one of the famous providers from the industry. But don’t get mistaken, it is popular for all the right reasons. CyberGhost is operational in 80+ regions with its massive bank of 7700+ servers, which means that you can access numerous services from any part of the world.
Some of the top streaming services you can access in New Zealand through CyberGhost are 7Plus, Rai TV, Peacock TV, beIN Sports, and BFI Player.
Just like its name suggests, CyberGhost makes sure that its users are untraceable like ghosts on the internet. Their numerous security protocols include IKEv2, WireGuard, and OpenVPN.
Moreover, all the connections include DNS and IP Leak Protection, along with that, the automatic kill switch and no-log policy are cherries on top.
The dedicated streaming servers of CyberGhost come with a 45-day money-back guarantee and can be viewed on 7 devices simultaneously.
Private Internet Access
The second new addition to our list is PIA, commonly known as Private Internet Access. When it comes to numbers, Private Internet Access comes on top. With 29000+ servers housed in 84 countries, it is a VPN with one of the most numbers on servers.
And true to its name, each VPN connection gives you a browser extension for ease of use, along with unlimited bandwidth, ad-blocking. The split tunneling feature makes sure that your connection is as fast as it is secure.
Features that make Private Internet Access stand apart are that it has dedicated IP addresses for use. With added features and security protocols like WireGuard and OpenVPN protection, kill switch, no user log policy, and ad-blocking their connections are even safer and more secure.
PIA even has an anonymous payment option so that your account details are secure when you try to conduct a transaction online. Each account gives you 10 simultaneous connections and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Show/ Sports Documentary you can watch using PIA:
- Industry Season 2 in New Zealand
- Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers in New Zealand
How a VPN Allows you to Access TVNZ Outside New Zealand
Each device that can be connected to the internet has an IP address, which stores information e.g. the location from where the device is connected, the websites it has visited, etc. This is the first part of the information.
Websites need content distribution rights if they want their content to reach other countries. But that depends on the content owners, and to get multiple rights for one show or movie can be extremely expensive. Hence they are geo-restricted for that country.
This is the second part of the information. Combining both of the parts, when you visit a website, it verifies some information from your IP address including your location.
If the location is of a country where the website does not have content distribution rights (geo-restricted) then you won’t be allowed access.VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you to redirect your internet traffic through their servers, thus masking your IP address and your location.
So when you visit a geo-restricted website like TVNZ, the VPN fools the website into believing that the IP address is from New Zealand, allowing you complete access to the website and its contents.
Offers 30-day money-back guarantee!
How Can You Chromecast TVNZ
The latest version of the TVNZ app (on all platforms like the Play Store and Apple Store) supports Google Chromecast. If you are having a problem then make sure to update the app to the latest version.
For Chromecast, through a laptop or PC, you will first need to Chromecast a Chrome browser tab so that you can mirror that tab on TV.
A cast icon will be available on the top right side of your browser, just right of the URL bar. Clicking on the icon will give you the options of the devices you want to Chromecast to and will turn the icon blue, indicating that the tab is casting.
Can you use a Free VPN to Watch TVNZ Outside New Zealand?
Although there are many free VPNs in the market that you can use, in the end, you will be disappointed. The reason is that the free VPN (although free) has many downfalls.
Free VPNs might be able to bypass normal websites, but they can not get around tough geo-restrictions that many of the streaming websites like TVNZ, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc now have.
Moreover, you will realize how slow these free VPN connection areas are compared to the premium VPN services mentioned above which give you a buffer-free experience on even the lowest website speeds.
Furthermore, their security protocols are not trustworthy or reliable, and free VPNs are suspected of allegedly selling your data to marketers and advertisers which allows them to make money off of you.
Therefore, it is highly recommended to use paid VPN services, especially the ones we have recommended above.
Why Does My TVNZ Keep Buffering?
There can be a number of reasons why you are experiencing buffering issues. They can range from problems like not having the latest version of the app, your internet connection, or having too many connections at a time.
Some simple steps that you can take to resolve your buffering issues are
- Update your TVNZ app to the latest version (try uninstalling and reinstalling too)
- Restart your modem and internet connection
- Restart your devices on which you are having an internet problem
- Refresh your VPN connection
- Choose a different NZ server
What Can You Watch on TVNZ
You can find almost every famous show or movie (both local and international) on TVNZ. For example:
Best TV Shows
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
- CSI: Vegas
- Halo
- Normal People
- Sunday
- Vigil
- Fair Go
- The Resident
- Breakfast
- New Zealand Idol
Best Movies
- Shrek The Third
- An Adventure In Space And Time
- Lion
- Burton And Taylor
- The Next Karate Kid
- L.A Confidential
- A House On Fire
Device Compatibility With TVNZ
TVNZ supports all mainstream devices and external streaming devices along with gaming consoles, like:
- Website
- iOS
- Android
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV
- Windows
- Google Chromecast
- Apple TV
FAQs
Which Countries is TVNZ on Demand Available in?
TVNZ on Demand is available nationwide in New Zealand. Apart from that, it is also available in some Pacific Island nations such as the Cook Islands, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.
Can I Watch TVNZ On Demand Overseas?
Conventionally, you cannot, the reason being that TVNZ is geo-restricted outside New Zealand. But with the help of a trusted VPN, you can easily bypass geo-restriction and watch TVNZ from overseas.
How Do You Watch NZ TV Shows in Australia?
TVNZ is geo-restricted in Australia. But by getting yourself a trusted VPN and following the steps provided above you can easily watch your favorite shows on TVNZ outside of New Zealand, in Australia.
Does VPN work for TVNZ?
Yes, VPN works with TVNZ but with the proviso that it is optimized for streaming.
Is using a VPN illegal in NZ?
No, that isn’t true. Using a VPN is completely legal in New Zealand.
Can I Watch NZ TV Online?
Yes, you can binge your favorite movies and TV shows on NZ TV from either the website or on the NZ TV app which is available on all major platforms and supported on all major streaming devices.
Is NZ TV on-demand free?
Yes, TVNZ+ (formerly known as TVNZ on-demand) is completely free for the users. You just have to subscribe to it without paying even a dime and start streaming your favourite shows.
Who owns TVNZ?
Television New Zealand (TVNZ) is owned by the government of New Zealand and Commercially funded through advertising.
Who are the competitors of TVNZ?
Major competitors of TVNZ are Sky, MediaWorks, and Great Southern.
Conclusion
Hopefully, with a trusted VPN by your side, you can unblock any geo-restricted website like TVNZ outside New Zealand, and watch your favorite films and TV series without any hassle or hindrances, while being completely anonymous and secure the whole time using best-in-class VPN services like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, PIA and NordVPN.
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