TL;DR:TV Guide New Zealand captures the utility of centralized scheduling, but its reliance on legacy linear TV data creates a vulnerability as viewers shift toward fragmented streaming-first discovery. User mood: Mixed. TV Guide New Zealand holds its category lead through sticky local scheduling data but bleeds users to streaming-native rivals, so revenue growth hinges on modernizing the discovery interface to match current mobile expectations..|TL;DR:TV Guide New Zealand captures the utility of centralized scheduling, but its reliance on legacy linear TV data creates a vulnerability as viewers shift toward fragmented streaming-first discovery. User mood: Mixed. TV Guide New Zealand holds its category lead through sticky local scheduling data but bleeds users to streaming-native rivals, so revenue growth hinges on modernizing the discovery interface to match current mobile expectations..

TV Guide New Zealand • TV-Listings (NZ) is an established news app that is completely free. With a 4.3/5 rating from 66.6K reviews, it shows polarized user reception.

What is TV Guide New Zealand • TV-Listings (NZ)?

TV Guide New Zealand is a scheduling and discovery utility for live TV and streaming content on Android.

Users hire the app to consolidate fragmented viewing schedules into a single watchlist, reducing the time spent searching across multiple platforms.

Current Momentum

v1.0 · 1mo ago

Zombie
  • Ships stability updates via latest release.
  • Maintains legacy linear TV scheduling focus.
AI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

Active Nemesis

123Play

123Play

By David Buhauer

Other Rivals

Shuffle Movies
Xciptv
Popcorn - Movies, TV Series
Disney Advertising Sales
KMPlayer
Video Saver PRO+ Player
StoReel - Movies, Dramas & TV
StoryReel: Exclusive Drama

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

News

No ranking data

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

Recent User MoodAI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?

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What Are The Key Features?

Local Channel ListingsDifferentiator

Customized TV schedules based on specific cable, satellite, or antenna provider selection.

Quick Watch LinksDifferentiator

One-tap deep links to streaming services or live TV providers based on user subscriptions.

Personalized WatchlistStandard

Tracks favorite shows and movies with automated alerts for upcoming episodes and airings.

How much does it cost?

Free
  • Free ad-supported access to all listings and editorial content

The app operates as a free, ad-supported utility with no IAP or subscription gates observed.

What do users think recently?

High confidence · Latest 100 of 66.6K total reviews analyzed

What is the recent mood?

Mixed

Recent user voice shows a mixed sentiment.

What is the competitive landscape for TV Guide New Zealand • TV-Listings (NZ)?

How's The News Market?

How does it evolve in the News market?

The app maintains a 4.28-star rating across 66,643 reviews, anchoring its position as a legacy utility. The lack of recent feature iteration relative to streaming-native rivals signals a risk of audience erosion.

ChartRankChange
iOSFree#7739
iOSFree#8322

The rivals identified

The Nemesis

123Play

123Play

3.7 (7K)

David Buhauer

123Play directly competes for the same audience of film and TV enthusiasts by providing comprehensive content discovery and metadata, mirroring the core utility of the TV Guide app.

Head to Head

The target app must prioritize integrating streaming availability data to prevent users from migrating to 123Play for their 'where to watch' needs.

What sets TV Guide New Zealand • TV-Listings (NZ) apart

  • Stronger focus on live TV airings which remains a critical gap in 123Play's streaming-heavy model

  • Established brand authority as a traditional TV guide source provides higher user trust for scheduling

What's 123Play's Edge

  • Superior integration with third-party databases like TMDb provides deeper content insights for users

  • More frequent feature updates and a clearer focus on streaming availability indicators drive higher engagement

Contenders

Utilizes a swipe-based discovery mechanic that significantly reduces friction when browsing through large content libraries

Built with native performance optimizations that provide a smoother, more responsive UI than the target app

Provides a dedicated content discovery calendar that visualizes upcoming releases better than a standard list

Offers personal library management features that allow users to curate their own watch history and queues

Popcorn - Movies, TV Series

Popcorn - Movies, TV Series

1.0 (51)

Danilo Oliveira

Popcorn targets the same entertainment-focused demographic by providing movie catalogs and descriptive content summaries.

Features an ad-free interface that provides a cleaner, less intrusive user experience than the target app

Focuses heavily on descriptive movie catalogs which serves as a lightweight alternative for quick content research

Peers

Provides exclusive access to pilot streaming and upfront schedules not available to the general public

Includes professional content management tools designed for industry stakeholders rather than casual viewers

Features a built-in torrent client and network integration that offers far more utility than a guide

Supports extensive media conversion tools that allow users to manage their local file formats directly

Offers advanced security features like Face ID and password protection for stored video files

Includes a YouTube summarization tool that provides value-add content analysis beyond simple playback

Prioritizes a short-form drama library that captures the growing market for bite-sized mobile entertainment

Includes interactive character features that foster deeper user engagement compared to static TV listings

New Kids on the Block

Monetizes through a Pro Pass subscription model that offers exclusive access to a curated micro-drama library

Video File Player All Format

Video File Player All Format

0

Avn Global Application

This newcomer enters the space by focusing on high-quality, multi-format playback, appealing to users who prioritize technical performance.

Supports a wide range of video formats with full HD playback capabilities and intuitive gesture controls

The outtake for TV Guide New Zealand • TV-Listings (NZ)

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • Established brand authority in traditional TV scheduling
  • Deep integration with local cable and satellite providers

Critical Frictions

  • Dated UI compared to swipe-based discovery rivals
  • No native cloud-sync for user watchlists
  • Ad-heavy interface creates friction for casual users

Growth Levers

  • Integrate third-party metadata APIs for richer show details
  • Implement algorithmic discovery to compete with streaming guides

Market Threats

  • Rapid migration to streaming-native discovery platforms
  • Frequent feature updates from 123Play erode parity
  • Shift in user preference toward short-form, swipe-based content

What are the next best moves?

highInvest

Integrate third-party metadata APIs because 123Play provides richer content insights → increase session duration

123Play's superior metadata integration is the primary driver for user migration.

Trade-off: Pause the UI redesign sprint — metadata parity is a higher-leverage retention play.

mediumPivot

Ship cloud-sync for watchlists because it is a standard expectation → reduce user churn

Lack of cross-device sync creates friction for users with multiple mobile devices.

Trade-off: Deprioritize the email digest feature — cloud-sync has a higher impact on daily retention.

A counter-intuitive read

The app's reliance on legacy linear TV data is not a weakness but a B2B distribution moat for regional partnerships that streaming-native apps cannot easily replicate.

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • Real-time trending content discovery (available in 123Play)
  • Swipe-based discovery interface (available in Shuffle Movies)
  • Ad-free premium tier (available in Popcorn)

Key Takeaways

TV Guide New Zealand holds its category lead through sticky local scheduling data but bleeds users to streaming-native rivals, so revenue growth hinges on modernizing the discovery interface to match current mobile expectations.

Where Is It Heading?

Mixed Signals

The market is consolidating around streaming-first discovery, leaving linear-heavy guides like this one exposed. Future growth requires a pivot toward algorithmic content matching to prevent further churn to modern competitors.

The lack of feature updates compared to 123Play's frequent cadence accelerates user migration to streaming-native discovery tools.

Recent updates focused on stability, indicating the app is currently in maintenance mode rather than active growth.

Disclosure

Independent intel to help builders create better apps.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. See methodology.

Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by TV Guide New Zealand • TV-Listings (NZ), its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

Hope this helps & keep building! · Found an error?

What's new in this report

The app has transitioned into a maintenance-mode product, shifting its competitive focus from global streaming aggregation to metadata parity and cloud-sync functionality.

shifted

Competitive Focus

shifted

Sentiment Status

added

New Competitive Threats

added

Feature Gaps Identified

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “TV Guide New Zealand • TV-Listings (NZ) Intelligence Report.” Updated May 20, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/news/tv-guide-new-zealand-tv-listings-nz

Agent Markdown (.md)·

Data licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0