Television: The Sky is Failing – What Happened During The Block NZ Premiere Last Night?
Last night, Sky customers suffered a lengthy television blackout across free-to-air channels TV1, TV2 and TV3. This occurred during the premiere episode of The Block NZ, the biggest MediaWorks television event since the Story premiere. Not only that, but the blackout hit right when the teams were weirdly double bluffing their way to choosing their decrepit house. It was a tense, suspenseful scene – made even more so when the screen plunged into a darkness.
People from the telly were steamed:
But it wasn’t just The Block that suffered, fans of Purina Pound Pups were also left with a bone to pick:
The blackout lasted into the beginning of the Humans finale, one of TV3’s biggest international dramas of 2015.
SCOUT reported that the problem was with a particular type of set top box, affected around 200,000 people. This morning both MediaWorks and Sky were unable to be reached for comment.
Alex Casey
Alex Casey is a senior writer at The Spinoff with over a decade of experience writing about popular culture and social issues in Aotearoa. She lives in Ōtautahi and likes watching reality TV and walking the dog, occasionally at the same time.
