Alex Casey unravels a durational mystery on local streaming services.
Every now and then, one gets an email that makes the hairs on the back of one’s neck stand on end. “Good morning,” this particular email began. “I have a potential pitch of a story idea. Perhaps you think it’ll be of interest to your readers?” Our informant then revealed a shocking truth that has long been hiding in plain sight: “I’ve noticed for a long time that the streaming platform TVNZ+ will slightly speed up the playback of some shows imported from overseas.”
By way of example, they referenced the first episode of Matlock. On overseas streaming platforms, the episode duration is consistently between 43-44 minutes long. On TVNZ+ it comes in at a trim 41 minutes and 44 seconds. Cruise around the platform, and the disparity is everywhere: Superstore S01E01 is 20 minutes and 37 seconds on TVNZ+, but 22 minutes on Prime Video in the US. Suits S01E01 is one hour 17 minutes on TVNZ+, and over one hour 20 minutes on US Netflix.
Our whistleblower was concerned about not getting the full bang for their buck. “The closest comparison I could think of would be if every time a New Zealander googled the Mona Lisa, they would see a cropped version,” they mused. Towards the end of their email, they posited another neck-hair-raising thought: “it amounts to a Crown entity tampering with art. Not as serious as censorship, but maybe it could be argued that it’s a slippery slope?”
Sadly, any visions of Christopher Luxon maniacally slicing scenes from Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever were soon quashed with this response from TVNZ: “Rest assured, Kiwi viewers are not missing out on any storylines from their favourite international shows streaming on TVNZ+” a spokesperson responded. “Matlock episodes will be the same in each territory, with international streamers choosing to include ‘next time’ teases which extends the total duration.”
After that response, I could have wrapped this mystery up in a bow and left it under Grumpy Cat’s Christmas tree, but I kept digging around and realised that it wasn’t just TVNZ+ that was offering up shorter durations to New Zealand eyeballs. White Lotus S3E01 is one hour and one minute long on HBO Max. Here on Neon, it’s just 58 minutes. Severance also appears slightly severed: S2E01 is 50 minutes in the US, but a positively fleeting 48 minutes on AppleTV+ in Aotearoa.
So what’s really happening here? Are all our imported overseas shows being slightly sped up, Benny Hill style, in an attempt to get us to cram in more television? Are we losing lines of dialogue here and there that don’t translate to a local audience? Are key scenes being cut to keep us coming back for more in a confusing Lost-style breadcrumbing? Is all this mystery tampering perhaps the real reason I can’t follow Severance to save my life?
It wasn’t long before a spokesperson from Neon revealed the true cause behind our expeditious episodes. “The duration difference is due to the differing frame rates between the US and the rest of the world,” they wrote. “It’s an accepted industry practice to slightly speed up playback to match local standards, which can result in shorter runtimes without losing any content. I can confirm that Sky doesn’t edit any of the content. It is broadcast in full.”
Several industry insiders confirmed the disparity in frame rates, which simply refers to how many single frames are packed into one second of video. For example, HBO shows like The White Lotus, Succession and Game of Thrones are typically mastered at 23.98 frames per second – or fps – whereas the standard in New Zealand is 25 frames per second. To confuse matters further, Sky’s standard frame rate is 50i, or 50 interlaced fields per second.
What this all means is that when international shows make it down under, the slightly accelerated frame rate on our streaming services can shave roughly 4% off the duration. It’s not enough to notice when you’re kicking back and watching an episode here and there, but if you were to try and hit play on The White Lotus finale at the same time as your friend in the United States, you might find out who died a few seconds before they do.
While this mild acceleration is not due to any conspiracy or censorship, it is still a revelation for those who watch excessive amounts of television at once and feel guilty about it. For example, if you wanted to binge watch gripping medical drama The Pitt ahead of its finale, it would set you back 658 minutes if you were in the US, or 10.9 hours. Here in Aotearoa, you can get just as much contact time with Dr Robbie for just 638 minutes, or 10.6 hours – a 20 minute discount.
With that extra 20 minutes up your sleeve, you’d then be free to step outside and soak up the last of the sun before winter. You’d have time to whip up Jamie Oliver’s beloved 20 minute green pasta recipe, or do a 20 minute aerobic workout on YouTube. Hate to say it, but you could also keep the duration discounts rolling and squeeze in a “free” episode of Friends – 21 minutes here, 23 minutes if you were in the United States. Use this gift wisely, Aotearoa.
