Last year, Video On Demand services amplified with the arrival of Neon and Netflix. This prompted us to ask the question: Should New Zealand Choose Netflix?
A year on, we’re keen to ask another question: How have things changed? Well, in some cases, not a lot. In other cases, HEAPS. (One service is even pushing up daisies.)
We revisited the big Subscription Video On Demand services (SVOD) to see where they’re at now. These are the services that offer an ever-changing selection of movies and television shows to watch anytime with a monthly subscription.
We also touch on the Pay-Per-View services (PPV) that are still in the game. These are the services that offer a wide selection of movies and television shows that can be rented or bought individually.
The Cost – $20.00 per month
Number of Usable Devices – two at the same time, up to five can be loaded on one account (see list of usable devices)
Trial benefits – first 30 days free
Just like Netflix, Neon has not changed its plan, price, number of usable devices, or trial time limit. However, the Neon net has been cast wider to include different devices. “Having launched on iOS, Android and Web we subsequently have added X-box 360 and Chromecast,” a representative told us. “In terms of roadmap devices we plan to launch our first Smart TV App very shortly.”
The number of titles available on Neon has been kept “broadly the same” and that their focus “has been in keeping it fresh for our customers, swapping out older shows for more recent/exclusive TV shows and movies… Our metrics suggest we are getting the mix right but obviously not every piece of content is watched equally and we’ll always seek more of what works well.”
Sky just recently signed a mega film deal with NBCUniversal, which will pump up the catalogue with heavy-hitting movies like Jurassic World, Minions, Pitch Perfect 2, Trainwreck, Ex Machina and Steve Jobs, coming exclusively to Neon over the coming months.
In 2016, we were assured that “there will be an array of new and exclusive content over the coming year” although we couldn’t get any firm numbers on quantity. Neon’s accessibility is also set to improve: “we are also committed to enhancing the devices that customers can access NEON and also the performance of the platform – it will be a continued evolution.”
When asked about their subscriber growth over the past 12 months, the representative replied: “BOOM!” Unless they actually exploded. In which case, we apologise for quoting the sound.
The Cost – Basic Plan $9.99 per month (no HD) / Standard Plan is $12.99 per month (HD) / Premium Plan $15.99 per month (Ultra HD)
Number of Useable Devices – one / two / four at the same time (see list of usable devices)
Trial benefits – first month free
None of this has changed from when Netflix first arrived to New Zealand early last year, though the same cannot be said about the service’s catalogue. We reached out to a Netflix NZ representative who told us the service “has continued to grow its library comprised of both original and licensed content.”
The “original” part strikes harder in regards to film. Over the past year, Netflix moved in to the feature filmmaking territory, building its own exclusives from the ground up. This included the critically-acclaimed (and egregiously Oscar-snubbed) Beasts of No Nation and Adam Sandler’s record-breaking smash hit The Ridiculous Six (which was also snubbed at the Oscars, FYI).
In 2016, Netflix will be releasing 22 more exclusive movies – 12 documentaries and 10 feature films – on top of their original series and licensed content. The films include the Ricky Gervais-Eric Bana war journo comedy Special Correspondents (29th April) and Sandler’s follow-up comedy The Do-Over (27th May).
“Netflix now has over 75 million users worldwide,” we were informed, but when we asked for figures on the New Zealand user-base, they “don’t release subscriber numbers country by country.”
The Cost – six-month term of $9.99 then moved to $12.99, Premium Pass $6.00 a month (free with subscription)
Number of Usable Devices – six registered, three playing at the same time (see list of usable devices)
Trial benefits – first month free + one new release movie credit
Out of all the big SVOD services available in New Zealand, Quickflix has changed the most by adding some alternatives to their standard $12.99 plan. The no-brainer option is the six-month term of $9.99 per month that switches to the $12.99 regular after that half-year is up. The second alternate option, for those who are reluctant to subscribe, is the Premium Pass for $6.00 a month which allows you to watch any of their PPV movies once a month. Even sweeter, this Premium Pass comes free with the standard subscription.
Quickflix’s SVOD catalogue has gotten meatier over the past year as PPV titles make the jump to SVOD “whether that’s Hollywood titles like Drive, Dallas Buyers Club and Jobs, or perhaps even more excitingly, several great Kiwi movies like The Dead Lands, Fantail and I Survived a Zombie Holocaust.” There are no plans to expand on any new devices “because we’re already accessible on pretty much anything that connects to the internet. Except fridges. That can be the new goal for 2016 – you heard it here first.”
Aside from fridge-enabled Quickflix, 2016 will continue to see the service’s unique “all you can eat” model continue with both SVOD and PPV at its disposal. If you’re still confused by what this means, it simply allows users to access the newest movies (for an additional cost) On Demand. In even simpler terms, it means you can watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens right now on Quickflix.
Despite seeing some “stiff competition over the past 12 months,” Quickflix has “held steady” and seen “an increasing number of users watching those new release movies” on the service.
News reported in the NBR that Quickflix’s Australian parent company has gone into voluntary administration is yet to visibly impact the NZ service, with NZ managing director Paddy Buckley telling NBR “It’s business as usual here.”
The Cost – $12.99 per 30 days
Number of Useable Devices – five registered, two playing at the same time (see list of usable devices)
Trial benefits – first 30 days free
Lightbox is still a TV-dominated domain “focused on bringing the best new and exclusive TV shows to Kiwi households” says Lightbox CEO Kym Niblock. These include recent hits like The Path, Mr. Robot and Better Call Saul, and the service is “constantly adding to our catalogue throughout each month… there are literally thousands of hours of TV to watch.”
The monthly fee dropped to $12.99 at the beginning of last year. Aside from that, the service has stayed true to its core offering. Niblock adds that “the low cost of subscriptions, too, means more Kiwis are choosing more than one TV service to access all the content they want.”
Niblock continues: “It’s fair to say that growth has exceeded expectations.” Over the next 12 months, those with Lightbox “can expect an expanding catalogue and constant refinements to the apps to support the best possible streaming TV experience.”
Pay-Per-View Services
Some things haven’t changed in the magically-convenient land of PPV. Google Play and iTunes are still colossal forces in the market while the likes of NZ Film On Demand (catering purely to homegrown films) and Vimeo On Demand (catering largely to independent creators) stay strong in their own domains.
However, Video Ezy On Demand is dead. The PPV service ended its trade barely halfway past 2015, unable to keep up with the VOD herd.
In its place is a new competitor waiting on the horizon: YouTube Red. Though it isn’t exactly ready in New Zealand yet, YouTube Red Original movies and TV shows are available to purchase from the YouTube Red Originals channel. These include shows like Foursome and Rooster Teeth’s crowdfunded sci-fi comedy feature Lazer Team.
