Sky Refreshes Neon, Launches Drama Channel

Sky is rolling out new branding for its beefed-up streaming platform Neon as it prepares to launch Sky Drama ahead of HBO Max’s exit.

HBO Max fades to black on June 15, on the eve of the streamer’s own direct-to-consumer service going live.

That means all HBO Max programming will leave Sky and Neon, including downloaded titles on customers’ accounts.

Replacing HBO linear as Sky’s premium drama channel from June 4 will be Sky Drama (channel nine), “a curated weekly line-up of premium dramas, bringing together the hottest new releases such as The Audacity, Dutton Ranch, The Agency and new AMC horror thriller The Terror: Devil in Silver, alongside beloved library content, including a strong foreign language series offering”.

Neon’s facelift includes a raft of new titles, many from the vault, but not the long-needed 4K-UHD and Dolby Atmos upgrades that global rivals like HBO Max offer.

Here’s the media release:

Neon is unveiling a refreshed brand identity and new campaign today, marking a new chapter for the local streaming service, alongside a stellar lineup of new and returning content for audiences across the motu.

The refresh comes as Sky evolves its entertainment content offering, moving to a curated mix of content from a range of leading global partners, including Paramount, Sony Pictures Television, NBCUniversal, BBC Studios, Lionsgate, A24, The Walt Disney Company, AMC Global Media, Madman Entertainment, Fifth Season and StudioCanal, alongside standout local productions.

Neon’s refreshed visual identity and new brand campaign, Something to Stream About, is designed to create a more distinctive position in market, tapping into the conversations, social buzz and culture- defining moments around TV, delivered with a distinctly Kiwi and irreverent tone.

Nikki Goodman, Chief Customer Officer at Sky, says: “Neon has always had great shows, now it has the brand strategy to match.

“This evolution reflects how New Zealanders watch and talk about entertainment today, bringing together must-watch new titles, familiar favourites and the cultural moments everyone wants to be part of.

“Being of this place is what makes Neon stand out from its global competitors – it is distinctively Kiwi, knows its audience and isn’t afraid to have a point of view.”

Brand strategy agency, ThoughtFull, provided brand strategy support to Neon. Geoff Suvalko, Partner at ThoughtFull, says the streaming category presented an opportunity for Neon to stand apart.

“Streaming is a crowded space, and many of the global platforms feel the same. Through this work, we saw an opportunity to position Neon as a true Kiwi challenger and break that pattern.

“You’ll see the refreshed Neon brand start to show up more in the conversations people are already having about the shows they love, in a way that feels more relevant and engaging for New Zealand audiences.”

New this week on Neon

A strong slate of highly anticipated new titles land on Neon this week, including:

• The Audacity (14 May), a darkly comic Silicon Valley drama from Better Call Saul and Succession writer-producer Jonathan Glatzer
• Dutton Ranch (15 May), Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone spin-off following Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler as they fight to protect the family legacy
• The Agency (17 May), a high-stakes espionage thriller starring Michael Fassbender, with season two arriving 18 June
• Mint (17 May), a critically acclaimed ‘Romeo and Juliet meets gangster’ thriller from BBC Studios

Coming soon to Neon

Upcoming highlights include Jon Hamm-fronted psychological thriller American Hostage, A24 horror series Crystal Lake, and Kill Jackie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.

From leading Canadian media and content company Bell Media (behind the much‑talked‑about Crave Original series Heated Rivalry, confirmed to return to Neon in 2027) and Blink49 Studios, comes Yaga, a mystery thriller reimagining the ancient myth of Baba Yaga for contemporary audiences, starring Carrie‑Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo and Hudson Williams.

New series from Fifth Season include The Good Daughter (Rose Byrne, Meghann Fahy), UK crime drama The Blame (Michelle Keegan) and The Westies, the latest drama from Narcos creator Chris Brancato.

Anime content from Crunchyroll is also coming to Neon, including JUJUTSU KAISEN, SPY x FAMILY and Cowboy Bebop.

Neon continues to invest in local storytelling for Aotearoa New Zealand, with new Sky Originals including crime drama Bust Up (Morgana O’Reilly, Roimata Fox) landing on 27 May.

Later in the year, comedy Good Bones (Josh Thomson) will land, alongside programming for family audiences including the return of Secrets of Red Rocks, new animated series Tralala and The Last Moa.

A slate of exclusive films will roll out across winter, including The Running Man, The Long Walk, Kangaroo, Sentimental Value, Splitsville and The SpongeBob Movie, alongside local titles Not Only Fred Dagg but Also John Clarke and Grace: A Prayer for Peace.

Neon’s content expansion includes a significant refresh of its library, spanning premium drama, comedy, crime and international series. Highlights of newly available content include Downton Abbey, Dawson’s Creek, The Bridge, Ray Donovan, Scrubs, Atlanta, The Americans and Homeland.

Coming soon: Sky Drama

As part of Sky’s broader entertainment evolution, a brand‑new channel, Sky Drama, will launch in early June for Entertainment customers. Sky Drama will deliver a curated weekly line‑up of premium dramas, bringing together the hottest new releases such as The Audacity, Dutton Ranch, The Agency and new AMC horror thriller The Terror: Devil in Silver, alongside beloved library content, including a strong foreign language series offering.

Key new series launching in May

The Audacity (from 14 May)
In the bubble of Silicon Valley, a self-appointed ‘inventor of the future’ tech CEO and his self-serving performance psychologist are engulfed in a scandal sparked by the exploitation of personal data. Starring Billy Magnussen, Sarah Goldberg, Lucy Punch, Zach Galifianakis, Randall Park

Dutton Ranch (from 15 May)
Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch follows Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton as they gamble everything on a new life in South Texas, but the promise of building a future far from the ghosts of Yellowstone quickly collides with brutal new realities and a rival ranch that will stop at nothing to protect its empire. Starring Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Jai Courtney, Annette Benning, Ed Harris

The Agency S1 (from 17 May)
A gripping, high-stakes espionage thriller following covert CIA operative “Martian” as he’s abruptly pulled out of deep undercover and reassigned to London Station. But when a past love resurfaces, his carefully constructed identity begins to unravel, drawing him into a dangerous web where personal loyalty collides with global intelligence operations. Starring Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith and Richard Gere.

Mint (from 17 May)
Forbidden romance tears a gangster family apart in this criminally good love story from award-winning writer Charlotte Regan (Scrapper). At the centre is Shannon, the daughter in a dominant crime family, who is desperately searching for romance in the shadow of her father, Dylan. Experience the obsession of first love as she falls hard for Arran, a member of a rival crime family who has newly arrived in town. Starring Emma Laird and newcomer Ben Coyle-Larner (musician Loyle Carner).

Upcoming series on Neon

American Hostage, Apollo Has Fallen, Blood of my Blood S2, Bust Up, Crystal Lake, Good Bones, Heated Rivalry S2, Kill Jackie, Secrets at Red Rocks S2, Taylor Swift: A Love Story, The Agency S2, The Blame, The Good Daughter, The Last Moa, The Westies, Tralala, Yaga

Crunchyroll content

JUJUTSU KAISEN, SPY x FAMILY, Cowboy Bebop, BLUE LOCK, Mob Psycho 100, The Apothecary Diaries (all available from 15 May) 

New library content

Available now:
A Very English Scandal S1, Atlanta S1–4, Babylon Berlin S1–4, Cheers S1–11, Crimson Rivers S1–4, Dawson’s Creek S1–6, Downton Abbey S1-6, Harlots S1–3, High Fidelity S1, Homeland S1–8, Pagan Peak S1–3, Ray Donovan S1–7, Skins S1–7, Sleepy Hollow S1–4, Snowfall S1–6, The Americans S1–6, The Bridge S1–4, The Last Man on Earth S1–4, The New Pope S1, The Tudors S1–4, The Young Pope S1, Wilfred S1–4, You’re the Worst S1–5

Coming soon:
Years and Years (17 May), Gomorrah S1–5 (19 May), Poldark S1-5 (19 May), Wisting S1–4 (19 May), S.W.A.T. S1–8 (19 May), SisterS S1 (25 May), 30 Rock S1-7 (28 May), Brooklyn Nine-Nine S1-8 (28 May), Community S1–6 (28 May), Glee S1–6 (28 May), Parks and Recreation S1-7 (28 May), Shoresy S1-5 (28 May), The King of Queens S1–9 (28 May), The Mindy Project S1–6 (28 May), The Office S1–9 (28 May), Will & Grace S1-8 (28 May), Workaholics S1–7 (28 May), Homicide: Life on the Streets S1–6 (29 May), Nashville (June) and Mad Men (June)