Choice TV is the third largest, privately owned, national free-to-air television broadcaster in New Zealand and has been on air since 2012. In November 2014, Canada's Blue Ant Media bought a majority stake in Choice TV, marking the group's first international expansion. In late 2019, the channel was acquired by Discovery, Inc., along with sister network HGTV New Zealand. Choice TV was launched on 28 April 2012, at 5 p.m. It was created and co-founded by Alex Breingan, Julia Baylis, Laurie Clarke and Vincent Burke. The name Choice TV was originally thought up by producer Rachel Hart. It is broadcast nationally on the Freeviewdigital TV network Channel 12 and on SKY Television Channel 24. Vodafone also carries the channel for their cable subscribers in Wellington and Christchurch. According to the Nielsen ratings, the channel's four-week cumulative audience is about 1.8 million people since January 2014 - New Zealand's population being 4.8 million. The channel features programs on topics such as: property renovation, home and garden, food, travel, adventure, fishing, entertainment, comedy, and drama.
The January 2013 season began with exclusive content including ITV Granada's Jonathan Ross Show and Sony Pictures Television's made-for-TV movie seriesJesse Stone, starring Tom Selleck. During March 2013, Sony Pictures Television aired the short-lived ABC sitcom Mr. Sunshine and the daytime drama Days of Our Lives, which had been discontinued by TVNZ two years earlier when its contract with Sony Pictures expired. Days of Our Lives picks up from the 2011 season, one and half seasons behind the then-current United States' NBC season. TVNZ had previously been more than five years behind the United States's programming. From April to August 2013, re-runs of the Sony Pictures Television 1996 drama Early Edition aired weekdays and was then replaced by the ITV Granada show Wild at Heart. The show Being Erica, distributed by BBC Worldwide and produced by CBC, began airing on Saturday, 10 August 2013. From September 2013, Choice TV started playing the second season of the Australian TV comedy Twenty Something. Days of Our Lives went on a summer hiatus until 10 February 2014, just before the end of season 47. The last few episodes aired on Friday, 20 December 2013 and Sunday, 22 December 2013. On 25 April 2014, Choice TV announced that they would suspend their decision to order more seasons of Days of Our Lives. Being Ericas second season premiered on 23 January 2014 in the daytime weekday slot while Days of Our Lives was off-air. Vexeds second season premiered in late March 2014 for New Zealand viewers. Choice TV also began playing Better Man in late May 2014. In November 2015, Choice TV launched an on demand service.
