Vodafone NZ's Vodafone TV service - which had been due to shutdown on September 30, has been given a stay of execution until October 30.
The reason is delays with Sky TV's new box, which will feature Vodafone TV-style features, including the ability to stream regular Sky channels over UFBfibre (negating the need for a dish on your roof), support for 4K Ultra High Definition video and support for third-party apps like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon's Prime Video.
Sky originally hoped to start rolling out its new box from mid-year, but was hit by Covid supply chain issues. Staff trials are now under way, and the pay-TV provider is due to update further when it reports its financial results next week.
Vodafone TV - a gadget that sold for $179 - acted as both a Sky TV decoder and a streaming device.
The telco says it's shuttering the service because it was a money loser. It said earlier this year that around 100,000 customers have a Vodafone TV unit, though not all use it to access Sky (it can also be used for free-to-air-channels and streaming only).
Refunds are being issued on a sliding $75 to $150 (see box below) for those who bought a Vodafone TV within the past two and half years. Around 40,000 customers will qualify for some level of refund, Vodafone says.
