Corporate brand
UnclaimedEden is a national New Zealand free-to-air television channel, formerly known as Choice TV.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Eden is a privately owned New Zealand television channel offering a broad schedule of lifestyle, travel, factual entertainment, reality, comedy, movies, drama, news and game-show programming. The service began broadcasting as Choice TV on 28 April 2012, launching nationally through New Zealand's Freeview digital terrestrial platform and also becoming available through Sky and, for a period, Vodafone's IPTV service. Its founding team comprised Alex Breingan, Julia Baylis, Laurie Clarke and Vincent Burke. The channel was established as a general-interest alternative intended to combine accessible international programming with locally produced New Zealand content. During its independent period, Choice TV built its schedule around themed evening blocks. Travel, property and design, outdoor programming, food, home and garden, and weekend entertainment each received recurring prominence. The channel acquired programming from distributors and producers associated with BBC Worldwide, ITV Granada, Sony Pictures Television, SBS, ABC, Fremantle Australia, Zodiak Media and other international suppliers. Its schedule included imported drama, sitcoms, lifestyle series, documentaries, movies and factual entertainment. Choice TV also experimented with original production, including the morning programme Brunch, the food series Cook the Books, the gardening programme Get Growing, The Get Growing Roadshow, Full Frontage, My Dream Room: Kids Edition and Uncharted New Zealand. Choice TV attracted a substantial national audience for a relatively small network. Reference material associated with the channel reported a four-week cumulative audience of approximately 1.8 million people by early 2014, although that historical figure should not be treated as a current audience measurement. In November 2014, Canada's Blue Ant Media acquired a majority stake, marking the company's first international expansion. The channel subsequently became part of a larger New Zealand television portfolio when Discovery, Inc. acquired Choice TV and its sister network HGTV New Zealand in late 2019. Discovery later became part of Warner Bros. Discovery. Choice TV On Demand was discontinued in May 2021, with its programming transferred to the ThreeNow platform. In 2021, the operator announced plans to rename the channel Gusto, but that name was abandoned before the planned launch. On 21 March 2022, Choice TV instead relaunched as Eden. The rebrand retained much of the channel's established lifestyle and entertainment character while adding programmes such as Newshub Live at 8pm and a wider selection of drama, British factual entertainment and game shows. A one-hour timeshift service, eden+1, launched on the same date. In July 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery announced the sale of its New Zealand free-to-air assets, including Eden, to Sky Network Television. The transaction was completed on 1 August 2025 for the stated consideration of NZ$1, alongside the transfer of other channels and the ThreeNow streaming operation. Warner Bros. Discovery retained a multi-year content-supply arrangement. Eden therefore became part of Sky's New Zealand television portfolio while continuing to operate as a branded free-to-air channel. The associated eden+1 timeshift service was later discontinued on 29 January 2026, according to the supplied reference material.
History
Eden originated as Choice TV, a privately established New Zealand television channel founded by Alex Breingan, Julia Baylis, Laurie Clarke and Vincent Burke. It commenced broadcasting at 5 p.m. on 28 April 2012. From the beginning, the service was distributed nationally through Freeview and was also carried on Sky, with Vodafone providing access to some IPTV subscribers. Its programming strategy centered on a rotating set of evening themes, including travel, property and design, outdoor interests, food, home and garden, and general entertainment. The early schedule combined licensed international content with local commissions and channel-produced programmes. Suppliers and rights holders represented in the schedule included BBC Worldwide, ITV Granada, Sony Pictures Television, Australian broadcasters and production companies, and other international distributors. Choice TV aired series such as The Jonathan Ross Show, Jesse Stone films, Days of Our Lives, Being Erica, Vexed and other acquired drama, comedy and factual programmes. Local projects included Brunch, Cook the Books, Get Growing, The Get Growing Roadshow, Full Frontage, My Dream Room: Kids Edition and Uncharted New Zealand. The network also developed food-related programming with Top Shelf Productions. In November 2014, Blue Ant Media bought a majority stake in Choice TV. This made the New Zealand channel part of the Canadian company's international expansion and ended its initial fully independent ownership phase. At the end of the decade, Discovery acquired Choice TV and HGTV New Zealand. Following Discovery's later combination with WarnerMedia, the channels became part of Warner Bros. Discovery's New Zealand operations. The service's digital strategy changed in 2021 when Choice TV On Demand was closed and its programmes were moved to ThreeNow. Warner Bros. Discovery first announced that Choice TV would be renamed Gusto in March 2022. The proposed name was subsequently abandoned before launch, reportedly because of possible confusion with a former TVNZ OnDemand food channel using the same name. The final rebrand took effect on 21 March 2022 under the name Eden, stylised as eden. The revised schedule retained much of Choice TV's lifestyle and entertainment identity, while adding Newshub Live at 8pm, more drama, British factual entertainment, game shows and selected films. An accompanying one-hour delayed service, eden+1, launched at the same time. In July 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed an agreement to sell its New Zealand free-to-air television assets, including Eden, Three, Bravo, Rush and HGTV, together with the ThreeNow streaming operation, to Sky Network Television. The transaction closed on 1 August 2025. The reported purchase price was NZ$1, and Warner Bros. Discovery continued to supply content under a multi-year commercial agreement. Eden consequently became part of Sky's New Zealand channel portfolio. The associated eden+1 service was reported in the supplied material as discontinued on 29 January 2026. The channel's identity remains rooted in broad free-to-air entertainment rather than a narrowly specialized genre, combining local New Zealand programming with acquired international content.
- 2026
eden+1 ends
[1]The supplied reference material records the discontinuation of eden+1 on 29 January.
- 2025
Sky completes acquisition
[1]Sky Network Television completes its purchase of Eden and Warner Bros. Discovery's other New Zealand free-to-air assets on 1 August.
- 2022
Eden brand launches
[1]Choice TV is rebranded as Eden on 21 March, and eden+1 launches as a one-hour timeshift channel.
- 2021
Choice TV On Demand closes
[1]The on-demand service ends and programming is moved to ThreeNow.
- 2019
Discovery acquires the channel
[1]Discovery acquires Choice TV and sister channel HGTV New Zealand.
- 2014
Blue Ant Media takes a majority stake
[1]Blue Ant Media acquires majority ownership of Choice TV in November.
- 2012
Choice TV begins broadcasting
[1]Choice TV launches nationally on 28 April through Freeview, with additional distribution through Sky and some IPTV services.
Products and positioning
A broad, accessible New Zealand free-to-air entertainment channel combining lifestyle, factual, travel, home-and-garden, drama, comedy, movies, news and game shows, with a mix of acquired international programmes and selected local productions.
Free-to-air television channel · 2022
Eden
Eden is a national New Zealand free-to-air channel carrying a general-interest schedule. Its programming spans lifestyle, home and garden, travel, factual entertainment, reality, comedy, drama, movies, news and game shows. The service was launched as Choice TV in 2012 and adopted the Eden name in 2022.
Timeshift television channel · 2022
eden+1
eden+1 was a one-hour delayed version of Eden intended to give viewers an additional scheduling option. It launched on 21 March 2022 on Freeview channel 18 and Sky channel 505. The supplied reference material states that the service was discontinued on 29 January 2026.
Brand decisions
2025
Sell the New Zealand free-to-air portfolio to SkyM&ABackground
Warner Bros. Discovery decided to sell its New Zealand free-to-air assets and the ThreeNow streaming operation.
Action taken
Sky Network Television acquired Eden and the other listed assets, with the transaction completing on 1 August 2025.
Aftermath
Eden became part of Sky's New Zealand television portfolio, while Warner Bros. Discovery continued supplying content under a multi-year commercial agreement.
Reported transaction consideration. NZ$1 (Transaction completed 1 August 2025)
2022
Replace the planned Gusto rebrand with EdenGeneration changeBackground
The operator announced in 2021 that Choice TV would become Gusto, but the proposed name was dropped shortly before launch because of potential confusion with a former TVNZ OnDemand food channel.
Action taken
Choice TV relaunched as Eden on 21 March 2022, retaining much of its prior programming while adding news, drama and further entertainment content.
Aftermath
The Eden brand replaced Choice TV and was accompanied by the launch of the eden+1 timeshift service.
Recent events
Reported
EDEN opens its first Vancouver retail location[2]
EDEN opened its first branded retail location in British Columbia, at 4317 Fraser Street in East Vancouver, and the store was open to the public as of July 30, 2021.
Reported
Eden launches Mother’s Day campaign film[3]
Eden launched its Mother’s Day campaign film, “Unconditional,” during the #EdenSpeaks Facebook Live event in the Philippines.
Reported
Eden completes acquisition of Managed by Q[4]
Eden confirmed that it had successfully acquired Managed by Q. The reported transaction price was $25 million, which Eden did not confirm.
Sources5 sources
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