Kiwis watching free to air TV via satellite can now tune in to high definition (HD) viewing. Freeview has announced the much-anticipated upgrade, with the first channels broadcasting in HD as of the 4th of June 2025.
While viewers have been able to watch free to air channels in HD via terrestrial service (accessed via UHF aerials) or streaming, the new upgrade means better picture is available to a wider range of New Zealanders.
This upgrade follows the successful migration to a new satellite in April this year. Kordia, as transmission partner to Freeview and the free to air broadcasters, played an important role behind the scenes ensuring the migration was smooth and successful.
Dean Brain, Head of Media at Kordia, says “There’s a lot of planning and testing that needs to be undertaken to ensure a smooth transition to a new satellite. Our technical broadcast specialists and engineers were working very closely for over 6 months with Freeview, the broadcasters and our satellite provider Optus to mitigate risk and prepare the transition.”
The move unlocked more satellite capacity, overcoming earlier bandwidth limitations that had restricted HD delivery over satellite. This enabled Freeview’s satellite TV to be upgraded to DVB-S2, a newer and more efficient transmission standard - meaning broadcasters can now update how their channels are transmitted to enable HD.
TVNZ has led the charge, becoming the first broadcaster to roll out HD channels over Freeview’s satellite service, with Warner Bros. Discovery also planning to move some channels to HD.
2.7 million New Zealanders currently receive Freeview at home. The majority don’t require satellite access as they currently watch Live TV through Freeview’s terrestrial service (DTT) via a UHF aerial or the Freeview Streaming TV app.
However, delivering a strong and resilient satellite TV service is of paramount importance to Freeview and its partners, as it provides equity of access for households across New Zealand—especially those in rural or remote areas without reliable internet connectivity or outside DTT coverage.
Kordia is proud to play a pivotal role in enabling Freeview to deliver high-quality free TV to New Zealanders, whether that be through our DTT network serving the main populated areas of the county, or satellite, which is accessible anywhere in NZ.
Read the official full announcement by Freeview here.
