Viewers and advertisers would see little difference, at least in the short term, the company said.

However, with Sky set to officially take ownership this Friday, its lawyers have wasted no time in lodging trademark applications with the Intellectual Property Office.

The names SkyFree and Sky Free (with a space) were lodged with the office last week, along with two logos featuring different colours.

The website address skyfree.co.nz has also been registered with a domain company.

The trademark application for the Sky Free and SkyFree names is filed under six classes, including broadcasting, entertainment and retail/wholesale services.

Among other activities, broadcasting includes “webcasting (broadcasting over a computer network); television, radio and multimedia broadcasting services, including live and delayed coverage; subscription television; broadcasting and transmission; internet broadcasting and transmission”.

The applications, first reported by the NZ Media News social media account, are “under examination” by the Intellectual Property Office but have been downplayed by Sky.

“We’re not planning any change to the much-loved Three or ThreeNow brand names,” a Sky spokeswoman told Media Insider on Monday evening.

“Sky Free is simply the legal business name we’ll be using once the acquisition completes, as we will no longer be able to use Discovery NZ.

“And the team will be called Sky Free within Sky, along similar lines to our other team and business unit names.”

So while no marketing changes seem planned in the short term, it will be interesting to see how Sky does handle its various pay TV, streaming and free-to-air brands in the longer term.

Some marketers will undoubtedly believe that the company that handles Sky (and its various channels), Sky Sport Now, Sky Go, Neon, Three and Three Now, is ripe for a simplified brand strategy.

And despite Three – or TV3 as many people still call it – being easy to reference, Sky might eventually be bold enough to cut loose from the legacy reference. After all, while it has arguably been a broadly loved brand, it has not been a financially successful business for multiple owners over many years.

As Media Insider revealed on Friday, Discovery TV posted a $77.6 million after-tax loss in 2024, a red-ink-stained financial result that highlights the challenge facing Sky TV.

Despite the magnitude of the loss for the 12 months to December 31, 2024, it is a number that won’t come as a major shock and is an improvement on the $138.2m after-tax loss in 2023, although that result also included a $79.5m impairment.

The financial statements revealed negative cash flows from operating activities of $46.4m (negative $47.2m in 2023).

As at December 31, 2024, the company had net liabilities of $208.6m ($132.6m in 2023), negative working capital of $207m (negative $124.5m in 2023), cash balances of $26.8m (2023: $13.9m), and bank overdraft balances of $167m (2023: $102.3m).

Sky TV chief executive Sophie Moloney said that, notwithstanding the “ongoing challenges” faced by Discovery NZ, Sky was “uniquely placed to give effect to this opportunity to accelerate our growth strategy”.

“In particular, acquiring the established and fast-growing ThreeNow BVOD [broadcasting video on demand] platform adds an important missing component to Sky’s portfolio, without incurring the significant brand and platform development costs and inherent revenue risks associated with building a BVOD service ourselves,” said Moloney.

“The combined portfolio will give Sky significantly increased scale, diversity and mass reach that will unlock more opportunities in advertising and maximise the return on our investments in content through a strengthened, multi-platform approach.”

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.

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