This week on the channel +2.6M views this week

Ryan Bridge's election panel starts with an admission of uncertainty

The NZ Herald's live special drew roughly 323,000 views, with reporters stationed at Labour and National headquarters.

Channel:

nzherald.co.nz Story of November 12, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The channel's weekly summary: what went up this week, what is drawing views now, and where the channel stands among similar channels.

Watch: NZ Herald Live Election Night Special 2026

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

11:28David Farrar says the election is unusually difficult to predict.
12:33Trish Sherson considers possible coalitions and shifts in voter allegiance.
16:45Jamie Ensor reports from Labour headquarters at the Cossie Club in Upper Hutt.
17:59Michael Morrah reports from National headquarters at the Viaduct Events Centre before the feed drops.
18:59The first counted votes appear, with Bridge warning that it is too early to draw conclusions.

David Farrar has an unusually frank answer as Ryan Bridge opens the NZ Herald's election-night broadcast: "I have absolutely no idea. I've never been able to say that in 30 years of MMP."

That uncertainty gives "Watch: NZ Herald Live Election Night Special 2026" its opening character. Farrar joins Trish Sherson and politics professor Lara Greaves to consider coalition possibilities before the results can settle anything. Bridge crosses to Jamie Ensor at Labour's Upper Hutt gathering and Michael Morrah at National's Viaduct Events Centre headquarters. When the first small share of votes appears, he cautions against reading too much into it.

The special was comfortably the most watched of the channel's 20 uploads this week, with almost all its viewing arriving in the opening day. The conversation has since moved from counting votes to assessing campaigns: two Gerry Brownlee clips cover National's tactics and his departure from Parliament.

Those Brownlee uploads are among the channel's busiest videos right now, alongside Tony Alexander's discussion of housing markets on both sides of the Tasman. Alexander says New Zealand recorded a record number of homes sold at a loss in the third quarter, while Australia's market has slumped.

Across nzherald.co.nz, daily views are running at more than twice their usual level, and the subscriber total grew over the week. Nearby broadcaster RNZ is having a quieter day than usual; 5 News is also drawing substantially above its customary daily audience. For the Herald, the election special supplied the week's largest audience, while housing and Brownlee's political reflections are supplying the fresh viewing.

Published on Trari