Sky offers online pass to watch top sports
truth, it was not the most enthusiastic affair around the country, even if the capital put on a show.
Wellington made widespread use of electric lighting for the first time. At night, Parliament was illuminated with the message ‘‘Advance New Zealand’’, while the Government Buildings across the road bore ‘‘The New Dominion’’.
Ward appeared alongside the governor, Baron Plunket, at 11am to officially declare the change.
The crowd gathered had been thin until bolstered by military uniforms, but represented ‘‘an exhilarating feast of colour’’, as the (apparently quite overwrought) Evening Post reporter put it. Ward’s message was followed by a booming salute from the guns of HMS Challenger.
Again, the Post writer became rhapsodic, comparing it to a marriage ceremony – did anyone know any reason why New Zealand should not be wedded to dominion? ‘‘No-one protested and the marriage was concluded without any embarrassment. Everything did go as pleasantly as a wedding bell.’’
The paper’s editorial celebrated. ‘‘Even the most sceptical are at last convinced that the country has passed from the knickerbockers of colony into the long trousers of dominion,’’ it wrote. ‘‘People are no longer colonials but Dominionals or Dominionites.’’
Neither of those names caught on, of course. While the paper noted little changed in practice, it was symbolic for the country. Perhaps even the start of New Zealand being a country.
‘‘Some prophets . . . see in the new name the beginning of the end. Not an ignoble end, but a grand finale, separate nationhood, a country absolutely controlling its own destiny.’’
Perhaps the most important thing for The Evening Post, however, was taking place near the Plimmer Steps.
That day, editor Charles Westwood Earle published the first edition of The Dominion. For the first time in many years, the Post had a serious rival. The Dominion Post – 150 Years of News is available via dompost.co.nz or 0800 50 50 90. Priced at $34.95 + $3 postage and handling or $29.95 + $3 p&h for subscribers. FANS wanting to watch just their favourite sport live, either Super Rugby, League or Formula One, will be able to do so online, but for almost $300 a season each.
In what is supposed to be budget option, Sky Television will let people watch Super Rugby games online from next week without requiring that they sign up to its broadcast pay-television service.
But a ‘‘season pass’’ to Super Rugby games will cost $299, or viewers can get a monthly online pass for $69 or a weekly one for $29.
NRL and Formula One would also be offered online and some other sports would follow, spokeswoman Kirsty Way said.
Season passes for NRL games and F1 races are also priced at $299, with monthly passes costing $59 and $49 respectively and weekly ones $19.90 and $24.90.
The passes are being sold through a website separate to Sky’s main site, fanpass.co.nz.
Meanwhile, many Disney films and shows that Netflix will offer in Australia will not be available to New Zealand subscribers, the company says.
The US streaming TV service is launching in Australia and New Zealand in March.
Netflix said yesterday that it would be unable to show newer programmes from Disney and Marvel’s current catalogues in New Zealand because those rights had been sold elsewhere.
Sky Television confirmed had the rights.
Among the content that Netflix will be able to stream in Australia but not in New Zealand are the films Frozen, Planes, Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Saving Mr Banks and Muppets Most Wanted.
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