How to Watch New Zealand TV Channels Abroad

Your favorite New Zealand TV station might be TVNZ, Prime News, Māori Television Channel, Dunedin Television, or another station.

In addition to TV channels, there are streaming providers such as Netflix, Neon, Amazon Prime, Lightbox, and more.

The thing is, you’re only able to access this content if you’re inside New Zealand borders. If you’re outside, whether because you’re an ex-pat living elsewhere or vacationing abroad, you can’t watch your favorite New Zealand TV shows, movies, or sporting events.

This is because New Zealand and other countries put geographical restrictions on their content, meaning only viewers inside their borders can access regional content.

Fortunately, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can open access to New Zealand TV content by making it appear that you are located inside New Zealand borders. When any streaming service registers that you’re (supposedly) located in New Zealand, bam! You have access to their content.

While there are differences between VPNs, each having its own pros and cons, I’ll show you the best and most reliable VPN for watching New Zealand TV.

Why Do New Zealand Streaming Services Ban International Viewers?

Unfortunately, if you’re outside of New Zealand borders, you can’t access TV or movies inside of New Zealand – even if you have a subscription.

But streaming services don’t do this for no reason. They are required to do so because of the contract agreements they sign with movie and TV studios. Those studios only want viewers in specific areas to be able to view their content.

There are two reasons for that: For one, it enables the studios to sell their content multiple times in many countries, increasing their revenue and profit.

The second reason is that some countries want to restrict what their citizens can watch, so restricting access to content from the international public means streaming channels avoid any legal disputes with restrictive governments.

How Geo-Restrictions Work

Every device that’s connected to the internet has what’s called an IP address.

This address acts as an identifier for your device, enabling other computers on the internet to identify where a request comes from and where a response needs to go.

An IP address also identifies where a device is located, just as a home address identifies where your house is.

Streaming services look at the IP address of a device to identify where that device is located. If it’s not in the right geographical region, the online streaming service will block that device from accessing its content.

How Can I View New Zealand If It’s Blocked?

Are you banging your head against the wall, craving some good New Zealand TV content? Well, you’ll be glad to know there’s a way to access that content, even while outside New Zealand borders.

When you use a VPN, it “spoofs” your IP address location. That means that, even if you’re all the way in New York, a VPN can make it look like you’re really in New Zealand.

The method is easy. Simply connect to a VPN server that’s located in New Zealand, which will give your device a new IP address. Your TV service of choice will look at that IP address, register that it’s in New Zealand, and remove all roadblocks, so you can go ahead and start binge-watching your favorite shows.

Before I let you in on the secret of the best VPN for streaming & watching New Zealand TV from abroad, I want to let you know about the other things a VPN is good for.

As mentioned, a VPN can enable you to watch geographically controlled TV and movie content from around the world. However, it can also grant you access to gaming servers around the globe, financial services, and other sites and services.

A VPN also encrypts your connection, meaning prying eyes can’t access your private data.

That encryption serves multiple purposes. One, it keeps your connection hidden from the prying eyes of your Internet Service Provider, which would like to monitor your online activities and sell that information to advertisers.

Two, it keeps you safe while connected to a public WiFi hotspot, which can be swarming with hackers waiting to spy on your connection – but not with a VPN in place.

Three, it stops your ISP from throttling your connection just because you might be doing something the ISP doesn’t like, like sharing files. The encryption hides your internet usage, and the ISP can’t throttle what they can’t see.

Which VPN Is the Best for Unblocking New Zealand TV?

Enabling access to geo-restricted content used to be a simple thing for a VPN to do. However, it’s no longer so easy.

Streaming services caught on that people were using VPNs to access their favorite content from other countries and set up ways to detect and block those VPN IP addresses.

Nowadays, VPN streaming providers have to work very hard to replace their IP addresses as quickly as streaming services block them. This takes an enormous effort on the part of VPNs, and not every VPN is up to the challenge.

However, one provider stands above the rest in this fight, promising continued and reliable access to streaming content.

NordVPN

NordVPN is your best option for opening access to blocked streaming services around the world, including in New Zealand.

NordVPN’s connections are fast, meaning you can count upon HD and 4K streams. Their strong security features and privacy protections are top-notch, keeping your online travels hidden and private with their military-grade encryption and zero logs policy. And while New Zealand’s content is the focus of this article, NordVPN’s global server coverage is extensive, meaning content elsewhere around the world is accessible.

Read the full NordVPN review here.

1. Connection Speed

Connection speed is an important factor to consider when deliberating over which VPN to subscribe to, as so much of our lives involves our internet-connected devices.

NordVPN’s connection speeds are some of the best of the best. They’re among the fastest I’ve seen of any provider I’ve tested. That means you can enjoy HD and 4K streaming of your favorite New Zealand TV shows. It makes gaming and sharing files enjoyable activities, too.

You should also know that the provider offers unlimited bandwidth, with no daily or monthly data caps to be found.

2. Multi-Platform VPN App Support

If you’re like me, you’ve got multiple devices in every room of the house. From mobile phones, to tablets, to computers, to smartwatches – everything is connected these days. Comprehensive multi-platform support has never been more important.

NordVPN offers coverage for most popular devices, including iOS, Android, Linux, macOS, Windows, Android TV, and Amazon Fire devices. That coverage extends to multiple makes and models of routers, too. You can protect your browsing sessions with a Chrome or Firefox extension.

NordVPN’s SmartDNS service allows Apple TVs, other set-top boxes, gaming consoles, and many other streaming devices to access New Zealand TV. Be warned, though, that it doesn’t encrypt your connection like the provider’s regular VPN service does.

You can connect up to 6 devices simultaneously on one account.

3. Customer Support

I don’t need to use NordVPN’s customer support much, but it’s certainly reassuring to know that when I do, it will be available and responsive.

NordVPN offers 24/7 customer support in the form of around-the-clock live chat, an email option, and a searchable support library.

4. Global Server Coverage

Although you’re specifically looking for services in New Zealand (and rest assured, there are VPN servers located there), you should know about how extensive NordVPN’s server coverage is, so you can decide if you want to explore content in other regions.

NordVPN offers over 5,200 high-speed servers in 60 countries worldwide.

5. Pricing

NordVPN provides its above-average service at a below-average price, so you can use your cash on more important things: like subscribing to NZ TV streamers.

NordVPN offers a no-risk, 30-day money-back guarantee.

Visit NordVPN.

How to Watch New Zealand TV From Australia

If you’re located in Australia and are looking to access TV streaming content from New Zealand, all you have to do is follow a few simple steps.

1. 1. Subscribe to a VPN provider (I suggest NordVPN).
   2. Download and install the VPN provider’s app(s) on your device(s).
   3. Log into the VPN app.
   4. Select and connect to a server in New Zealand.
   5. Open up your favorite NZ TV streaming service. 
   6. Enjoy your access to New Zealand TV!

VPNs for Watching New Zealand TV FAQ