SKY Network Television Limited (SKY) is New Zealand's pre-eminent pay television company and continues to be one of the fastest growing pay TV networks in the world.
As of 31 December 2008, SKY has 759,000 subscribers, which comprises 598,500 residential digital subscribers (79%), 26,800 residential UHF subscribers (4%), 115,400 wholesale subscribers (15%) and 18,300 (2%) commercial and other subscribers. SKY is now in 46.2% of New Zealand homes.
SKY began broadcasting as New Zealand's first pay television service in May 1990. Today, SKY broadcasts more than 100+ channels on its digital satellite platform and four channels over a terrestrial UHF platform. SKY's digital satellite service is capable of reaching almost all of New Zealand's estimated 1.5 million TV households, while its UHF analogue signal reaches over 80% of New Zealand's homes.
SKY currently distributes its analogue channels to subscribers principally via four UHF frequencies, while a fifth frequency is operated by SKY under an agreement with the TAB. SKY's digital service is transmitted through the Optus D1 satellite.
SKY initially launched its digital satellite service as a means of extending its coverage throughout New Zealand to reach the remaining homes, unable to receive the UHF signal. However, a large number of SKY's existing UHF subscribers have also migrated to the digital service because of the wider variety of programming it offers.
SKY receives its programming from both foreign and New Zealand programme suppliers and also creates its own programming, such as live sports broadcasts, SKY Digital Music and studio-based programmes. These include SKY Sport's daily news service, Sport 365, as well as Reunion and Deaker Live. SKY also offers a wide range of free-to-air services (TV1, TV2, TV3, C4, Prime, Trackside and radio stations like National Radio, Concert FM, Kiwi FM, Calvary Chapel Radio and Tahu FM).
The free-to-air services are available as a separate package for which the customer pays a low weekly fee ($4.46) to rent SKY's digital decoder and satellite dish, but pays no programme subscription to SKY. The other services are available in a variety of packages.