Neon is Sky’s streaming service for New Zealand, sold on its own without a satellite dish or a contract. It carries the box sets and films Sky licenses for this market, and it can be started and stopped month by month — which matters more than usual in 2026, because what is on it changed significantly through the year.
Neon prices in New Zealand
| Plan | Price | Ads | Screens at once |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic with Ads | NZ$14.99 a month | Ads during shows | 2 |
| Standard | NZ$23.99 a month | Ads only when you pause | 2 |
| Annual | NZ$239.99 a year (about NZ$20 a month) | Ads only when you pause | 2 |
Tick the services you pay for and pick the plan. The calculator shows what your streaming stack costs per month and per year in New Zealand dollars, plus the cheapest way to keep the same shows.
Prices are the standard NZ monthly rates verified in September 2026 (Netflix, Disney+, Neon, Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV, Sky Sport Now, Crunchyroll); YouTube Premium and Spotify are approximate. TVNZ+, ThreeNow and Freeview Streaming TV are free with ads.
The annual plan saves about NZ$48 against paying for Standard monthly, which is worth it only if you are confident you will keep it for the full twelve months. Prices last moved on 1 April 2025, when Standard went to NZ$23.99 and the annual plan to NZ$239.99; the Basic tier was left where it was.
New-release films are rented separately on top of any plan, so a “Neon subscription” does not cover everything in the app.
Is there a Neon free trial?
Neon’s own sign-up help does not list a free trial, and offers have come and gone with promotions rather than being permanent. Treat any “Neon free trial” result you see in search as something to verify on neontv.co.nz before you hand over card details — several of the pages ranking for that phrase are affiliate sites recycling expired campaigns.
What changed on Neon in 2026
Two things reshaped the catalogue.
First, HBO’s titles left. Sky did not renew its output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, and HBO programming came off Sky and Neon in the middle of June 2026 — the same month HBO Max launched here as its own service. If you subscribed to Neon for HBO drama, that is now a different subscription.
Second, Sky signed an exclusive New Zealand deal with Paramount in January 2026 covering new Showtime, Paramount+ and CBS series, which is why titles from the Yellowstone universe, Dexter: Resurrection, Yellowjackets and the FBI franchise appear on Sky and Neon rather than on a Paramount service. Paramount+ still does not operate in New Zealand as a standalone product, and our guide to watching Paramount Plus in NZ explains what that means if you want the full US library.
How Neon compares with the alternatives
At NZ$23.99 for the ad-light tier, Neon sits above Disney+ and below Netflix’s middle plan. Whether it is worth keeping year-round depends on how much of its catalogue you actually watch, because the free services here carry a lot of overseas drama too: TVNZ+ and ThreeNow are both free with ads, and our best streaming service guide lays the options side by side.
If you are adding Neon to a stack of other subscriptions, the calculator on that page will show what the whole lot costs across a year. Most households find one or two services carry nearly all their viewing, and rotating the rest month by month costs far less than keeping everything.
Watching Neon while overseas
Neon is licensed for New Zealand, so it checks where you are connecting from and blocks access from overseas addresses. Travellers get around that by connecting a VPN to a New Zealand server, which puts them back on a local address — legal here, though it does cut across Sky’s terms of use, and streaming services actively block addresses they identify as VPN ranges. If that is your use case, look for a provider with servers in Auckland; our best VPN guide notes which ones have them.
Disclaimer
Prices and catalogue details are as at September 2026 and change without much notice — check neontv.co.nz before subscribing. Using a VPN is legal in New Zealand, but accessing a service from outside the country it is licensed for may breach that service’s terms of use.
Reference sources
Frequently asked questions
How much is Neon in New Zealand?
NZ$14.99 a month for Basic with Ads, NZ$23.99 a month for Standard, or NZ$239.99 for an annual Standard subscription — about NZ$20 a month if you keep it for the year.
Does Neon still have HBO shows?
No. HBO programming left Sky and Neon in mid-June 2026 after Sky did not renew its deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. HBO Max now runs as its own subscription in New Zealand.
How many people can watch Neon at once?
Two screens at the same time on every plan, including the annual one.
What is the difference between Neon Basic and Standard?
Basic plays ads during programmes. Standard only shows an ad when you pause. Both allow two simultaneous screens.
Can I watch Neon overseas?
Not directly — it is geo-blocked outside New Zealand. Travellers typically connect through a VPN server in New Zealand, which restores a local address, though that sits outside Sky’s terms of use.
Is Neon worth it compared with Sky’s other options?
Neon carries Sky’s entertainment catalogue without a contract or a dish, which suits people who watch in bursts. Sport is not included: live sport sits on Sky Sport Now, which is priced separately.
Can I cancel Neon any time?
Monthly plans can be cancelled and restarted whenever you like, which is what makes rotating services practical. An annual plan is paid up front for the year.
