The world’s first nationwide free-to-air TV platform built on DVB-I is set to launch in New Zealand in Q3 this year.
Freeview NextGen, from Freeview New Zealand (the joint venture backed by leading NZ broadcasters TVNZ, Sky Free, Whakaata Māori and RNZ), will be available on TCL and Hisense televisions at launch.
DVB-I is the open standard for internet-based TV service discovery and programme information. Widely supported by European broadcasters, it enables linear TV channels to stream to devices without a dedicated app.
Instead, the service is integrated into the native TV interface and setup process.
This approach supports a familiar linear-first, EPG-centric viewing experience, only in digital. Households without an aerial or satellite dish will be able to receive the Freeview NextGen channels.
A key benefit of DVB-I is that channels can also be received as broadcast signals (within the same channel slot).
In Freeview NextGen households where there is broadcast and broadband reception the service will intelligently combine broadcast and IP signals into a single TV guide, automatically removing duplicate channels.
Free-to-air momentum
“Freeview NextGen represents momentum in future-proofing free-to-air television for all New Zealanders,” declares Leon Mead, general manager at Freeview.
“There is no doubt we love streaming live TV, and Freeview NextGen makes this simpler than ever. While the trusty aerial and satellite will be around for a while, this is the future for TV.”
The Freeview NZ deployment is benefiting from strong cross-industry collaboration in in the country, with Freeview, broadcasters, and CE manufacturers among the key stakeholders.
The New Zealand roll-out will be a major milestone as DVB-I moves from trials and proof-of-concepts to a full commercial deployment.
Other DVB-I progress
Elsewhere:
- Eutelsat became the first commercial operator to use DVB-I in production when it adopted service lists to organise its Sat.tv free-to-air satellite offering at the end of 2024.
- Italy’s broadcaster-led DVB-I market trial, supported by HD Forum Italia and aligned with the country’s UHD Book receiver profile, has demonstrated hybrid DTT/IP delivery on commercially available TV sets.
- In Germany, Deutsche TV-Plattform published the first DVB-I Implementation Profile for receivers earlier this year, setting the stage for a public DVB-I service launch later in 2026.
- Ireland’s RTÉ is running a closed user trial of DVB-I for Saorview between June and November 2026, with approx.100 participants.
- Freeview Australia has announced plans to test DVB-I during 2026.
- DVB-I trials are taking shape in France and Spain.
DVB-I is an ongoing agenda theme at DVB World, which returns on March 16-17, 2027, at the Postillion Hotel & Convention Centre, Amsterdam.
