Showmax is launching a new product specifically for the African market. It will feature content from the continent, live sports as well as the usual series and movies.
“This is all about an African service developing a solution that meets the needs of African consumers,” said Niclas Ekdahl, CEO of the Connected Video division of MultiChoice.
MultiChoice’s believes subscription video on demand services (SVoD) have not catered to the needs of the majority of consumers in Africa. The US model relies on an audience comfortable with e-commerce and credit cards.
The reality is that smartphones and tablets are, for many in Africa, the primary, if not only, window to the internet, and up until now none of the most popular SVoD services have designed a product specifically for mobile usage, MultiChoice said.
With that in mind, the Africa-wide pay TV broadcaster has created a mobile plan that costs 50% less than the standard Showmax package but still features 100% of the same video content.
Product designed for mobile usage
“Customer feedback consistently points to local content and sport as some of the things that people value most from Showmax. That’s of course on top of the international series, movies, and kids’ shows that are our bread and butter. With all of that content now available in a product designed specifically for mobile usage, we’re doing something no other service can offer,” Ekdahl said.
“On top of that, with groundbreaking deals like our new offer with Vodacom in South Africa, we solve the credit card issue through add-to-bill payment and the data issue by including data directly in the package. We’re looking to launch similar offers in Kenya and Nigeria soon,” he added.
The Showmax Africa offering is a combination of four pillars: hit African content, first and exclusive international series, the best kids’ shows, and live sport, including weekly matches from the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, and Spain’s La Liga.
The new plan is specifically aimed at consumers who only use smartphones and tablets to watch video content. Video resolution peaks at standard definition to help reduce data consumption, and as a product for the individual, one concurrent stream is included in the plan.
Live-streaming football
Both the standard and mobile plans include live sport, sport magazine shows and sport documentaries. The 2019 Rugby World Cup Final was streamed live on Showmax earlier this month, and the following is a selection of some of the football due to be live-streamed during the remainder of November:
22 November: Levante vs Mallorca (La Liga)
23 November: Arsenal vs Southampton (Premier League)
24 November: Bologna vs Parma (Serie A)
25 November: Aston Villa vs Newcastle United (Premier League)
29 November: Celta Vigo vs Valladolid (La Liga)
30 November: Fiorentina vs Lecce (Serie A)
30 November: Chelsea vs West Ham United (Premier League)
