 | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
Type of site | OTT platform |
| Headquarters | New Zealand |
| Owner |
|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Parent | Sky Free |
| URL | www |
| Current status | Active |
ThreeNow (previously calledTV3 On Demand and3Now)[1][2] is a New Zealandover-the-topad-supported streaming television service owned bySky Network Television.[3][4] The service hosts content fromThree and its sister channelsBravo,eden,Rush andHGTV.[5] It also hosts content fromWarner Bros. Discovery's content library including the live-streaming channelsWBTV Paranormal,WBTV Reality,WBTV House Hunters International,WBTV True Crime andWBTV 90 Day Fiancé.[6][7] It is available onApple,Android,LG,Panasonic andSony devices andSmart TVs.[7]
In late March 2013,TV3 suspended its TV3 On Demand video service for mobile users while investigating a breach that allowed several users to illegally download content onto their mobile devices.[1] The video service was available on the website with some shows being available onAndroid devices.[2]
In late February 2014,MediaWorks New Zealand revamped TV3 On Demand as the3Now app, which was launched on both iOS and Android devices. MediaWorks said that it had online rights to 95% of the video content, which came from TV3,Four and3 News. The new app also included a new programme guide and was able to recommend shows to viewers.[2] The 3Now app was also sponsored by2Degrees, which received advertising and promotion in exchange.[2]
In mid April 2016, MediaWorks launched a revamped version of the 3Now app with several improvements including an improved front end, better design and a newer viewing experience tailored to individual users. MediaWorks also redesigned the app's systems to stream advertisements that were able to bypassad blocking software. In addition, users were also required to log into the 3Now app through various platforms includingFacebook. MediaWorks chief information and product officer Tom Cotter said that mandatory logins would help advertisers to connect with their most relevant audiences for targeting purposes.[8]
In September 2019,Stuff columnist Chris Shultz criticised ThreeNow for what he regarded as its "terrible" website and "wonky"mobile app. He criticised the website for not being able to remember passwords, the difficulty in searching for content, its frequent apps and its unavailability on computer gaming consoles.[9]
In October 2019, a Horizon Research survey found that 28% of more than 1,000 New Zealanders surveyed used ThreeNow. The survey found that 59% usedTVNZ OnDemand, 29% usedSky TV, 56% used Netflix, and 18% usedLightbox, and 7% usedNeon.[10]
In September 2020, MediaWorks confirmed plans to sell its entire television arm including its streaming service ThreeNow to American mass media companyDiscovery, Inc.[11] The sale was completed on 1 December 2020.[12]
On 15 June 2021, Three announced it would release the ninth season of thereality television seriesThe Block NZ on the platform at noon before releasing it on its linear channel Three at 7:30pm. Previously,The Block had been released on channel Three first before streaming on ThreeNow. This marked the first time that Three had implemented a digital first strategy to its programming. The digital first strategy came in response to a 2021JustWatch study showing that ThreeNow was a niche player in a crowded streaming market dominated byNetflix,Disney+,Amazon Prime,Sky'sNeon platform andTVNZ On Demand.[13] On 17 June, Discovery's General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Glen Kyne, announced plans to replace ThreeNow with Discovery's own streaming serviceDiscovery+ as part of the company's plans to expand into New Zealand.[14]
Following Discovery's merger withWarnerMedia to formerWarner Bros. Discovery in April 2022, the new entity acquiredDiscovery's New Zealand assets including Three.[15][16] In late April 2023,The Spinoff guest columnist Chris Shultz ranked ThreeNow as the 16th top streaming service in New Zealand, describing it as "a shockingly bad streaming service. It plays the same ads over and over again, crashes often, and rarely bothers to do the job it's supposed to do."[17]
On 22 November 2023, WarnerBros Discover ANZ revamped the ThreeNow to include a new menu organised around genre categories, content watchlists, and making it easier for users to watch more content without having to exit playing episodes and pick the next one to stream. In addition, five new livestreaming channels—WBTV Paranormal,WBTV Reality,WBTV House Hunters International,WBTV True Crime andWBTV 90 Day Fiancé—were added to the platform.[7][18][19]The Spinoff's Tara Ward regarded the revamped app as an improvement, which placed it on par with other streaming services operating in New Zealand.[18]
On 22 July, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that it would sell its New Zealand assets including ThreeNow toSky Network Television, effective 1 August.[3][4]
By late March 2013, TV3 On Demand was available onAdobe Flash andHTML5 Video but not oniOS devices.[1] By late February 2014, the revamped 3Now app was available on various Android and iOS devices includingSamsung Galaxy S3,Samsung Galaxy S4,smart TVs,blu-ray andhome theatre devices,iPhone 4,iPhone 5,iPod Touch and someiPads.[2] By April 2016, 3Now was available on bothApple TV andAirplay.[8]
In September 2019, ThreeNow was available onApple TV andChromecast but was unavailable onSamsungSmart TVs,PlayStation 4 andXbox One.[9] In mid-September 2023, ThreeNow was made available on Samsung Smart TVs dating back to at least 2017.[6] By November 2023, ThreeNow's availability was extended to variousLG,Panasonic andSony devices.[7]
ThreeNow's content library hosts several New Zealand and international programmes includingThe Block NZ,[13]Law & Order: SVU,Blue Bloods,Come Dine with Me New Zealand,Below Deck Mediterranean,Dancing with the Stars,Gogglebox,Chicago Med,Australia's Best Houses,Hawaii Five-O,Married at First Sight Australia,Planet Sex WithCara Delevingne,Blue Lights,One Night, andMystery Road. The streaming service also hosts content fromThreeNews (the successor toNewshub).[5][17] In September 2023, the streaming servicegained access to WarnerBros Discovery's on-demand content library through ThreeNow's addition to Samsung Smart TVs.[6]
Notable New Zealand content has included the comedy seriesGuy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee,Far North,Tracked,The Traitors NZ andDavid Lomas Investigates,7 Days andFriends Like Her.[17][6][18][20]