Food Network
Food Network was a New Zealand pay-television channel dedicated to food, wine, restaurant and culinary programming.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
Food Network was a New Zealand pay-television channel focused on food-related programming. It operated as a specialist service for viewers interested in cooking, food culture, wine and restaurants, and was described as New Zealand's only channel dedicated specifically to the country's food, wine and restaurant community. The service was based in Auckland and distributed through Sky, New Zealand's principal pay-television platform. The channel began on 1 November 2005 under the name Food TV. It was launched by The Living Channel New Zealand Limited, the company that also operated the Living channel. Food TV was conceived as a dedicated culinary network rather than as a general-entertainment service. Its programming was sourced from international television content; the channel did not originate its own domestic productions. This made it a localized distribution and scheduling operation rather than a major New Zealand commissioning brand. A significant ownership change occurred on 2 July 2014, when Discovery, Inc. acquired The Living Channel New Zealand Limited. The acquisition brought Food TV and its sister channel Living into Discovery's portfolio and connected the New Zealand service with Discovery's broader international factual and lifestyle television business. On 1 December 2018, Food TV was rebranded as Food Network. The change localized the American Food Network identity for the New Zealand market and aligned the channel with a widely recognized international culinary television brand. Despite the new name, the New Zealand service remained a localized channel, with its schedule built around acquired and internationally supplied Food Network programming rather than original New Zealand productions. The channel's operation ended in 2021. On 3 February, Sky announced that Food Network would close in New Zealand and that selected Food Network programs would move to the sister channel Living. On 1 March 2021, Food Network's schedule was replaced by a localized version of Investigation Discovery. The closure ended the dedicated Food Network channel presence in New Zealand, although some of its programming continued to be available through another Discovery-affiliated service.
History
Food Network's New Zealand history began with the launch of Food TV on 1 November 2005. The channel was established by The Living Channel New Zealand Limited and distributed on Sky. Its purpose was to provide a dedicated television destination for culinary content, covering subjects such as cooking, food, wine and restaurants. It occupied a specialist position within New Zealand pay television and was presented as the country's only channel devoted entirely to the food, wine and restaurant sphere. Unlike a conventional national broadcaster, the service did not develop an identifiable slate of original domestic productions. Its role was primarily to acquire, localize and schedule food-related programming for New Zealand viewers. The channel therefore combined a local distribution footprint with programming sourced from international television production and brand ecosystems. The ownership structure changed in 2014. On 2 July, Discovery, Inc. acquired The Living Channel New Zealand Limited, including Food TV and the related Living channel. This placed the service within Discovery's wider group of factual, lifestyle and entertainment channels. The acquisition created the corporate basis for a later brand alignment with Discovery's international Food Network operation. On 1 December 2018, Food TV was renamed Food Network. The rebrand made the New Zealand channel a localized version of the American Food Network identity. It did not turn the service into a domestic production network; rather, the channel continued to operate as a New Zealand-facing schedule built primarily from acquired Food Network content and other relevant culinary programming. The service was discontinued in 2021. Sky announced the closure on 3 February, explaining that a selection of Food Network programs would move to Living. On 1 March, Food Network was removed and the schedule was replaced by a localized version of Investigation Discovery. The transition ended the dedicated Food Network channel in New Zealand after roughly fifteen years of operation under the Food TV and Food Network names.
- 2021
New Zealand channel closes
[1]Food Network closed in New Zealand, with selected programs transferred to Living and the channel slot subsequently replaced by Investigation Discovery.
- 2018
Food TV becomes Food Network
[1]The channel was relaunched under the Food Network name as a localized New Zealand version of the American brand.
- 2014
Discovery acquires the operating company
[1]Discovery, Inc. acquired The Living Channel New Zealand Limited, which operated Food TV and Living.
- 2005
Food TV launches
[1]The Living Channel New Zealand Limited launched Food TV on Sky as a specialist food and culinary pay-television channel.
Products and positioning
A specialist pay-television service centered on food, cooking, wine, restaurants and culinary lifestyle content for the New Zealand market.
Pay-television channel · 2005
Food TV
Food TV was the channel's original identity, launched on Sky in 2005 by The Living Channel New Zealand Limited. It provided a dedicated schedule of food, cooking, wine and restaurant programming for New Zealand subscribers. The service did not originate its own domestic content and instead functioned as a localized specialist television channel.
Localized pay-television channel · 2018
Food Network New Zealand
Food Network New Zealand was the channel's identity from December 2018 until its closure in March 2021. It localized the Food Network brand for the New Zealand market and focused on culinary, food, wine and restaurant programming. Its schedule was supplied through the international Food Network programming ecosystem rather than through a substantial slate of locally originated shows.
Brand decisions
2021
Close the New Zealand Food Network serviceStrategyBackground
Sky announced that the dedicated Food Network channel would be removed from the New Zealand pay-television lineup.
Action taken
The channel was closed, selected programs were shifted to Living, and its schedule was replaced by a localized version of Investigation Discovery.
Aftermath
Food Network ceased operating as a standalone New Zealand channel on 1 March 2021.
2018
Rebrand Food TV as Food NetworkStrategyBackground
Following Discovery's acquisition of the New Zealand operating company, the channel was aligned with the established international Food Network identity.
Action taken
Food TV was renamed Food Network and presented as a localized version of the American channel.
Aftermath
The New Zealand service continued as a specialist culinary channel until its closure in 2021.
Recent events
Food Network announces Food Network Obsessed podcast[2]
Food Network announced its first podcast, Food Network Obsessed, hosted by Jaymee Sire and scheduled to launch on Friday, January 8.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Reported
Discovery UK rebrands free-to-air channels to align with dplay[3]
Discovery U.K. rebranded its free-to-air channels to align them with dplay, its ad-funded streaming service.
Food Network Kitchen service launch[4]
Discovery announced that Food Network Kitchen, a direct-to-consumer cooking platform, would launch in the U.S. late the following month, offering interactive cooking instruction and on-demand classes.
Sources4 sources
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