Encerramento De Canal: A TV Moçambique Internacional Deixará De Ser Transmitida Na DStv A Partir De 24 De Fevereiro

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Aqui está a tradução do artigo para o português (pt-PT/pt-BR adaptado para clareza e naturalidade, mantendo o tom jornalístico original):

No mês passado, a TLNovelas foi retirada da plataforma DStv como parte das medidas de corte de custos da Canal+ na MultiChoice. Isso também levou a SuperSport a perder os jogos dos Phillies e os Jogos Olímpicos de Inverno, com o conteúdo local a ser ainda mais reduzido na M-Net.

Com o mês ainda nem terminado, parece que a MultiChoice vai reclamar outra vítima na DStv e, desta vez, é a TV Moçambique Internacional.

A TV Moçambique é o canal internacional da emissora nacional de televisão de Moçambique, Televisão de Moçambique (TVM), que transmite 24 horas por dia. Exibia programação local com destaque para a cultura moçambicana, turismo e desporto.

Na altura, Marta Odallah, diretora da TVM Internacional, afirmou: "A adição da TVM Internacional na DStv está alinhada com o nosso objetivo de divulgar a realidade social, política, cultural e desportiva de Moçambique para além das nossas fronteiras".

"Esta colaboração representa um salto gigante tanto para a TVM como para a MultiChoice, e, de facto, um passo na direção certa da inclusão na radiodifusão para todos os moçambicanos".

Após 7 anos, o canal vai agora ficar no escuro na DStv a partir de 24 de fevereiro e parece que o encerramento está a ser abafado. Ao contrário do que aconteceu com a TLNovelas, a MultiChoice não enviou qualquer aviso aos subscritores da DStv sobre a TVM Internacional.

Este não é apenas o segundo canal a ficar no escuro durante o ano, mas, tal como a TLNovelas, era direcionado a países de língua portuguesa. Com a saída da TVM Moçambique, basicamente restam apenas a Kwenda e a Maningue Magic como alternativas.

O problema é que estas marcas são baseadas em Angola e Moçambique, enquanto a TVM Moçambique Internacional alargava o seu alcance a outras partes de África.

How Netflix's Potential Acquisition Of Warner Bros. Discovery Affects M-Net, DStv And Showmax?

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Not long ago, it was reported that Netflix won the bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery valuing the deal at $72 billion. This deal would DC Entertainment/Studios, Cartoon Network Studios, HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures/Television and New Line Cinema.

Below is a how this deal is bad news for MultiChoice

M-Net and Showmax

MultiChoice had been licensing Game Of Thrones and Penguins from HBO to M-Net and Showmax. In the event of an acquisition, Netflix had expressed interest to continue these partnerships with local broadcasters but it may not be easy.

If MultiChoice continues to license content from Warner Bros. they could as well look to increase the rates. This is something MultiChoice's new owners Canal+ may not find amusing as they've begun cost cutting due to DStv's shrinking consumer base.

Besides that, the previous owners at MultiChoice had been anti-Netflix for sometime so the general audience had sort of painted a certain image of the company. While free-to-air broadcasters such as SABC and eMedia Investments had been licensing from the streamer.

MultiChoice put up a wall between them and Netflix again this was the previous owners regime as Canal+ does view them as partners. They do have an agreement to bundle their services in francophone markets alongside a content deal through K+.

The reality is while Warner Bros. continues to license content to M-Net and Showmax, Netflix will likely make further productions exclusive to their services. If they do continue licensing, I doubt MultiChoice would want their scraps.

Netflix is already available in the market which further complicates things as M-Net and Showmax are meant to go hand in hand with their content. But then again, MultiChoice is part of StudioCanal's parent company which gives them leverage.

Netflix may offer Stranger Things, Squid Games and Wednesday but with Canal+'s MultiChoice there's Paris Has Fallen, Spinners and iShaka iLembe.

DStv

For this part, I feel there's a lot of exaggeration as Netflix is not acquiring Discovery, TLC or the linear Cartoon Network as that is being spun off into a separate company. Of course, Netflix's bid to be frank sort of dilutes the value of Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network under Discovery Global will be leaning more toward third party programming such as Lego Ninjago, Dragonball Super and Totally Spies!. While what made Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Disney "The Big 3" like Regular Show and Tiny Toons Looniversity goes to Netflix.

It's likely that they will be a licensing agreement for these shows but they'll most definitely be like DreamWorks Channel - reruns. Under a separate company, they're not going to prioritise on these Netflix originals.

If it is deemed expensive these shows could as well get phased out and again that just dilutes Cartoon Network who had been reliant on these IPs.

Turning over the torch to Discovery Global, this is the company that MultiChoice is involved in a carriage dispute with over the future of its 12 channels. These include Discovery Channel, HGTV, TLC and as mentioned the linear Cartoon Network.

Of course, the matter of concern here to me is that as mentioned with Cartoon Network while the Netflix deal makes the company more leaner. There's still another 20 billion worth of debt they need to clean out.

Expecting for content to be reduced, potential sales or closures to operations or channels and lastly massive layoffs particularly for international feeds.

All of this might as well unfold while these channels are no longer on DStv but then again it's likely that MultiChoice could opt to keep a few channels. My guess would be Discovery Channel, TLC, Cartoon Network, Real Time, Cartoonito, ID and CNN.

Former ICASA CEO To Lead MultiChoice Pty. Ltd (LicenceCo)

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Former CEO of communications regulator Icasa Willington Ngwepe has been appointed as CEO of MultiChoice LicenceCo, the company that houses DStv’s subscription broadcast licences in South Africa.

“Ngwepe brings extensive executive leadership and regulatory experience to the role. His most recent role was executive head of regulatory affairs at MultiChoice Group, where he played a central role in guiding the company’s engagement with regulatory authorities, including the approvals process for the Canal+ transaction across Africa,” MultiChoice said in a statement on Monday.

LicenceCo was created ahead of the acquisition by French broadcasting giant Groupe Canal+ of MultiChoice Group with the aim of isolating the former’s South African broadcast licensee and excluding it from the assets being acquired at group level.

This sought to avoid violating the Electronic Communications Act, which restricts foreign entities from owning and having voting rights higher than 20% in a South African broadcast licensee. LicenceCo is also the entity that South African subscribers will contract with regarding their DStv subscriptions.

AfriFund Investments, a shareholder alongside Identity Partners and MultiChoice black empowerment scheme Phuthuma Nathi in LicenceCo, is led by former Telkom Group CEO Sipho Maseko. Maseko has been appointed as “board observer” at LicenceCo.

“These developments constitute a significant milestone in strengthening the governance of MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd. The appointment of an experienced and independent board, together with the leadership of Willington as CEO, ensures continuity, compliance and stability for the operations in South Africa,” said MultiChoice.

Other nominations

News of the appointments at LicenceCo follow the consummation last month of Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice, which has seen the appointment of David Mignot as MultiChoice Group CEO. He replaced Calvo Mawela, who has shifted to the role of chairman of Canal+ Africa.

Mawela and Mignot also have nominated by MultiChoice Group to also serve on the LicenceCo board. Lerato Pule was nominated by Phuthuma Nathi to serve as its interim representative. Other nominations to the board include Sonja de Bruyn of Identity Partners and Sizeka Magwentshu-Rustenburg. Magwentshu-Rustenburg will serve as board chair. 

Why A Sports Only Package Seemed Speculative But Unlikely For DStv?

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As reported, MultiChoice is planning to restructure it's DStv packages giving consumers the option of paying for TLC and Mzansi Magic minus SuperSport. Also within the test run, is the possibility of unbundling SuperSport from the rest of the DStv offering.

This has been something Sky in the UK and their potential new owners Canal+ had in France. MultiChoice had acknowledged falling behind with other parts of the world and in its bid to attract DStv consumers will be the unbundling of its offering.

There's a reason various outlets have been highly skeptical about SuperSport becoming its own standalone platform. Take a page of Showmax PRO, some consumers would subscribe for certain matches then cancel making it hard for MultiChoice to accommodate these viewers.

Canal+ had also offered such service in the markets in which it operates and concluded to say everyone that has tried this failed.

So what MultiChoice proposed in earlier drafts was giving consumers the option of paying for local dramas, cartoons, music and movie channels. In an attempt to make rates affordable for its top tier consumers give them the option to get a football only package with other sports on a separate package.

Those choosing to pay for both packages would be offered a discounted rate. A formula Canal+ already incorporate and one MultiChoice will likely adapt when concluding their trial in the coming months.

Paramount Global Looking To Shutter Both BET And MTV Base Africa In Major Restructure

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Paramount Global‘s Africa offices may close, local channels may be shuttered, and staffers’ roles could be impacted, company executives told employees in the region on Tuesday.

The company has been prioritizing investments in its growing streaming business and core global content as it navigates shifts in audience behavior and the macro-economic environment. As part of that, it is reviewing its international pay TV strategy and considering adjustments to its linear channel portfolio in international markets, with a focus on cable brands. Management has also signaled a focus on businesses and regions with the most opportunity for revenue growth.

Tuesday’s news comes as Paramount continues to wait for FCC approval of Skydance Media’s deal to acquire it. THR understands that Paramount has fewer than 100 employees in Africa between its offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria.

“We are at a point in our journey where we are facing immense industry disruption,” Monde Twala and Craig Paterson, co-general managers of Paramount Africa, said in a staff memo obtained by THR. “Our team is not immune to potential changes as our organization evaluates its pay TV strategy and local channel footprint here in Africa.”

In June, Paramount unveiled further U.S. workforce cuts to the tune of 3.5 percent, following a 15 percent reduction last year. As of the end of 2024, Paramount Global had 18,600 employees worldwide. Co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins said in a June memo that the focus was on U.S. headcount but the moves “may also result in some impacts to our workforce outside the U.S. over time.”

Twala and Paterson acknowledged in their staff memo: “Today was incredibly difficult. We want you to know your greatness is seen. We reach out with a heavy heart, but also with immense pride. Your dedication to excellence, creativity and passion for leveraging the power of our content have been the driving force behind our many accomplishments.”

They concluded: “We understand the coming weeks may be tough and feel unsettling. Through it all, please know your efforts are valued beyond measure.”

Canal+ To Launch Streaming Service MyCanal In Eastern Europe By The End Of 2026 Followed By Asia, Could It Replace DStv Stream And Showmax In Africa?

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Canal+ is currently in the process of completing it's acquisition of MultiChoice after recieving a recommendation from the Competition Commission. Now the deal sits with the Competition Tribunal and Independent Communications Authority Of South Africa (ICASA) for further analysis. 

Reports going around is that MyCanal which is basically international version of DStv Stream and rival to Pluto TV from Paramount Global is looking to launch in Eastern Europe by the end of 2026 with Asia likely to follow in the first half of 2027.

The app combines a package of live content, replay and subscription video on demand. In addition to Canal’s own original content, it has also aggregated the platforms of Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Paramount+, BeIN, Eurosport and Dailymotion.

MyCanal currently operates in Africa namely Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda and Niger basically regions in which it pay-tv service resides. What was interesting about this report is that it mentioned Canal+ plans to rollout MyCanal in regions in which it operates.

With Canal+ currently pursuing MultiChoice who own Showmax and DStv Stream with VIU also operating in South Africa these could as well be potential candidates for its streaming endeavours.

After acquiring Netherland's SPI International, FilmBox+ serves as European equivalent of MyCanal with K+ in Vietnam so the idea of Showmax and DStv Stream fitting under this umbrella wouldn't seem far fetched a stretch.

Following the relaunch of Showmax with NBCUniversal, MultiChoice had mentioned that the number of activations had increased which indicates that the streamer has plenty of scale. This is where DStv Stream lacks as it serves as a companion app to the DStv satellite.

Some consumers have felt that DStv had become expensive even with its OTT counterpart having reduced rates for its dishless consumers. With the price of DStv Premium, consumers can pay for 5 streaming services making DStv Stream a liability.

Merging Showmax and DStv Stream would make it easier to market rather than splitting consumers and alienating them from content. DStv has a batch of channels whose content is not on Showmax and vice versa - merging could reduce those expenses.

Integrating these services could face various delays one being licensing agreements which MultiChoice could have extended for several years. Another has to do with NBCUniversal as they retain 30% in Showmax preventing full integration.

Canal+ could buy back the shares but NBCUniversal could prioritize it's streaming endeavours or want more money as seen with Hulu.

Showmax has been viewed as a direct competitor to DStv so Canal+ could look to reduce its investment perhaps by selling more shares. They do have this whole thing going on with VIU and I'd imagine them keeping a percentage in Showmax in order to tap the rest of Africa which VIU remains nonexistent.

But if I'm being rational, they could as well look to merge the two that's what happened when WarnerMedia and Discovery merged. They removed a ton of content (mainly animation) from Max and focused on adult programming while licensing it's other content to rival platforms.

Vivendi Board Gives Go-Ahead For Business Split & Sets December Shareholder Vote; Former Paramount CEO Bob Bakish To Join Canal+ Board

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Vivendi‘s plan to split its business in three has gotten board approval and will be taken to a shareholder vote on December 9. Should it go ahead, former Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish will take a seat on the Canal+ board.

The board has approved the resolutions that will be submitted to shareholders to vote on whether Canal+, ad business Havas and publishing house Louis Hachette Group should separate.

Should the demerger go ahead, Canal+ will begin trading with debts of €400M ($433M) and have a corporate team led by Yannick Bolloré, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, and Maxime Saada, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO. Jacques du Puy and Anna Marsh will both be Deputy CEO, and Amandine Ferré will be CFO.

Board members will include Bolloré, Arnaud de Puyfontaine and, intriguingly, U.S. entertainment veteran Bakish, who has been lying low since his exit as CEO of Paramount earlier this year in April. Bakish will comprise one of eight independent members on the 12-strong board.

The Canal+ and Louis Hachette elements of the split will require two-thirds majorities, while the Netherlands-based Havas part will just need a majority. This is due to the changes that will impact the corporate structures of the different businesses.

Should the plan get shareholder approval, the three businesses would begin trading separately on December 16. Each individual stake owner would see shares allotted on a one-to-one bases. In effect, each Vivendi shareholder who participates in the spin-off will receive one Canal+ share, one Havas share and one Louis Hachette Group share, while retaining their Vivendi share.

Under the new structure, Canal+ would be listed in the UK, Havas in the Netherlands and Louis Hachette on Euronext. Each company would operate separately with a “decision-making center of their activities, as well as their operational teams, in France.” Vivendi would remain on Euronext Paris.

Vivendi Unveils New Corporate Structure For Canal+ Group

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Some Vivendi-owned assets, whose operations are closely aligned with those of Canal+, are currently in the process of being transferred to the latter for the sake of consistency.

Canal+ will consolidate together with its current business GVA, which provides telecommunication services in Africa, including high-speed Internet access marketed under the brand Canalbox; the video streaming platform Dailymotion; the performance venues L’Olympia and the L’Œuvre theater in France as well as the cinema theaters CanalOlympia in Africa.

In this new configuration, Canal+ Group will represent a unique international media operation with exposure to both mature and high-growth markets. It would have recorded €6.2 billion in revenues,

€472 million in Adjusted Earnings Before Interest and Income Taxes (EBITA) and €315 million in Cash Flow From Operations (CFFO) for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Its total number of subscribers would amount to approximately 26.8 million at such date, of which 16.0 million outside of France (c. 60%). Between Dailymotion and the OTT platform myCanal, Canal+ Group would record a global audience of over 400 million monthly active users.

In recent years, Canal+ Group has made significant expenditure and investments amounting to approximately €1 billion annually in technology (including its broadcasting and streaming infrastructure, software development, CRM, etc.) to provide a highly distinctive and industry-leading customer experience on the myCanal and Dailymotion platforms.

The attached appendix sets out key figures of the new consolidation perimeter of Canal+.

Canal+ Group will have three operating segments:

• Canal+ Europe – encompassing the Group’s subscription-TV (including OTT) and advertising-supported free-to-air (FTA) TV businesses across France, the French Overseas and adjacent territories, Poland, Central Europe and Benelux (through its wholly-owned subsidiary M7) as well as telecommunication services in the French Overseas territories;

• Canal+ Africa & Asia – encompassing the Group’s subscription-TV and advertising-supported FTA TV businesses, GVA and CanalOlympia venues across French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa as well as subscription-TV business in Vietnam, Myanmar and Pacific territories;

• Content Production, Distribution and Other – encompassing Studiocanal, Dailymotion, Thema1 as well as L’Olympia and the L’Œuvre theater.

Canal+ Group also holds a non-controlling 45.2% stake in MultiChoice with an ongoing mandatory takeover offer, a 36.8% stake in the OTT platform Viu and a 29.33% stake in Viaplay.

Sanlam To Buy 60% Of MultiChoice's Insurance Business

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Sanlam will buy a 60% stake in MultiChoice's insurance business for R1.2bn in cash up front and a potential performance-based earn-out of up to R1.5bn, the groups said on Tuesday.

MultiChoice, Africa's biggest pay-TV company, said while its insurance business has demonstrated substantial growth in South Africa, its ambition to expand locally and in Africa “requires a step-up in resources, expertise and technology”.

“Sanlam's extensive presence and expertise in the African continent, coupled with its track record of success in insurance ventures with non-insurers, positions it strongly for a strategic venture with MultiChoice,” the companies said in a joint statement.

The potential cash earn-out payment is contingent upon the total gross written premium generated by the insurance business for the year ending December 31 2026, they added.

A pre-acquisition dividend of R59m will also be declared by MultiChoice's insurance business.

Shares in Sanlam were up nearly 5% up on Tuesday morning, while MultiChoice inched up 0.36%.

MultiChoice will retain a 40% interest in the insurance business and 40% in the broader commercial venture with Sanlam.

The deal gives Sanlam an opportunity to further expand its insurance and financial services business in Africa, the companies said. Opportunities outside South Africa will be facilitated through its SanlamAllianz business.

MultiChoice has a subscriber base of 21-million households in 50 African countries, while Sanlam operates in 31 countries, including eight of the top 10 largest African economies.

Canal+ Owner Vivendi Is Still Exploring A Stock Split, Publishes First Quarter Revenue

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Canal+ owner Vivendi is still exploring a stock split, as it today posted first quarter revenues up significantly.

France-based Vivendi posted Q1 revenues of €4.28B (R86 billion), up 5.4% on 2023’s numbers when using constant currencies and and the businesses the firm owns today. No earnings were revealed in the unaudited numbers.

Within those numbers, Canal+ saw revenues grow 4.3% year-on-year to €1.5B (R30 billion, +3.5% at constant currency and perimeter). International revenues were up 5.8% thanks to subscriber growth, particularly in Africa, where Canal+ has been buying up shares in MultiChoice and looks set to take over the South African giant. Mainland France TV operations revenue was up over 5%.

However, Studiocanal saw revenues decline compared with 2023, when the likes of Alibi.com 2 and John Wick 2 had significant domestic and international launches.

Other notable performances saw social video platform Dailymotion increase revenues by 24.8%, with the ‘New Initiatives’ division it is housed in posting €42M in revenues overall.

This financials come amid a period of corporate soul-searching at Vivendi, and following the takeover of publisher Lagadère in November last year.

The Paris-based company believes its stock price has been “substantially” reduced due to the consolidated nature of its media operations following the listing of Universal Music Group and wants to split its business.

Having already outlined a plan to explore dividing pay-TV and content giant Canal+, ad firm Havas and publisher Lagadère, Vivendi said a feasibility study into a stock split had been going since December 2023. The company says all three units are individually performing well — with each posting year-on-year revenue growth today — and have been hindered in their ability to invest by the “high conglomerate discount” on its shares.

The current plan is for Canal+, Havas and a publishing and distribution division would all list as independent entities on the stock market. Vivendi would also remain publicly listed “maintaining its role of supporting the transformation and expansion of its subsidiaries and continuing to actively manage its investments.”

Should the Vivendi board approve the split, employee representatives at each new entity would be engaged before necessary regulatory, bonder holder and other lender approvals is sought. A final vote would then take place at the AGM in April 2025 to ratify the moves.

Yannick Bolloré, Chairman of Vivendi’s Supervisory Board, and Arnaud de Puyfontaine, Chairman of Vivendi’s Management Board, said in a statement: “Today we are publishing a particularly sharp increase in revenues for a first quarter. This reflects the strength of our three core businesses and the Group’s ability to transform and grow.

“The organic growth of 5.4% compared to the first quarter of 2023 was notably driven by the significant contribution of Lagardère, validating the relevance of the transaction with this group last November and our confidence in the potential of its activities. Canal+ Group and Havas also delivered solid performances, with increases in reported revenues of 4.3% and 6.2%, respectively, over the same period.”

Former DStv Channel: What Happened To The Afrikaans Music Sensation MK?

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Musiek Kanaal (MK) was a youth oriented music channel with similar styling to the early 2000s MTV and Channel O. It was distributed by M-Net on DStv channel 324 when it launched by mid-2005 as MK89 with the 89 being its original frequency on the platform. 

As mentioned, MK had the MTV influence and prestige with reality shows like Jol24, Hoeneer and Petrolkop with music from Hoordoosis, Ondergrond and Kraakvars. Aside from catering to a much younger audience it was well known for infusing music genres. 

By 2013, it was announced that MK would be exiting the DStv platform after 8 years with audio version launched in place. M-Net and MultiChoice noticed its strong online presence so kept various social accounts on air in an attempt to build its streaming base.

Prior to its discontinuation, KykNET launched its third spinoff channel KykNET NOU (formerly KykNET Musiek) which is described as a variety channel incorporating music and other programming into the mix.

Although, MultiChoice had the intention of retaining MK through an international service with other content viewed on the audio bouquet. This proved to be unsuccessful as MK barely had much content in the pipeline that it wasn't long till it got discontinued to its entirety. 

To date, MK's content is still accessible on YouTube although owners Google were looking to deactivate millions of inactive accounts. With thousand hours of MK content on the platform one has to wonder how long the brand would continue to be accessible. 

Understanding the downfall of MK

According to MultiChoice, most of its consumers preferred using online platforms than watching outdated television which contributed to its low figures. But that couldn't be any further from reality as a various scenarios could have formed the exiting of MK.

KykNET NOU was introduced as the new kid in the block a year before MK was shut down. Unlike MK, KykNET NOU was grouped alongside KykNET's other linear channels despite offering similar content to MK which was grouped with MTV Base and Trace Urban.

MK was a premium channel while KykNET NOU was available all the way down to Family. KykNET NOU had the figures and combining that with MK put it at a disadvantage so if the problem was viewership they could have restructured the content as opposed to closing. 

Development Alert: YouTube Kids Currently Seen On DStv Explora Ultra Is Being Discontinued On Various Platforms

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Google integrated YouTube Kids directly inside the main YouTube app for TVs last year. However, the company has continued up until now to run the standalone YouTube Kids app on smart TVs, streaming devices, and gaming consoles.

In July, though, Google will pull the plug on the standalone YouTube Kids app on those devices. According to 9to5Google, the outlet confirmed with the company that the YouTube kids app will be pulled from smart TVs as well as streaming devices and game consoles.

YouTube Kids will continue to exist as a standalone app on iOS and Android devices. 

Google's move to remove the YouTube Kids app from those platforms comes shortly after other big changeups in kids-oriented platforms and apps. 

Earlier this year, Paramount completely killed off its standalone Nickelodeon app, where kids were able to watch clips and full episodes of their favorite Nick Jr. and Nicktoons shows. A pop-up message told users that they would need to go directly to the Nickelodeon website to continue to access their content. Following that move, Paramount also shut down the standalone subscription platform for Noggin, a Nickelodeon-affiliated brand that provided content for preschool-aged children, earlier this month.

Unlike those platforms, YouTube Kids is not going away entirely. Parents will be able to set YouTube Kids profiles in the main YouTube app and then select that profile in the "Who's watching" section in order to access the YouTube Kids platform. Parental control settings and other YouTube Kids features will still be available within those profiles.

Paramount Global To Launch Paramount+ Branded Destination With Multichoice In Africa

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Paramount Global Content Distribution announced a licensing deal today with MultiChoice to create a Paramount+ branded destination on the pan-African platform. This agreement is part of Paramount's strategy to expand the Paramount+ brand in more ways around the world, including making it available as a direct-to-consumer streaming service, through bundled partnerships in key markets as well as through branded destinations in local markets through licensing deals. Branded areas are currently available via Cosmote in Greece, Streamz in Belgium, Blast TV in Philippines, JioCinema in India and more to come.    

 

The branded destination offers African audiences’ direct access to new and returning television series as well as feature films and marks the debut of the Paramount+ brand in pan-Africa. MultiChoice viewers will have access to world-class content from CBS, Paramount+ Originals, SHOWTIME®, Paramount Pictures, and they will find iconic films and hit television series such as YELLOWSTONE, 1883, 1923, POKER FACE, SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES and upcoming new series LANDMAN as well as returning series like SURVIVOR.

 

“The expansion of our long-standing relationship with MultiChoice from a traditional licensing deal to a fully dedicated, Paramount+ branded destination on the platform is a testament to the tremendous effort of Paramount Global to continue to build the offering from multiple content pillars,” said Lisa Kramer, President, International Content Licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution. “Consumers in the growing African market already equate Paramount with quality entertainment and we’re thrilled to now offer them a devoted space in which they can both access their favorite programming and discover new hit titles.”

 

"MultiChoice is excited to expand our partnership with Paramount Global to bring the Paramount+ brand to African audiences through our platform,” says Nomsa Philiso, CEO: General Entertainment, MultiChoice South Africa. “This agreement reflects our commitment to providing our viewers with world-class entertainment options and expands our offering with iconic content. We are proud to offer African viewers direct access to a dedicated space where they can enjoy their favourite programming and discover new hit titles, further enriching their entertainment experience."

What If The M-Net Series Trademark Were Revived Perhaps In Place Of M-Net 101?

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With MultiChoice and M-Net set to axe secondary networks M-Net Essentials (Me) and 1Magic in the coming weeks. It kind of leads one to wonder if the main M-Net channel which had been exclusive to premium consumers since it's inception will get purged.

Unlike Me and 1Magic, M-Net hadn't undergone any rebranding, name change or drastic reshuffling to programming if anything it has seen a decline in audiences. Similar to the United States were brands like HBO and NBC had lost at least 10% of their audience yearly.

M-Net has hit rough patch so much so that neither them or MultiChoice are ever public about the viewing numbers of their programs. When 1Magic debuted, their lowest rated show V-Entertainment had at least 10,000 viewers so M-Net would need to have something around that range.

Not that the channel has become irrelevant, but it's basically how SABC would view SABC 3 - niche. It's still dominant in the field it caters for or at least on linear platforms offering latest seasons to shows alongside films.

But with the downfall of the secondary networks and decline in viewership on M-Net, MultiChoice should consider unifying these brands under one name. I get that Me still had that M-Net trademark but by styling it's more like SABC 3 (S3) making it more alienated.

A brand that comes to mind would be M-Net Series, one of M-Net's most iconic trademarks was basically M-Net Movies but for drama series and reality shows. M-Net has been causing conflict with its premium movie channels airing select content before them.

M-Net Series would help reduce the rift between M-Net and M-Net Movies and if anything could help M-Net lure in viewers. M-Net (better yet M-Net Series 1) could add just add series like RuPaul's Drag Race and Power Book 4 Force in the timeslots allocated to movies.

The other two channels would serve as secondary brands rehashing content viewed on M-Net Series 1 and similar to 1Magic recieve first run programs. The second channel would tailor toward reality and lifestyle and the last would revive the M-Net City/Edge concept.

From my understanding, this concept was used several years back as M-Net Series Showcase, Reality and Zone. Only one out of the three garnered relevance but was partially due to the other two being folded under premium alongside the downsizing of content.

Again, I don't think the M-Net Series concept failed but how MultiChoice executed it was what led to its downfall. If anything, VUZU was more like how one would interpret M-Net Series Reality while Showcase was more like a rival brand to M-Net with content sharing between channels.

Development Alert: Crunchyroll To Get A Dedicated TV Channel In North America With Global Plans On The Cards, Could MultiChoice Or StarTimes Perhaps Get It?

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Since 2006, Crunchyroll has been known as the leading destination for anime fans featuring shows such as My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Attack On Titan and One Piece. Since it's inception in 2006, it garnered 120 million subscribers globally with 1% of the population under a paywall.

For a decade, the Sony based brand was available only as a streaming service with a freemium tier available to low income households with select shows licenced to broadcasters in Africa such as Toonami and SABC 2.

Through the greenhouse website, it was revealed that the company is looking for a director/manager in charge of managing the upcoming linear service to the current Crunchyroll streaming service alongside the programming and operations for the brands.

For now, the channel will rollout in North America (likely Latin America) and through a statement it was also mentioned that the Crunchyroll Channel will rollout "in key markets around the world" so we assume they'll be targeting regions which already bundle the streaming service.

South Africa is the most notable within the African region to bundle Crunchyroll alongside various other streaming services such as The Walt Disney Company's Disney+, BBC and ITV Studios' BritBox and Vuclip's VIU. As other territories have yet to see these in their markets.

With a majority of gaming and anime fans residing within South Africa and selected African territories, there's no doubt that Crunchyroll Channel would be a resounding success but questions amounts to whether or if StarTimes and/or MultiChoice will look into adding the channel.

Crunchyroll catering for the same audience as Adult Swim and not Cartoon Network isn't regarded as a kids channel so if anything these channel will likely set alongside brands like Universal, M-Net and BBC Brit on DStv or FilmBox Africa, FilmBox Action and St Zone on StarSat.

BBC Studios And MultiChoice Strengthen Long-Standing Partnership By Expanding Reach Of BBC Channels On DStv In South Africa

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• BBC UKTV expands its potential audience by a further 2.7 million homes by joining DStv Compact.

• BBC Lifestyle joins DStv family for the first time

• The DStv catch-up window for BBC owned content on BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth, BBC UKTV and CBeebies will increase from 30 days to 60 days

BBC Studios’ multi-genre channel, BBC UKTV, will expand to DStv’s Compact package and Lifestyle channel, BBC Lifestyle, will join DStv Family from 1st September 2023. BBC Studios’ will also extend the DStv catch-up window on BBC owned content across channel portfolio from 30 days to 60 days from September, providing DStv audiences further access to the best of British content.

BBC Studios’ multi-genre channel, BBC UKTV (DStv channel 134), launched in December 2023 and has proven to be a channel of choice with subscribers to the DStv Family, Access and EasyView packages with its audience share increasing by 79% in its second quarter since launch. BBC UKTV will now also be available in DStv’s Compact package, providing around 8 million families in South Africa access to a variety of entertainment, natural history series, soaps, and children’s shows from BBC Studios’ award-winning catalogue. Shows coming to the channel in September include Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators, Father Brown Season 3 and Earth's Great Seasons Season 1.

Home to a variety of premium local and entertainment programming, including The Great South African Bake Off Season 4, Listing Jozi and Jamie Oliver Cooking for Less, BBC Lifestyle (channel 174) will be available on DStv Family subscribers for the first time since launch in 2015 in addition to its place in the DStv Compact package. DStv Family subscribers can look forward to Come Dine With Me South Africa Season 9 and Britain’s Most Expensive House Season 2.

BBC Studios’ suite of channels will continue to offer DStv audiences premium programming, now with an increased catch-up window for BBC owned content on DStv catch-up across BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth, BBC UKTV and CBeebies, from 30 days to 60 days. Shows include Death in Paradise, Green Planet, The Great British Bake-Off, Hey Duggee and many more.

Pierre Cloete, the Commercial Director at BBC Studios in Africa says “We have a long-standing relationship with Multichoice and are proud of our six incredible BBC channels on the DStv platform. Each channel offers something for everyone with broad genre, trusted quality and international and local talent. I’m so excited to showcase our commitment to going further, broadening the reach of BBC Lifestyle and BBC UKTV and increasing the catch-up window for BBC owned content across our portfolio. This will give even more people in South Africa access to the very best BBC content and I can’t wait for new audiences to find their new favourite shows.”

Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EMEA Key Markets says “We are proud to extend the reach of our portfolio. Adding BBC Lifestyle to Family and BBC UKTV to Compact enables us to reach wider audiences utilizing the richness of the BBC’s content, providing more DStv subscribers access to award-winning shows.”

“We continue to strengthen our content offering, therefore, we are excited about broadening the content scope for our customers,” says Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head of General Entertainment Channels at MultiChoice Group.

24Kitchen To Cease Transmission In Turkey By The End Of July, More Countries Likely To Follow

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24Kitchen is a lifestyle channel operated by The Walt Disney Company (Benelux) that broadcasts mainly food and cooking programs. Similar to the FOX channel in the affected region, 24Kitchen is known for a number of original productions alongside international content.

Some of the content seen on 24Kitchen include Amazing Weddingcakes, Jamie’s Family Christmas, The Taste of Life Basics and Rudolph's Bakery.

During the month, it was learnt by Bob Iger who serves as the current CEO of the blue brand that he's looking to sell several linear channels. Internationally, The Walt Disney Company is consolidating further programming from these brands to streaming services.

It's likely that the demise of 24Kitchen has to do with the company's pursuit to a streaming only module. The company had closed a further 18 channels last year in Asia and plan to close the remaining feeds by the end of the year.

Although consumers in South Africa and most parts of Africa aren't familiar with 24Kitchen, MultiChoice however distribute a Portuguese feed of the lifestyle channel in Angola and Mozambique while Turkey and some parts of the world had been receiving the Dutch feed.

Ginx eSports TV Reportedly Up For Sale, Could The Channel Go Dark On The DStv Platform?

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The Esports Advocate can exclusively report that London-based gaming and esports media company Ginx TV Ltd. is exploring an acquisition or further investment and is being represented by London-based venture capital and private equity firm Capital A. In a perfect scenario—according to what is being pitched to VCs—an investor would acquire the company, keep its full-time staff intact (it lists 21 full-time employees and 17+ people in outsourced roles)— and leave the day-to-day operations in the hands of the current CEO, Michiel Bakker.

According to a document obtained by TEA being shared by Capital A to potential VCs, the unnamed esports media group (which TEA has confirmed is Ginx) is based in London, specializes in “creating and monetizing cross-platform (TV & digital) esports and gaming content,” and is “available to acquire.” Metadata from the document describes it as “GinxTV – Teaser V2” and lists multiple Capital A employees as points of contact.

It also notes that the company’s “experienced hires” have “near full autonomy on a day-to-day basis,” and that the “CEO is looking to stay,” which is a selling point to attract investors who would have concerns that leadership and staff might leave after an acquisition.

Finally, the document notes that the company has its own production arm, which it uses to produce a variety of video and provide content creation services for clients such as “publishers, brands and esports organizations.”

Ginx TV Ltd. CEO Michiel Bakker issued the following statement to TEA on Friday morning via email: “Ginx is always working on its capital structure alongside growing the company. We have built a profitable gaming/esports business with diverse, predictable, and recurring revenue streams. As Ginx becomes increasingly global and digital, as opposed to being a pure-play TV company, we are currently looking to bring on board investors that are aligned with that trajectory and can help us accelerate our growth. We are involved in several discussions, but I am not at liberty to disclose detail.”

Ginx has raised capital from a number of sources over the years including £569.1K ($679K USD) in December of 2015 through an equity crowdfunding campaign with Crowdcube, and undisclosed investments in September of 2016 from UK-based terrestrial TV networks Sky and ITV, who both took “significant minority stakes in the company.”

While Bakker claims that Ginx is a profitable business, the company realized losses of £162.9K ($194.3K) in 2020 and £263.1K ($313.9K) in 2021, according to public filings—Ginx has yet to file its FY 2022 financial report as of this writing. All told, the company has spent approximately £9.99M ($11.86M) since 2010. It is important to note that, due to the British company reporting requirements, a balance sheet loss does not necessarily contradict Bakker’s profitability claim. It should also be noted that the materials obtained by TEA, estimate that the company generated revenue of £2.2M, or $2.5M for FY 2022.

Credits: James Fudge

Development Alert: Ginx eSports TV Ends It's Run As A Linear Channel In The United Kingdom, TV Channel To Remain Through On Demand Streaming Services With More Markets Rumoured To Follow

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Ginx eSports TV is a UK based gaming channel operated by ITV PLC that promotes all things gaming in the form of news, guidelines and even tournaments. Some of the content viewed on the channel include Top 10, Games Set To Music, Origins and The First Hour.

As reported by Sky this past week, Ginx eSports TV falls out of their offering by the end of June. Although, it would continue to broadcast on Sky Glass which is set to rollout as DStv Glass in South Africa within the next 24 months.

During the year, Sky alongside various pay-tv outlets across the world have been removing non-performing channels. Similar to MultiChoice, they're streamlining their offering and Ginx eSports TV happens to be one of those channels that fall under that criteria.

MultiChoice added the channel in South Africa by 2017 and haven't said much about its viewership or promote it as much as ESPN, WWE and SuperSport. So we only assume that the current scenario seen in the UK is a reflection of what's to come in South Africa at some point.

Ginx eSports TV is kind of niche and considering this is a mid tier channel the viewership has to be below average if not less than M-Net's 8K viewers. Not that the channel is bad but most gaming brands work better as generalists then lifestyle channels.

Prior to its demise in the UK, it's had been long speculated that MultiChoice was looking to scrap the esports channel at some point. But with SuperSportBET also catering to esports gearing up for a fall 2023 rollout we assume something e-sports will be on there.

Maybe this will be one way to retire Ginx eSports TV or give consumers other means to it's offering.

The Walt Disney Company To Close 11 Channels In Taiwan, Could Africa Follow Perhaps?

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In 2021, The Walt Disney Company unveiled plans to close 100 international channels so there was a lot of fear for the Disney Channels in Africa following the closure of Disney XD and FOX but MultiChoice managed to secure rights for these brands through 2024.

Fast forward to 2023, The Walt Disney Company had confirmed the closure of more channels with consumers in Taiwan set to lose out on a number of brands including National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Baby TV, Star Entertainment and Star World.

Disney+ launched in 2019 and has since then become a top priority for the blue brand. Not much investment is going onto Disney Channel or National Geographic as the brands being used to promote the bulk of content seen on the streaming service.

Following the demise of these channels in Taiwan, there's now a lot of fear for these channels in Africa and I know MultiChoice had managed to carry Disney Channel, Disney Junior, National Geographic and National Geographic Wild through 2024.

But for all we know these channels could go dark by the 31st December 2023 at 23:59 which rounds up to 2024 as seen in Taiwan. It had been speculated that most of The Walt Disney Company"s linear offering won't leave past 2025 in European territories.

Disney XD was terminated in Africa alongside the United Kingdom's Disney Channels in 2020 followed by FOX which saw the brand exit Germany, Asia and Africa by 2021. Now there's rumours swirling that the brand would be closing channels across Africa by early 2024.