AUCKLAND, Today: NZME is celebrating a strong run of publishing results, with audience growth, app momentum and awards recognition reinforcing its position as a major force in New Zealand media.
From the NZ Herald to Ryan Bridge TODAY and Herald NOW Business with Garth Bray, NZME says its publishing brands are now reaching 2.5 million New Zealanders, up more than 70,000 on last year.
The NZ Herald app has held its place as the country’s top news app for more than two years. In March 2026 alone, it recorded more than 14.3 million launches, one million ahead of its nearest competitor.
The Herald on Sunday also remains New Zealand’s number one Sunday newspaper, with 129,000 more readers than its nearest rival.
NZME has also featured strongly in the 2026 Voyager Media Awards finalist list. The NZ Herald is again a finalist for Digital News Provider of the Year and Metropolitan Newspaper of the Year.
The Herald on Sunday is up for Weekly Newspaper of the Year, while the Rotorua Daily Post is a finalist for Regional Newspaper of the Year.
Less than a year after launching in May 2025, Herald NOW, including Ryan Bridge TODAY and Herald NOW Business with Garth Bray, recorded more than 3.2 million views in March, up 360% on the previous month.
“Our journalists work incredibly hard every day to inform, to investigate and to hold the powerful to account. To see that reflected in our audience numbers and recognised with multiple Voyager Media Awards nominations is something our whole team can be proud of.” – Murray Kirkness, Editor-in-Chief, NZ Herald
Since launch, Herald NOW has attracted more than 2.2 million unique viewers. Across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, Ryan Bridge TODAY generated 12.4 million views in March 2026 alone.
The show is also a finalist for Best Innovation in Digital Storytelling at this year’s Voyager Media Awards, while Sarah Bristow, NZME Head of Content & Strategy (Video/Audio), is a finalist for Editorial Leader of the Year.
Herald NOW Business with Garth Bray has also made a fast start, drawing 1.2 million views across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn in its first month. Together, the two shows delivered a combined social reach of 13.6 million views in March.
NZME says trust in its news brands is also improving, with the latest AUT Trust in News Report 2026 showing stronger scores for the Herald, BusinessDesk and Newstalk ZB. The report also named the Herald as New Zealand’s most popular news source, used by 52% of respondents in the previous week.
NZ Herald Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness says the results reflect the strength of NZME’s journalism across every platform.
“These results reflect the ambition and talent we have right across NZME. We’re reaching Kiwis in more ways than ever, whether that’s through the Herald, through Ryan Bridge TODAY’s fresh approach to daily news,
or through Herald NOW Business giving our audiences the business coverage they need to start their day. New Zealand’s media landscape is rapidly changing, and we’re proud to be leading that change.
“Our journalists work incredibly hard every day to inform, to investigate and to hold the powerful to account. To see that reflected in our audience numbers and recognised with multiple Voyager Media Awards nominations is something our whole team can be proud of.”
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