New Zealand's best streaming services have kicked off 2025, and it's not showing any signs of slowing down. As well as new seasons Shrinking, The Boys and House of the Dragon, the best streaming services in New Zealand provided new shows like Netflix's The Gentlemen and Baby Reindeer, The Penguin on Neon, Fallout on Prime Video and Shōgun on Disney Plus. Still though, March might be the best streaming month of the year.
Disney Plus and Apple TV are at the front of the pack, with Netflix and Prime Video going a little quiet after dropping Zero Day, Apple Cider Vinegar and Running point, and new seasons of Reacher and Invincible. On Disney Plus – not Netflix – is the return of Netflix's Daredevil on March 5, in Daredevil: Born Again. Also on Disney Plus, on March 19, is Good American Family in which a couple adopts who they believe is an 8-year-old girl with a rare form of dwarfism.
We're most excited for Apple TV Plus's output this month though, and that begins on March 14 with Dope Thief, where Wagner Moura (Narcos) and Brian Tyree Henry (Bullet Train) play two friends who rob drug dealers by pretending to be DEA agents. Then Seth Rogen's The Studio series lands on March 26. Prime Video does chime in with the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy and a new season of Bosch: Legacy.
This is one of the best months we've seen in recent memory, but paying for Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and another streaming service will cost you. We think subscription hopping is the best way to save and that's why we've created this guide to summarise the monthly offering of each service – letting you make informed purchases.
No matter what you’re into, we've got you covered in this guide to New Zealand's best streaming services – starting with this month's best streaming service.
Recent updates
March 5, 2025: Updated the introduction, streaming service of the month and information throughout to remain up-to-date
Streaming service of the month March 2025
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Best TV streaming service 2025:
What is the best TV streaming service you can get right now?
Netflix came to New Zealand and Australia in 2015, and it has seen massive changes since then – price-increases in May and the password-sharing crackdown that New Zealand was at the front of, being the most recent. Even still, thanks to its massively diverse library, best-in-class user experience and consistent influx of original content, Netflix continues its reign as king and is still the best streaming service in New Zealand for most people.
Since its inception to NZ, Netflix has delivered hit series and movies in the form of Netflix Originals, offering a variety of highly entertaining Netflix-exclusive content. It all kicked off in 2016 with the smash-hit launch of Stranger Things and continuation of Black Mirror. In the few years following, Netflix added The Witcher, The Umbrella Academy, Bridgerton, Emily in Paris and Big Mouth, while more recent hits like Beef, Wednesday, 3 Body Problem, Supacell, That 90's Show, Bodkin, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Gentlemen have continued that legacy to varying degrees.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows. Lots of Netflix's content is underwhelming, and we're still feeling the impact of the 2023 writer's strike – and how Netflix handled it – today. It's now been more than two years since the second part of Stranger Things season four released, and Stranger Things season 5 not expected until sometime in 2025 – nearly ten years after season one.
Netflix also has a reputation for cancelling series, even when it seems it was met with satisfaction by fans. 1899 was cancelled early in 2023, as were Inside Job and Firefly Lane, adding to a list that includes Lockwood and Co., Travelers and Altered Carbon. Then there's Mindhunter, one of the best shows of this century, cancelled due to high production costs – while Netlflix put $166 Million into Rebel Moon that was panned by fans and critics alike if Rotten Tomatoes and word of mouth is any metric.
One thing New Zealand Netflix subscribers do have, though, especially over Aussies, is a lack of an ad-supported plan on Netflix NZ, remaining strictly ad-free for the time being. However, Kiwi prices did increase for the first time since 2021, with Basic now NZ$14.99p/m, Standard costing NZ$20.99 and Premium, which provides 4K, coming in at NZ$27.99. All plans allow downloads on one to six different devices, and the two more expensive plans allow you to add people living outside your household to your plan at an additional cost of NZ$7.99 per person.
Even with all of that, Netflix's deep library, high-quality originals and supremely snappy app makes it the easy answer to "what's the best streaming service?". While it's not our choice for August, there's still several new additions worth checking out.
Verdict: 5/5
Best new content coming to Netflix in March
While Netflix is usually an easy option for the best streaming service of the month, that's not the case in March. Still though, there's a few key additions that subscribers should look out for, even if they're not worth subscribing for.
The Duchess of Sussex invites friends and famous guests to a California estate, sharing cooking, gardening and hosting tips in With Love, Megan, coming on March 4.That's followed by Plankton: The Movie , in which Plankton – helped by SpongeBob, Pearl, Sandy and Mrs. Puff – must work to stop Karen the Computer who's trying to take over the world and Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 7.
Then on March 14 is perhaps the biggest Netflix release of the month in The Electric State – a science fiction adventure comedy-drama film directed by Anthony and Joe Russo starring Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Key Huy Quan, Anthony Mackie and Stanley Tucci.
New to Netflix this month
- March 2: WWE Elimination Champer
- March 4: With Love, Meghan
- March 7: Drive to Survive s7 / Plankton: The Movie
- March 13: Love is Blind: Sweden s2
- March 14 The Electric State
- March 20: The Residence
- March 21: Revelations
- March 25: The Feeling
- March 27: Survival of the Thickest Season
Prime Video has a library of original content that can rival, if not beat, every other streaming service. Heck, between series like The Boys and Gen V, Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, Fallout and Invincible, they might have everyone else beat already. Then there's fun flicks like Ricky Stanicky and Road House, as well as actual fantastic movies like the Sound of Metal, The Tender Bar and The Burial. Add in the fact that Prime Video boasts the biggest library of any streaming service, and it should be the best streamer, right?
There's only one thing, really, that Netflix and every other service in this list barring Neon, has over Prime Video – its user interface. While it might not actually be bad, Prime Video is much more difficult to navigate than competitors, and especially when trying to differentiate between content you have access to and that which is for rent. It makes sense, given how big its library is and the amalgamation of content from services within like Britbox, AMC and Paramount Plus that is shown to you even if you don't own them. Still, it holds it back from knocking off Netflix as king.
Nevertheless, if you just want as much content as possible, Prime Video is the best streaming service. Amazon’s library spans everything from the classics and the latest and greatest, to trashy B-rated flicks and niche cult classics. A great movie or series is always just around the corner, even if it takes a bit of navigation to find. And, if there's nothing there for you, there's hundreds of movies available for rent or purchase, sometimes so fresh that they're still in cinemas.
While Prime Video is part of the Amazon Prime subscription in some countries, it's available as an independent service in New Zealand, setting you back NZ$9.99 a month after a semi-recent price increase, though you can still try before you buy with a 7-day free trial.
Verdict: 4/5
Best new content coming to Prime Video in March:
Prime Video boasted the best line-up of new content in February, so it's no surprise that it hasn't backed things up in March. Still though, there's a few enticing options for Prime subscribers.
The first is the semi-finals and Final of the 2025 ICC Men’s Champion’s Trophy on March 4 and 5, and then March 9. Then Prime adds It Ends With Us, the romance film starring Blake Lively that has been embroiled in controversy since before it even came out at the cinema. On March 13 comes The Wheel of Time season 3 and on March 27 Bosch: Legacy season 3 also drops on Prime Video.
New on Prime Video this month
- March 4, 5 and 9: 2025 ICC Men’s Champion’s Trophy Semi Finals and Final
- March 6: Picture This / It Ends With Us
- March 13: The Wheel of Time s3
- March 14: F*** Marry Kill
- March 22: Venom: The Last Dance
- March 27: Holland / Bosch: Legacy s3 / The Crow
- March 31: The Divorce Insurance
Coming to Prime Video this month
- January 1: Rain Man / Carrie / Jurassic Park / Teen Wolf seasons 1-6
- January 2: The Rig season 2
- January 7: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
- January 9: On Call season 1
- January 10: Bad Boys: Ride or Die / The Creator
- January 15: Spider-Man: Far From Home
- January 16: Unstoppable
- January 30: You’re Cordially Invited
Disney Plus, much like Disney itself, has grown significantly since first arriving in Aotearoa way back in 2019. While it's still the home of all things Disney, its content library has grown massively, with a huge selection of content that covers more than just Marvel and Star Wars, it's undoubtedly the best streaming service for kids, while also improving its content aimed at adults with original series like Star's Only Murders in the Building and FX's Shōgun and The Bear.
Its bread and butter is still the franchises owned by Disney like Marvel and Star Wars. If you're a fan of either, Disney Plus is all-but a must-have. From the original trilogy, prequels and sequels to spin-offs like The Mandalorian, Ashoka and The Acolyte, there is no better streaming service for Star Wars fans. Same goes for fans of Marvel, with every film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as series like WandaVision, Loki and X-Men '97, and classics like the Toby McGuire Spider-Man films, 1994's Spider-Man cartoon and the 2015's beloved Fantastic Four.
Then there's the abundance of kids content from those franchises that make it easy to introduce the little ones to your favourites. Disney is the home of kid's content, after all. From Walt Disney Animation Studios classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King to newer favourites like Frozen, Moana and Inside Out 2 (which will arrive soon) – there is no better home for kid’s entertainment.
And family-friendly doesn't have to mean watching Aladdin five times a week. With National Geographic, Disney Plus offers a near neverending amount of documentaries to choose from, with animals and nature, exploration, space, history and mysteries all on the menu, with titles like Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, Running Wild with Bear Grylls, Free Solo and Limitless with Chris Hemsworth.
After an eye-watering price increase at the start of 2025, Disney Plus has increased its New Zealand prices, with both its Standard and Premium subscriptions getting in on the action. From February 19, new Standard subscriptions will cost AU$15.99p/m and AU$159.99 per year, from AU$13.99 and AU$139.99 respectively. Meanwhile, the Premium plan sees a considerably AU$3p/m and AU$30p/a increase to AU$20.99 and AU$209.99.
This increased cost will see you earn 4K resolution, Dolby Audio and four concurrent streams with a Premium subscription, while Standard only nets subscribers two concurrent streams, HD quality streams and standard audio.
As for current subscribers, Disney states that you "will be progressively notified of updated pricing". The changes will come into effect from March 26, in line with the next billing cycle.
Verdict: 4/5
Best new content coming to Disney Plus in March:
There's a few notable additions to Disney Plus this month, but there is one that stands above the rest – Daredevil: Born Again lands on Disney Plus on March 5. Continuing the tale that began on Netflix over three seasons between 2015 and 2018, Daredevil returns on Disney Plus, with Charlie Cox, Jon Bernthal and Vincent D'Onofrio all returning. In this series, Matt Murdock finds himself on a collision course with Wilson Fisk when their past identities begin to emerge.
The second big addition to Disney Plus this month is Good American Family, which stars Ellen Pompeo (Greys Anatomy), and Mark Duplass (Creep, Blue Jay, Paddleton). In this mystery drama series, a Midwestern couple adopts a little girl with dwarfism. Well, that's what they thought. As they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, they begin to question that assumption and find themselves fighting battles in the tabloids, courtroom and in the home.
O'Dessa is a drama musical film starring Sadie Sink that lands on March 20, in which a farm girl searches to recover a cherished family heirloom – travelling to a strange and dangerous city… meeting the love of her life and having to fight to save him. And, lastly, David Blaine: Do Not Attempt lands on March 24, where David Blaine is searching for real magic by tracking down people across the globe to learn their secrets to push his craft to the next level.
New on Disney Plus this month
- March 5: Daredevil: Born Again
- March 6: Deli Boys
- March 15: Memes & Nightmares
- March 19: Good American Family / Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures s2
- March 20: O'dessa
- March 24: David Blaine: Do Not Attempt
- March 26: BeyBlade X
- March 28: Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip
Apple TV Plus's library might not stand up to the streaming services above, but boy oh boy does it make up for it with the quality of the content it does have. And, in 2024, its library isn't too small, either. While its library holds it back from consistently going head-to-head with Netflix as a main streaming service, if you haven't watched certain shows, Apple TV Plus is a must-have – as you can see by it winning our monthly award.
While an ad-based tier might be coming soon, Apple TV Plus is still cheaper than other services at just NZ$14.99 p/m despite an increase by AU$2 – undercutting the cheapest tiers of most other services, and adding to its value. That low cost is counteracted by the fact that it isn't compatible with Android devices (yet) but you'll find it on most streaming devices, Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Smart TVs and even Android TV.
Apple has more money than any other streaming service by a significant margin – even Amazon and Disney – and it’s been putting that money to good use with original and exclusive content that no other streaming service can compete with. Series like Ted Lasso, Slow Horses, Masters of the Air, Silo, Presumed Innocent, Black Bird, Severance and Shrinking are at a quality that other streaming services, with rare exception, just haven't matched.
Apple TV Plus also offers a 7-day free trial to test the service out, which is getting more rare, but with the purchase of new Apple products and even a PlayStation 5 can see you extend that free trial to at least three months, allowing you plenty of time to catch up on the best of Apple TV Plus without spending a cent.
Verdict: 4/5
Best new content coming to Apple TV Plus in March:
There are two key additions to Apple TV Plus this month that make it our pick of the month.
March 14th sees the introduction of Dope Thief, starring Wagner Moura (Pablo Escobar in Narcos) and Brian Tyree Henry (Lemon in Bullet Train) as best friends who pose as DEA agents to rip-off small-time criminals… until they steal from the wrong people.Then, on March 26th comes The Studio, a hilarious-looking comedy series starring Seth Rogen as the head of a movie studio.
However, Be@rbrick is a new children's animated-comedy series, and Side Quest is for the Mythic Quest fans out there – with four new seperate stories.
New on Apple TV Plus this month
- March 14: Dope Thief
- March 21: Be@rbrick
- March 26: The Studio / Side Quest
You’ve likely heard of HBO Max, the US streaming platform home to all the latest HBO shows including the 2022 hit House of the Dragon and the adaptation of the PlayStation exclusive video game franchise The Last of Us. Unfortunately, HBO Max isn't available here in New Zealand, but thankfully the platform Neon is here to give Kiwis access to all the latest and greatest from HBO, and more.
While Neon might be lacking 4K streams, it does come with a 14-day free trial so you can test the service out before fully committing, with pricing for the service starting at NZ$12.99 p/m for the Basic plan. From January, the Standard plan's price jumped to NZ$19.99 p/m or NZ$199.99 p/a. The Basic plan unfortunately does come with ads these days, and you can only download content on the Standard plan, but both tiers offer five profiles across two screens and HD video.
There’s a pretty decent compatibility list for this service, though Xbox consoles are the most noticeable omission. Still, between PlayStation, Smart TVs, computers, Android smartphones and more, it's more than likely going to have a device that you can access this service on. Depending on the plan you go for, you can connect up to five different devices and there’s selected content that you can download so you can view it offline too.
However, the user experience is lacking, especially when compared with even the worst of its competitors in this guide, with regular customer feedback of bugs like being stuck with one second left in an episode, being logged out of accounts randomly and just generally sluggish performance.
Unfortunately, it is the only place to (legally) watch HBO content in New Zealand, which makes it a must-have if you want to watch the best of the best. This does align perfectly with our message of choosiness, and we recommend you jump into Neon for a month or two, watch everything you have interest in, and opt out. If you need a few recommendations, here's more than a few incredible HBO series to get your started on Neon: Fantasmas, Ren Faire, The Sopranos, Love Has Won: The Cult Mother of God, House of the Dragon, Fargo, Mr Robot, Succession, The Last of Us and, for Masters of the Air fans, The Pacific and Band of Brothers.
Two awesome HBO additions wasn't quite enough for NEON to win our best streaming service of the month award, but it came darn close. Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos is a two-part documentary series in which the head writer and creator of The Sopranos discusses the creative process that brought the show to life. Most excitedly, though, and what bought NEON so close to being our monthly is the premier of HBO's The Penguin. This spin-off series follows Oswald Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) shortly after the events of The Batman as he tries to take advantage of mobster Carmine Falcone’s death.
Verdict: 3.5/5
The best coming to Neon this month
- March 1: Sympathy for the Devil / The Watchers
- March 2: The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter s3 / Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home / Zone of Interest
- March 4: Who is Luigi Mangione?
- March 6: It Ends With Us
- March 7: The Gentlemen
- March 9: 2001: A Space Odyssey
- March 14: The Parenting
- March 18: Gone s1
- March 22: Venom: The Last Dance
- March 23: Knives Out
- March 26: The Cleaning Lady s4
- March 27: The Crow
Specialty streaming services
After something a little more specific? From sports content to horror and thrills, these streaming platforms offer you a curated collection of streams, shows and movies so you can find exactly what you’re after without shuffling through waves of content you’re not interested in.
Sky is known for its all-encompassing approach to sports coverage, however, signing up for a cable subscription or set-top box can be a bridge too far to cross for many people. It's with this in mind that Sky has introduced a dedicated streaming option in Sky Sport Now.
A subscription to Sky Sport Now will let you stream 12 Sky Sport and ESPN channels, with access to live and on-demand coverage, including the ability to rewind up to 24 hours if you miss an event. Additionally, you also get highlights, stats and the ability to access pay-per-view events (for an extra fee, of course).
In terms of sports, Sky Sport Now is a great place to stream all the action out of the Olympic Games, and it also provides coverage for cricket, rugby, netball, Rugby League, motorsport, basketball, football, tennis, golf and more. Furthermore, you also get access to beIN Sports Connect as part of your subscription, which gives you even more sports to sink your teeth into.
While Sky Sport Now's coverage is certainly impressive, it does come at a significant cost. A monthly subscription to Sky Sport Now will set you back NZ$49.99 per month, while a yearly subscription will cost you a somewhat staggering NZ$499.99. At these prices, you'll want to be a truly devoted sports aficionado.
That said, Sky Sport Now also offers a NZ$29.99 weekly pass that does not automatically renew, which is ideal for the occasional major sporting event like The Olympics. Sky Sport doesn't offer a free trial, but there is a selection of free content so you can still trial the service.
Given how expensive it is, it's truly perplexing that Sky Sport Now still only offers one concurrent stream at high definition, though we suppose its delivery of content at 60fps is worth appreciating.
A streaming service that's strictly for horror fans, Shudder offers a vast selection of fright flicks – old and new – along with a growing library of original films, TV shows, documentaries, podcasts and live-streams.
Shudder Originals include Greg Nicotero's classic series Creepshow, the blood-drenched cult flick Revenge, the indigenous zombie film Blood Quantum, and the critically adored movie Host, which sees a demonic presence infiltrate an online séance, as well as newer hits like Late Night With The Devil – though In a Violent Nature is still yet to come to Shudder.
Admittedly, Shudder has some work to do when it comes to competing with the big streaming players. For one, its maximum streaming resolution is 720p (with many older movies available in standard definition only), which just doesn't cut it compared to other services. And, while we give it props for improving its device compatibility offering since launch, it's still not on a range of important devices like the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, as well as many TV brands also lacking native support.
That said, Shudder still offers incredible value. Priced at a very reasonable NZ$7.99 per month, it's even cheaper if you lock yourself into a year's-worth of scares with Shudders NZ$79.99 annual subscription, which basically gives you more than two free months.
Best new content coming to Shudder in March
- March 7: Arcadian
- March 28: The Rule of Jenny Pen
- At some point in March: Blood Axe Wound
