TVNZ will be bringing 12 hours of free-to-air coverage of the 2020 Olympic Games daily thanks to its newly announced partnership with Sky.
Sky CEO Martin Stewart confirmed this morning TVNZ will be its free-to-air partner for Tokyo 2020 to go alongside the 12 channels it will also provide.
"The Olympics is one of the most significant events on the sport calendar, and we know that New Zealanders love to watch the many special moments it presents," Mr Stewart said.
"We were delighted to secure the rights for Tokyo 2020, and are pleased to now be bringing TVNZ on board as our free-to-air partner. The Olympic Games will involve over 300 events across 33 sports, and New Zealanders will be spoiled for choice with more live action and content than ever before."
As a result, Sky won't be using its own free-to-air channel, Prime, for the Olympics next year.
The surprise agreement will see TVNZ air 12 hours of free coverage each day.
"We have a strong record of delivering free-to-air sport to New Zealanders via Prime, including Rio 2016," Stewart said.
"We will continue to offer a range of other sport and entertainment experiences free to all New Zealanders on Prime.
"The Olympics is one of those special events that can attract the attention of the whole country, and this partnership with TVNZ will enable us to draw on the promotional power of our collective platforms to encourage viewership of Tokyo 2020 by the widest range of New Zealanders."
TVNZ CEO Kevin Kenrick the company will use its 1 NEWS team to cover all the "big moments" from Tokyo for its broadcast and online audiences.
"Major event sport continues to resonate with Kiwi audiences and we are committed to working together to ensure the greatest number of New Zealanders enjoy watching this iconic event across both TVNZ and Sky."
Next year's Olympic Games take place from Friday 24 July to Sunday 9 August.
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