Review: NPO Start & Plus – offer, prices, series and more
Is NPO Plus worth it for you? Read all about its offer, prices and our advice here!
In the age of streaming, it seems almost medieval: public television. But NPO has done a particularly good job of transforming Uitzending Gemist into its own VOD platform NPO Start and NPO Plus. Read all about their prices, offers and benefits below!
Founded in: 2003 (as lost broadcast)
Headquarters in: Hilversum, Netherlands
Focus: Dutch and European movies, series and shows
Payment form: free or subscription
Price: free of €2.95
Uitzending Gemist was born in 2003 as a service to watch lost shows. In later years the name changed to NPO Start and NPO Plus was launched in 2014 as an additional paid service. With over half a million subscribers to NPO Plus in 2021, the service has gained a significant position within the Dutch VOD landscape, partly thanks to its many attractive extras.
offer
Many Dutch film classics are listed in the NPO Start catalogue, along with recent TV shows, cabaret shows and series in Dutch. Radio stations from the Dutch Public Broadcasting can also be found on NPO Start, as well as a separate children’s page for children’s programmes, films and series.
The focus is clearly on local programs with a special place for new additions from the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and the Netherlands Film Academy.
In addition, NPO Start is a unique place where detective and true crime series from many European countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom and Norway, arrive.
PAY ATTENTION: Not only Dutch programs can be found at NPO Start. Foreign language content airing on NPO1, NPO2, NPO3 or related channels will eventually make its way to NPO Start or even earlier to NPO Plus.
Programs from commercial stations, such as RTL and SBS, can be found at a higher price. NL Ve.
Pricing and subscriptions
NPO Start is free to use and available in browsers and on Smart TVs.
NPO Plus Cost €2.95 per month and offers a wider range than NPO Start. Some series are also first put on NPO Plus in their entirety, while episodes are released weekly on TV.
our advice
NPO Start is certainly a free service to consider as a convenient TV replacement. The arrival of Sinterklaas or Remembrance Day can always be seen via the present live streams and save some money if you don’t want to buy a TV subscription.
For fans of Dutch series or European police series, NPO Plus is a surprisingly good option. Despite the fact that the range is not particularly wide, NPO Plus offers high-quality material at an acceptable price. It can be quite educational to browse their website and see what is being done outside of the United States.