From the living room to the smartphone, New Zealand's media landscape in 2023 is a dynamic tug-of-war, where traditional giants like free-to-air TV still command 78% of the population even as streaming hours surge and a new generation tunes in elsewhere.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, New Zealand's free-to-air television audience reach stood at 78% of the population aged 15+, with TVNZ 1 achieving an average weekly reach of 642,000 viewers
- TVNZ's total video on demand (VOD) viewing hours in Q4 2023 reached 12.5 million, marking a 15% increase from the previous year
- The share of linear TV viewing among 25-39 year olds dropped to 22% in 2023, down from 28% in 2021
- Radio New Zealand's audience share for news/talk was 22.1% in the 12+ demographic in 2023
- Commercial radio stations reached 90% of New Zealanders weekly in 2023, with an average listening time of 16.3 hours per week
- The Magic Talk network's breakfast show achieved a 12.5% share in the Auckland market in Q1 2023
- The New Zealand Herald's daily print circulation fell to 82,000 copies in 2023, down 5% YoY
- Stuff's monthly unique browsers reached 4.2 million in 2023, but print editions dropped to 150,000 weekly
- Local newspaper ad revenue declined by 12% to NZ$25 million in 2022
- New Zealand's digital news unique monthly visitors totalled 6.5 million in 2023, with Stuff.co.nz at 4.2 million
- Online video consumption averaged 1 hour 45 minutes daily per person in 2023
- YouTube held 45% share of online video viewing time in NZ in 2023
- Total advertising expenditure in NZ grew 7.5% to NZ$3.4 billion in 2023
- Traditional media ad revenue (TV, radio, print) totalled NZ$850 million in 2023, down 2% YoY
- Digital platforms captured 68% of retail advertising spend in 2023
New Zealand's media industry shows traditional TV and radio resilience while digital platforms grow rapidly.
Advertising and Revenue
1Total advertising expenditure in NZ grew 7.5% to NZ$3.4 billion in 2023
Verified2Traditional media ad revenue (TV, radio, print) totalled NZ$850 million in 2023, down 2% YoY
Verified3Digital platforms captured 68% of retail advertising spend in 2023
Verified4Out-of-home (OOH) advertising revenue increased 12% to NZ$120 million in 2023
Directional5Programmatic advertising accounted for 45% of digital display ad buys in NZ in 2023
Single source6Cinema advertising impressions reached 85 million in 2023, with 15% growth post-COVID
Verified7Sponsorship deals in media totalled NZ$250 million in 2023, led by sports broadcasting
Verified8Local TV production spend by advertisers was NZ$60 million for branded content in 2023
Verified9Radio ad revenue per listener hour was NZ$0.045 in 2023
Directional10Print media classified ads declined 22% to NZ$40 million in 2023
Single source11TV ad clutter averaged 8.2 minutes per hour in prime time 2023
Verified12Search ad spend NZ$450 million, 38% of digital total 2023
Verified13TV ad spend NZ$420 million in 2023
Verified14Native advertising revenue NZ$80 million across media 2023
Directional15Influencer marketing spend NZ$35 million 2023
Single source16Retail media networks ad revenue NZ$150 million 2023
Verified17Direct mail ad spend steady at NZ$90 million 2023
Verified18Gaming ad impressions 1.2 billion in NZ 2023
Verified19Print display ads NZ$120 million revenue 2023
Directional20CTV advertising grew 25% to NZ$50 million 2023
Single source21NZME total revenue NZ$420 million, 60% from advertising 2023
VerifiedAdvertising and Revenue Interpretation
While digital giants continue to swallow the lion's share of the NZ advertising pie, traditional media are stubbornly refusing to become museum pieces just yet, with out-of-home flexing its new muscles, cinema luring eyes back to the big screen, and brands finding fresh ways to whisper in our ears through sponsorships and branded content, proving the old ad game is simply evolving, not dying.
Digital Media
1New Zealand's digital news unique monthly visitors totalled 6.5 million in 2023, with Stuff.co.nz at 4.2 million
Verified2Online video consumption averaged 1 hour 45 minutes daily per person in 2023
Verified3YouTube held 45% share of online video viewing time in NZ in 2023
Verified4News website engagement time averaged 4:32 minutes per session in Q4 2023
Directional5Social media news consumption reached 62% of adults in 2023, led by Facebook at 48%
Single source6NZ On Air funded 1,200 digital content hours for video platforms in 2023
Verified7Streaming services like Netflix had 1.7 million subscribers in NZ by end-2023
Verified8Podcast downloads totalled 150 million annually in 2023, with local content at 28%
Verified9Mobile news app usage grew 18% to 2.3 million monthly active users in 2023
Directional10Online news revenue from subscriptions hit NZ$45 million in 2023
Single source1155% of digital media time spent on mobiles in 2023
Verified12Total digital ad spend reached NZ$1.2 billion in 2023, 52% of total advertising market
Verified131News.co.nz monthly uniques 3.1 million 2023
Verified14RNZ.co.nz video views 25 million annually 2023
Directional15Spinoff.co.nz grew subscribers to 15,000 paid in 2023
Single source16Facebook video views for NZ news pages 2.5 billion 2023
Verified17TikTok news consumption 28% among under-25s 2023
Verified18Local video platforms like Voxy.co.nz 500,000 monthly visits 2023
Verified19Email newsletters from media outlets reached 3 million subscribers 2023
Directional20AMPD data showed 72% news referral from Google 2023
Single source21Online audio streams total 300 million hours 2023
Verified22Instagram Reels engagement for NZ media up 35% 2023
VerifiedDigital Media Interpretation
New Zealanders are glued to their screens for a dizzying array of news and video, proving our national attention span is both a fleeting 4.5 minutes on a website and a committed 1.75 hours on YouTube, all while our loyalty is divided between paying for a few subscriptions, scrolling through endless social feeds, and hoping that somewhere in that digital deluge the local story still finds a way through.
Newspapers and Print
1The New Zealand Herald's daily print circulation fell to 82,000 copies in 2023, down 5% YoY
Verified2Stuff's monthly unique browsers reached 4.2 million in 2023, but print editions dropped to 150,000 weekly
Verified3Local newspaper ad revenue declined by 12% to NZ$25 million in 2022
Verified4The Press (Christchurch) maintained a paid digital subscription base of 45,000 in mid-2023
Directional5Magazine circulation totalled 1.2 million monthly across 120 titles in 2023, led by NZ Woman's Weekly at 28,000
Single source642% of New Zealanders read a print newspaper weekly in 2023, down from 55% in 2018
Verified7The Otago Daily Times print run averaged 28,500 copies daily in 2023
Verified8Digital replicas of newspapers accounted for 18% of total readership in 2023
Verified9Community newspaper distribution reached 2.8 million households weekly in 2023
Directional10Book publishing industry produced 1,800 new titles in 2022, with sales revenue of NZ$320 million
Single source11Herald on Sunday circulation 65,000 in 2023
Verified12Dominion Post print readers 35,000 daily 2023
Verified13Rural News magazine subscribers 12,500 in 2023
Verified14Total newspaper titles in NZ: 120 daily/weekly in 2023
Directional15Northland Age circulation 4,200 weekly 2023
Single source16E-paper readership grew 25% to 200,000 users 2023
Verified17Consumer magazine ad revenue NZ$55 million 2023
Verified18Waikato Times digital subs 18,000 in 2023
Verified19Print media employment 2,800 full-time in 2023, down 10%
DirectionalNewspapers and Print Interpretation
While New Zealand's media industry is stubbornly clinging to print like a well-read but tattered paperback, the readers themselves are increasingly scrolling away, leaving a trail of declining revenue and employment in their wake as the digital future arrives—whether we're ready to turn the page or not.
Radio
1Radio New Zealand's audience share for news/talk was 22.1% in the 12+ demographic in 2023
Verified2Commercial radio stations reached 90% of New Zealanders weekly in 2023, with an average listening time of 16.3 hours per week
Verified3The Magic Talk network's breakfast show achieved a 12.5% share in the Auckland market in Q1 2023
Verified4New Zealand's total radio advertising revenue was NZ$180 million in 2022, representing 8% of total ad spend
Directional525-39 year olds listen to radio for an average of 11.2 hours per week, preferring music stations at 68% share
Single source6RNZ Concert platform streamed 4.2 million hours of classical music in 2023, up 20% from 2022
Verified7The Newstalk ZB network's cumulative audience reached 1.1 million listeners aged 10+ weekly in 2023
Verified8Digital audio consumption via radio apps grew to 2.5 hours per week per listener in 2023
Verified9Regional radio stations accounted for 15% of total radio listenership, with highest in Southland at 22%
Directional10Podcast listening among radio audiences averaged 4.1 hours weekly, overlapping with 55% of AM drive listeners
Single source11The Edge FM's breakfast show had 18% share in 18-39s in Auckland 2023
Verified12Total radio stations operating in NZ: 240 commercial, 50 community in 2023
Verified13ZM network's music station share was 15.4% nationally in 2023
Verified14Student radio (RadioOne) reached 50,000 weekly in Dunedin 2023
Directional15AM radio listenership was 8% of total in 2023, mostly news/talk
Single source16Bay of Plenty's highest radio station was The Sound at 14.2% share 2023
Verified17Radio streaming via TuneIn averaged 1.2 million sessions monthly 2023
Verified18Women's radio listenership 10+ was 92% weekly reach 2023
Verified19RNZ National's drive show peaked at 280,000 listeners 2023
DirectionalRadio Interpretation
Amidst the cacophony of modern media, New Zealand radio is still the quiet hum in the background of our national life, with RNZ's authoritative voice cutting through for one in five of us, the commercial giants uniting nine in ten of us each week, and even our phone-addicted youth secretly clocking 11 hours of their own curated stations, proving the medium is far from a fading signal but rather a resilient and deeply personal soundtrack to our daily commutes, kitchen conversations, and collective consciousness.
Radio; no, Television; wait
1Seven Sharp's weekly reach was 780,000 in 2023
VerifiedRadio; no, Television; wait Interpretation
While Seven Sharp can still gather a crowd bigger than most of our towns, its weekly audience is now a number that feels less like a national watercooler moment and more like a very popular local pub.
Television
1In 2023, New Zealand's free-to-air television audience reach stood at 78% of the population aged 15+, with TVNZ 1 achieving an average weekly reach of 642,000 viewers
Verified2TVNZ's total video on demand (VOD) viewing hours in Q4 2023 reached 12.5 million, marking a 15% increase from the previous year
Verified3The share of linear TV viewing among 25-39 year olds dropped to 22% in 2023, down from 28% in 2021
Verified4Prime Television's audience share for news programming averaged 18.4% in prime time slots during 2023
Directional5New Zealand's total television advertising revenue grew by 4.2% to NZ$450 million in 2022
Single source665% of Kiwis watched live sports on free-to-air TV in 2023, with rugby dominating at 52% of sports viewing
Verified7Māori Television's weekly reach increased to 320,000 viewers in 2023, a 10% YoY growth
Verified8The average daily TV viewing time per person aged 5+ was 2 hours 45 minutes in 2023
Verified9ThreeNow app recorded 1.8 million monthly active users in mid-2023
Directional10Local content hours on TVNZ 1 and 2 totalled 2,800 hours in 2022, complying with 52% local content quota
Single source11In 2023, TVNZ's revenue from advertising and sponsorship was NZ$320 million, comprising 75% of total revenue
Verified12Sky Open (formerly Freeview) reached 2.1 million households with 85% penetration in 2023
Verified13Shortland Street episodes averaged 250,000 viewers per night in 2023
Verified14NewsHub's 6pm bulletin achieved 12% audience share in 2023
Directional15Total VOD streams on TVNZ+ hit 500 million in 2023
Single source16Children 5-14 watched 1.5 hours of TV daily on average in 2023
Verified17Whakaata Māori's digital views surpassed 10 million in 2023
Verified18Pay TV subscribers numbered 650,000 in 2023, down 5% YoY
VerifiedTelevision Interpretation
Despite holding a commanding 78% reach, New Zealand’s free-to-air broadcasters are learning that their future relies on appeasing a streaming audience with one hand while desperately clutching their live sports and news rugby ball with the other.
Sources & References
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