The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) And 4Racing Have Signed A Major Agreement To Ensure The Sport Of Horseracing Is Again Accessible And Available To The Broader South African Public On Free-To-Air Television

Also Read

The agreement will see 4Racing produce and broadcast a daily 30-minute horse racing talk show called ‘Racing Today’ on SABC Sport from Monday to Friday over a three-year period for 50 weeks a year.

It will also see 10 of the country’s top showpiece horse racing events being broadcast live in prime time on SABC 3.

‘Racing Today’ will from April 2022 be available on the 24-hour SABC Sports Channel on the SABC’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service, on the Open View HD Channel 124 and on the TelkomONE streaming service.

“We are delighted to partner SABC in this multi-year deal to ensure the sport of horse racing returns as a regular addition to SABC’s premier sports programming. Having the country’s largest free-to-air broadcaster, with an audience reach of over 32 million across the country, helps us to fulfil our mandate to reach new audiences, grow participation in and knowledge of the sport, and make horse racing more accessible. Through the SABC’s coverage over the years of legendary South African horses like Wolf Power, Horse Chestnut, Jet Master, Sea Cottage and Pocket Power, and jockeys like Felix Coetzee, Michael ‘Muis’ Roberts, Pierre Strydom and Jeff Lloyd, horse racing became a premier sport and those horses and jockeys household names across the country. We’re looking to recreate that with the fantastic horses such as Kommetdieding, Jet Dark, Flying Carpet and Captain’s Ransom, and rock star jockeys such as S’manga Khumalo, Gavin Lerena, Muzi Yeni, Grant van Niekerk, Rachel Venniker, Craig Zackey and many others who are fantastic current participants in the exciting sport of horseracing, so the SABC partnership is a major and very important one for us,” says Fundi Sithebe, Chief Executive Officer of 4Racing.

Also read:
- SABC will launch more HD channels and streaming service
- SABC Encore and SABC Children channel might be in development for Openview
- Could e.tv News merge with eNCA?
- Should eReality merge with News And Sport?
- The Estate cancelled only on SABC 1 for new drama series
- Warner Bros. Discovery potential channel closures
- A list of Afrikaans voice actors for Die Put and Droomvelore
- Why VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?
- Saloni and East Meets West coming soon to SABC 2
- Dokter Ali S2 coming in April to eExtra

The new daily talk show ‘Racing Today’ on SABC Sport will cover everything horse racing related, while live coverage of the best local and international races will deliver the exhilaration, drama and prestige that are synonymous with racing to SABC’s viewers.

Head of Sport for SABC, Gary Rathbone, said that “horse racing has long been a major part of the SABC Sport offering and after a long absence from our platforms, it’s great to have the sport of kings back on air on the Public Broadcaster”.

“Being able to feature South Africa’s best thoroughbreds and champions jockeys fighting it out in these iconic races on the annual calendar is something I’m sure will excite millions of South Africans who will now be able to access the best racing on offer live and free on the SABC,” Rathbone added.

Stephen Watson, Head of 4Racing TV and Executive Director of Discover Digital, said “this deal with SABC is a significant one for us at 4Racing and for all current and prospective punters and racegoers who love the sport”.

“We have been working with SABC over the last year and this partnership has already seen live coverage of major race days such as the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met and Summer Cup and the L’Ormarins Queens Plate, while we’ve also assisted Gold Circle to get one of the country’s biggest and most important race days, the Gold Cup, broadcast live on SABC 3. So we are excited with this long-term partnership with the SABC, which will add more value to punters, sponsors and stakeholders. The deal also bolsters our multi channel strategy through the SABC’s channel carriage deals with Open View HD and TelkomONE’s streaming service,” Watson added.

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

Roundups #23: More Sonic The Hedgehog Projects Are Currently Underway + Classic APK Game (FIXED LINK)

Also Read

For the past 28 years, the blue hedgehog has been entertaining audiences across the globe with a range of video games, TV series and not long ago feature films which are dominating the cinema screens. He's journey doesn't stop there as there's more projects underway.

1. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - April 2022 (US)
After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is ready for more freedom, and Tom and Maddie agree to leave him home while they go on vacation. But, no sooner are they gone, when Dr. Robotnik comes back, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to both build and destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

2. Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Just months before Sonic the Hedgehog 2 comes to theaters to continue the live-action series, Paramount announced this week its plans to release a third Sonic the Hedgehog film. The announcement was made during an investor event. Details about the film haven't been released as viewers haven't gotten to the second film yet.

3. Knuckles Prequel
Just like Sonic The Hedgehog 3, there's no details on the upcoming TV show except for the fact that Idris Elba will be reprising his role for the character in this Paramount+ series. The series will likely be based on the feature films of the blue hedgehog.

Also read:
- A list of animated series launching in 2022
- National Geographic Kids launching in Africa later in 2022
- Galactic Kids Next Door (GKND) might be in the works
- Could this fan made logo be Cartoon Network's future logo?
- DreamWorks Channel will be added to MultiChoice's DStv
- Overlord And The Underwoods launches on Nickelodeon plus more content for the channel alongside Nicktoons
- Paramount+ kids kids slate with Nickelodeon
- Cartoonito expected to return to EMEA by mid 2022
- Disney Channel and Junior welcomes back returning shows during the school holidays
- Dive into the Big Blue with Cartoon Network Africa

4. Sonic Frontiers (2022)
The video game that utilizes 3D platforming and action-adventure themes. The game features an open-world level design (or "open-zone" as Sega describes it), which is a first for the Sonic series. The player takes control of Sonic the Hedgehog and must use his signature speed and abilities to explore the lush and expansive biomes of the Starfall Islands.

5. Sonic Prime (TV Series, 2022)
The 24-episode series from Sega, Wild Brain and Man of Action, is due to hit Netflix later this year. Just like Sonic 3 and Knuckles prequel, no further details haven't been revealed.

6. Sonic Origins Collection (2022)
Sega will release a new collection of classic Sonic the Hedgehog games under the name Sonic Origins. The compilation will include the original Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega Genesis, as well as sequels Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD.

7. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 - APK Download

Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: SEGA

Dr. Robotnik’s Death Egg has crash-landed on Floating Island, so called because it harnesses the power of the Chaos Emeralds to float in the air. Robotnik needs them to repair the Death Egg, so he tells the guardian of Floating Island, Knuckles the Echidna, that Sonic and Tails are there to steal them. With Knuckles tricked and trying to stop the heroes at every turn, will they be able to stop Robotnik in time?

Download link: click here (fixed)

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

SABC To Launch More HD Channels And Delayed Their Streaming Service To The Next Financial Year + Possible Outcomes For eMedia Investments Agreement With MultiChoice For eNCA (Still Involves Openview)

Also Read

Upcoming developments for the SABC

In 2018, SABC had announced plans to launch a streaming service and since then it's been delayed likely due to their contract agreement with the Asian streaming service, VIU which bundles several shows from eMedia Investments such as Scandal and Imbewu.

Perhaps it will be called: SABC VOD, SABC Streaming, SABC On Demand, SABC iPlayer or SABC Plus/SABC+.

According to Madoda Mxakwe on CxO Series, the public broadcaster is expected to launch some HD channels likely the two long awaited channels on Openview one of which were rumoured to be SABC Encore while upgrading SABC Education to HD in the next financial year accompanied by an OTT service.

The public broadcaster stated in some documents that the streaming service will be available before the end of current financial year which is March 31st, 2022 and is anyone surprised that they've never reached the deadline.

For almost a year, Openview consumers have been waiting on the two channels promised to them by both eMedia Investments and the SABC in mid 2021. Since then several names pop-up part of which were part of their DTT plans and still need to be addressed: SABC Encore (as mentioned), SABC Parliament and SABC Children.

The future of eNCA and e.tv News

Every year, eMedia Investments and MultiChoice enter negotiations regarding the carriage agreement of eNCA alongside several other channels packaged by the eBrand.

For several years, eMedia Investments had expressed their frustration with MultiChoice as other brands such as Newsroom Afrika and SABC News make more money than them despite having the most watched news channel on their platform.

Also read:
- SABC Encore and SABC Children channel might be in development for Openview
- DreamWorks Channel will be added to MultiChoice's DStv
- Should eReality merge with News And Sport?
- The Estate cancelled only on SABC 1 for new drama series
- Warner Bros. Discovery potential channel closures
- A list of Afrikaans voice actors for Die Put and Droomvelore
- Why VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?
- Lifetime could be on the chopping block on DStv
- Saloni and East Meets West coming soon to SABC 2
- Dokter Ali S2 coming in April to eExtra

News And Sport is set to go off air by the end of March on Openview and the retrenchments following onto eMedia Investments kind of lead to the question over the fate of e.tv News segments.

The NewsLink Block on eNCA is changing headquarters which was held in the same spot as e.tv News is moving to the spot renovated by eNCA on DStv with new anchors.

eNCA launching on Openview to some extent???

Regarding the upcoming agreement, is it possible that e.tv News and eNCA will be unified under one brand just like SABC News segments on SABC 1-3 with the linear channel on DStv.

SABC News is available on SABC's DTT but the likely reason is the limitations as the public broadcaster isn't selling them like hot cakes but putting up a fence requiring households with an income of less than R3200 to obtain them at their nearest post office.

Adding eNCA onto Openview was seen as a get out of jail free card for DStv customers who are fed up with the yearly increases and never ending repeats and MultiChoice didn't want any of that but how about a portion of the brand?

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

Roundups #22: WildBrainTV Launching In Canada Killing Off Family Chrgd, DStv Streaming Will Be Restricted In March And MultiChoice's Involvement In The Termination Of News And Sport On Openview

Also Read

WildBrain getting a dedicated channel

WildBrainTV is composed of various linear channels under the Family branding in Canada and is also home to a variety of kids programming such as Johnny Test, Rainbow Ruby, Martha Speaks and Strawberry Shortcake: Berry In The Big City a reboot to Strawberry Shortcake.

From 1st, one of their Family branded channels Family Chrgd which was the Canadian version of the defunct Disney XD will soon be known as WildBrainTV with Family Jr. possibly remaining for the time being.

The channel catered for 6-15 year olds perhaps this new brand will follow Cartoon Network overseas and expand to the preschool market as the owners have produced and worked on various preschool content on top of managing Family Jr.

The Walt Disney Company has been closing down several international channels and cable providers have to source out alternative channels. DreamWorks Channel, BBC Kids, Moonbug Kids, ZooMoo and if possible WildBrainTV could fill up that gap.

MultiChoice restricts DStv Streaming

"As part of our ongoing efforts to counteract password sharing and piracy, while continuing to bring you the best viewing experience, we will be introducing measures to limit concurrent streaming. From 22 March 2022 customers will be limited to streaming DStv on one device at a time. They will still be able to watch previously downloaded content on a second device."

The change is being made to all DStv subscriptions across Africa but that "only customers making use of more than one concurrent stream will be directly affected by the change. It will not limit the number of people using a login, however, we are limiting (to one) the number of people who can stream at the same time.

Showmax subscribers are not impacted and the change only applies when streaming DStv.

Also read:
- Warner Bros. Discovery potential channel closures
- March on Disney Channel and Junior welcomes back Miraculous and more
- SABC Encore and SABC Children channel might be in development for Openview
- Dive into the Big Blue with Cartoon Network Africa
- Cartoonito expected to return to EMEA by mid 2022
- Should eReality merge with News And Sport?
- Doodsondes S4 coming soon to eExtra
- The risk of Disney+ quick subscriber growth
- Dokter Ali S2 coming in April on eExtra
- More Hoarders on CBS Reality while Justice welcomes back a fan favorite
- DreamWorks Channel will be added to MultiChoice's DStv
- Tellytrack will stop airing on DStv
- Celebrate St Patrick's Day only on Curiosity
- Morgan Freeman is coming to History for a new series

MultiChoice - The News And Sport Killer

During this week, it was reported that Openview customers will be losing their first channel of 2022 News And Sport by the end of March as eMedia Investments no longer sees it as a viable option with several retrenchment plans underway.

According to staffers and this is speculation, MultiChoice is pressuring them to close the channel as they're creating direct competition to eNCA and before I get anywhere with that issue let's brief everyone about News And Sport.

Even when the channel began as OpenNews, it was criticized and often compared to their pay-tv counterpart eNCA for lacking local news and the only thing that gave them a bit of an edge at the time was sports.

In a way, MultiChoice wasn't the only one that influenced the decision but viewer's preferences. eNCA is up for renewal soon and the question looms on what's to come for that channel.

If anyone has learnt anything from Disney Channel and Disney XD, don't create competition for yourselves. In News And Sport case, especially if it can't be sustained or deemed liable by consumers.

I'm not shocked eMedia Investments chose to rid themselves of the brand. They seemed more focused on series and movies than sports. Impact Wrestling in some way fits that criteria as its also regarded as entertainment mainly for their storylines.

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

Roundups #21: DreamWorks Preps Up More Preschool Series For Netflix And Peacock, 4WD To The Max Coming Soon To Ignition And More Info On TLNovelas Africa Upcoming Series Overcoming Fear

Also Read

DreamWorks is proving to be a best source in animation

During the month of February, DreamWorks Animation announced a further lineup of preschool series launching on Netflix the following year, Not Quite Narwhal and Dew Drop Diaries.

Ahead of the launch, Netflix will be airing another DreamWorks production Team Zenko Go! which centers around four friends who help their fellow citizens by doing random and secret acts of kindness.

NBCUniversal the parent company of DreamWorks Animation has greenlit a handful of preschool content including Team Mekbots Animal Rescue and Dino Pops to join other upcoming productions Megamind’s Guide to Defending Your City and Abominable and the Invisible City.

4WD To The Max coming soon to Ignition

They may be old(er), but they are far from cold! Long-time friends Gustav Erasmus and Sakkie Coetzee are old hands at conquering tough 4x4 obstacles.

Both competed in the former Bridgestone 4x4 Club Challenge. Over the years Sakkie Coetzee won several events, and eventually ended up as the route master - the person that created the toughest of tough 4x4 challenges for competitors.

Will Gustav and Sakkie show the youngsters how it should be done? Or will they end up in the crosshairs of the other teams when it comes to the voting process?

Also read:
- Disney Channel and Junior welcomes back returning shows during the school holidays
- My Heart Beats For Lola coming soon to Telemundo
- DreamWorks Channel will be added to MultiChoice's DStv
- Morgan Freeman is coming to History for a new series
- Modern Family is back on Comedy Central with Love And Hip-Hop on MTV
- Warner Bros. Discovery potential channel closures
- Dive into the Big Blue with Cartoon Network Africa
- Possible channel closures from Warner Bros. Discovery
- In March, E! will also be hosting the Oscars live from the red carpet and launch the cover bands
- Tellytrack will stop airing on DStv
- Kidz Club is back for the March holidays and more on Studio Universal

The first series of 4WD to the Max kicks of at the end of March on DStv's Ignition TV channel (189).

Overcoming Fear/Vencer O Medo synopsis and guidelines for TLNovelas

To everyone's eyes, the Durán family projects unity, harmony and respect, but reality is different for all the women in the family: Inés lives under the yoke of her husband Vicente, a despotic macho man; Cristina, the eldest of the daughters, was once her father's great pride through her promissory swimming, until an incident pushed her away from sports; Areli, Lorenzo's daughter Inés’s eldest son from a previous relationship has challenged her conservative father.

Since she awoke to sexuality and wants to lose her virginity. Marcela, the youngest daughter, tired of being watched and scolded, takes refuge in her boyfriend Rommel and his gang. Everything becomes worse when Marcela steals a car, not knowing that the body of an important businessman is inside the trunk. At 15, she will end up in a juvenile detention center accused of theft and become a suspect in a murder she did not commit.

As mentioned, the series airs weekdays at 16:30 from May 2nd.

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

Roundups #20: Scrat TV Series And Local Drama Mathata Coming To Disney+ And Cape Town TV Respectively In April, CBeebies Working On New Cooking Show Big Cook Little Cook And FOX News International Streaming Service Launched In South Africa And 6 Other Countries

Also Read

Disney+ sets release date for final Blue Sky Studios project, Ice Age: Scrat Tales

This is a series of six all-new animated shorts starring Scrat, the hapless saber-toothed squirrel of the “Ice Age” adventures, who experiences the ups and downs of fatherhood, as he and the adorable, mischievous Baby Scrat, alternately bond with each other and battle for ownership of the highly treasured Acorn.

Featuring the vocal talents of Chris Wedges as Scrat and Kari Wahlgren as Baby Scrat, the series is produced by Anthony Nisi, with Robert L. Baird and Andrew Millstein serving as executive producers.

The series will be available for streaming by April 13th.

Mathata has a release date on Cape Town TV

Last year, several crew members began promoting the long awaited Limpopo based drama series Mathata for Cape Town TV which is set in the areas of Seshego and Polokwane.

Mathata S1 will start to play from 04 April 2022. The drama will play Every Monday's at 21:00. On Cape Town TV channel 263 on DStv.

CBeebies bringing back a famous cooking show

The BBC’s preschool channel is teaming up with London’s ​​Dot To Dot Productions to revamp 20-year-old show Big Cook, Little Cook for a modern under-five audience.

Also read:
- America's Top Soccer League this weekend on ESPN
- Cartoonito expected to return to EMEA by mid 2022
- Paramount+ and Nickelodeon expand kids slate
- Disney Channel and Junior welcomes back returning shows during the school holidays
- Dive into the Big Blue with Cartoon Network Africa
- Possible channel closures from Warner Bros. Discovery
- More Hoarders on CBS Reality while Justice welcomes back a fan favorite
- Tellytrack will stop airing on DStv
- Celebrate St Patrick's Day only on Curiosity
- Morgan Freeman is coming to History for a new series
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire coming soon to Africa Magic

CBeebies has ordered 50 x 19-minute live-action episodes, and the first five are set to launch on February 28. This comedy-driven educational series features two cooks—one life - sized, and one the size of a pepper pod—making recipes that kids can try at home. Each ep will feature an animated segment and shots of various real-life locations around the UK, such as factories and fields.

FOX News is available to stream

The American channel FOX News will start streaming in South Africa and 6 other African countries from today with the FOX News International streaming service that is launching with live streams and on-demand content in countries ranging from Nigeria and Zambia, to Egypt, Ivory Coast, Rwanda and Kenya.

FOX News as a traditional pay-TV channel has been available on China's StarTimes pay-TV service in Africa, operating under the StarSat brand in South Africa, on channel 261.

FOX News Media has been rolling out its FOX News International streamer it launched in August 2020, globally, with South Africa getting access on 17 February to the FOX News (FNC) and FOX Business (FBN) live linear TV channels as digital streams, accessible in South Africa, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria and Zambia.

"The service's expansion into Africa will increase FOX News Media's international reach to 44 countries and allow more fans around the globe to access their favourite live and on-demand FOX News Media programmes at their fingertips," the company says in an investors' statement.

Priced at R105 per month, FOX News International is accessible in the 7 new African countries for download on iOS, tvOS, Android and Fire TV, bringing the total countries where FOX News International is now available to 44.

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

Travel To The Deserts With This New Documentary Special On Curiosity Channel Africa And Secrets Of The Universe Is Back For New Adventures - March 2022 Highlights

Also Read

SUPER SCIENCE MONDAYS

SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE
Brand New Episodes - premieres 07 March 2022
CAT: 20:00 Episodes: 8 x 60 mins – ends 11 April 2022
Secrets of the Universe launches viewers on eight mind-blowing adventures to seek answers to some of the Universe’s biggest mysteries.

HISTORY LOVER TUESDAYS

EGPYT’S UNEXPLAINED FILES
Brand New Episodes - premieres 01 March 2022 CAT: 20:00 Episodes: 4 x 60 mins – ends 22 March 2022
Technology is decoding some of Egypt’s most enduring enigmas.

FIGHTING FOR LINCOLN: The Wide Awakes
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 01 March 2022 CAT: 21:00 Episodes: 1 x 60 mins
Torch-lit marches down Main Street... at first glance, images like these conjure up some of America's darkest moments. But this wasn't the Klan. These black- clad torch-bearers were the Wide Awakes: a para-military political machine that some say delivered the presidency to Abraham Lincoln.

THE STORY OF GERMAN BEER
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 08 March 2022 CAT: 21:00 Episodes: 1 x 60 mins
This documentary looks at the history of beer, starting with the Sumerians who invented it 5 000 years ago, through to the leading export of today and the new trend of the future: craft beer. Prost!

RETURN OF THE TRADE WARS
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 15 March 2022 CAT: 21:00 Episodes: 1 x 60 mins
“Trade Wars are good and easy to win,” wrote US President Donald Trump on Twitter. What has history taught us about trade wars? What has led to the outbreak of trade wars in the past?”

Also read:
- America's Top Soccer airs this weekend on ESPN
- DreamWorks Channel will be added to MultiChoice's DStv
- Coroner and Tell Me Your Secrets coming soon to Universal TV
- Modern Family is back on Comedy Central with Love And Hip-Hop on MTV
- Kidz Club is back for the March holidays and more on Studio Universal
- In March, E! will also be hosting the Oscars live from the red carpet and launch the cover bands
- More Hoarders on CBS Reality while Justice welcomes back a fan favorite
- Tellytrack will stop airing on DStv
- Celebrate St Patrick's Day only on Curiosity
- Morgan Freeman is coming to History for a new series
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire coming soon to Africa Magic

WILDLIFE WEDNESDAYS

ELEPHANTS: Changing Lives
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 02 March 2022 CAT: 20:00 Episodes: 1 x 60 mins
Few animals have more complex societies and interactions than elephants. For these slow-growing, long-lived animals, survival is totally dependent on knowledge passed down from family members and from the constant support of the herd. It’s no wonder we find them so endearing.

LAKE MAGIC
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 09 March 2022 CAT: 20:00 Episodes: 1 x 60 mins
Mini oceans inland, lakes are treasure troves of aquatic wonders, each zone, from the depths to the surface, the banks to the mud at the bottom, hosts its own animal communities of predators and prey. Fish, birds, insects, even mammals, enjoy the bounty of their freshwater home.

DESERTS
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 16 March 2022 CAT: 20:00 Episodes: 1 x 60 mins
All habitats present challenges to life, but few more so than the desert, but still, even here, life abounds, from little foxes to speed lizards and light-footed gazelles to huge camels. Each one finds its own ways to exploit and conserve food and water, creating new dramas every day.

CLEAN UP CREW
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 23 March 2022 CAT: 20:00 Episodes: 1 x 60 mins
Imagine if all waste just lay where it fell. We’d all be drowning in faecesrotting plants and animal corpses, were it not for the cleanup crew. Often unfairly despised, we should see these animals, crabs, dung beetles, vultures and crows as our heroes, keeping us safe from diseases.

GLORIOUS GRASSLANDS
Brand New Documentary Special - premieres 30 March 2022 CAT: 20:00 Episodes: 1 x 60 mins
Like a sea of grass, the savannah, prairie, and meadows are among the most productive habitats on Earth, housing some of the greatest concentrations of big game and the most dramatic interactions of predator and prey.

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

America’s Top Soccer League Premieres On ESPN Africa This Weekend

Also Read

After the shortest off-season in history, the 2022 Major League Soccer (MLS) season kicks off this weekend. Set to premiere live on ESPN Africa (DStv 218, Starsat 248),  America’s top Soccer league gets underway on Saturday 26 February with Philadelphia Union taking on Minnesota United at 20:00, followed by the clash between Columbus Crew and Vancouver Whitecaps at 22:30 The action continues on Sunday with Orlando City facing CF Montreal  at 20:00 and Atlanta United going head to head with Sporting Kansas City at 22:00 (CAT).

Also read:
- Disney Channel and Junior welcomes back returning shows during the school holidays

This season, an exciting slate of African players will show their prowess on the field. Minnesota United beat off a number of clubs to sign promising Bafana Bafana international striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane from Maritzburg United. South African youth prospect Tsiki Ntsabeleng joins FC Dallas after being selected as the number 28 pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Ntsabeleng signed a one-year deal with the Texan club, with further club options until 2025.

Yaw Yeboah, capped four times by the Black Stars of Ghana, has signed a three-year deal with Columbus Crew, joining from Polish team Wisla Krakow. Nigerian left winger James Igbekeme has also signed with The Crew, on loan from Spanish club Real Zaragoza. Meanwhile veteran Ghanaian fullback Harrison Afful left Columbus Crew after a seven year spell with the club, to sign a one-year deal with expansion club Charlotte FC.

Also read:
- DreamWorks Channel will be added to MultiChoice's DStv
- Coroner and Tell Me Your Secrets coming soon to Universal TV
- Modern Family is back on Comedy Central with Love And Hip-Hop on MTV
- Kidz Club is back for the March holidays and more on Studio Universal
- In March, E! will also be hosting the Oscars live from the red carpet and launch the cover bands
- More Hoarders on CBS Reality while Justice welcomes back a fan favorite
- Tellytrack will stop airing on DStv
- Celebrate St Patrick's Day only on Curiosity
- Morgan Freeman is coming to History for a new series
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire coming soon to Africa Magic

Senegalese goalkeeper Clement Diop has inked a one-year deal with Inter Miami while Ghanaian striker Abu Danladi joined Minnesota United on a one-year deal from Nashville SC, his second spell with the club affectionately known as The Loons. 37 year-old striker Kei Kamara, currently fifth on MLS's all-time scoring list, returns to MLS this year after signing a one year deal with Canadian club CF Montreal.

The competition on the field will be fierce as multiple international new signings enter the fray this season. Swiss dynamo Xherdan Shaqiri, nicknamed the “Alpine Messi”, has signed for Chicago Fire while LA Galaxy have added mercurial Brazilian winger Douglas Costa from Italian Serie-A club Juventus. Atlanta United have completed the acquisition of 20 year-old Argentinean prodigy Thiago Almada from Velez Sarsfield. Toronto FC recently announced the signing of Italian Lorenzo Insigne from Napoli who will join the club in June once the European season has concluded. Insigne, who will earn roughly $13 million-per-year, will become the highest-paid player in MLS history.

The 27th campaign of MLS will have 28 teams, with Charlotte FC making their debut as the new expansion franchise. New York City FC will enter the season as defending champions, having defeated the Portland Timbers in MLS Cup 2021. The New England Revolution will enter the season as the reigning Supporters' Shield winners. The entire MLS 2022 regular season will play out over 225 days with the MLS Cup Final scheduled to take place on 5 November 2022, sixteen days prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup taking place in Qatar.

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).

Paramount+ Launching In South Africa By 2023

Also Read

Paramount+ video streaming service from ViacomCBS will launch in South Africa next year, very likely in conjunction with MultiChoice as a so-called "hard bundle" app. However, pricing and details for the streamer's rollout in 2023 are still to be worked out.

The launch of Paramount+ – that bundles an extensive library and new content ranging from Paramount Pictures films, Paramount+ Originals, Nickelodeon, MTV and CBS Studios – will follow after the launch of The Walt Disney Company's Disney+ streamer in South Africa within months, expected anytime from June 2022.

It means South African video consumers will get Disney+ next , followed by Paramount+, and then likely WarnerMedia's HBO Max (that will contain Discovery+), and possibly NBCUniversal's Peacock, although WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal are yet to say anything publicly about expanding into Africa.

Also read:
- Could Moonbug Kids replace Disney Junior on DStv and Baby TV on StarSat?
- Baby TV could be on the chopping block
- Paramount+ working on first live-action series from Sonic The Hedgehog franchise
- Disney closing multiple channels in Latin America
- Paramount+ and Nickelodeon expand kids slate
- National Geographic ending in the UK and several other markets
- Why VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?
- Could Nicktoons be discontinued in Africa and likely the rest of the world?
- February on Cartoon Network and Boomerang

Paramount+, Disney+ and HBO Max will join the existing streaming services already present in South Africa, all battling to grow their market share and to scale their subscribers bases like Netflix SA, Amazon Prime Video, MultiChoice's Showmax, Apple TV+, eMedia's eVOD, Vodacom's Video Play, VIU, Britbox SA and Acorn TV.

The South African launch of Paramount+ will be as a stand-alone app and through connected TV sets, but will very likely also be in partnership with the MultiChoice Group, which has existing deals to carry Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as apps on its DStv Explora Ultra decoder.

ViacomCBS, which this week rebranded as Paramount, already has so-called "hard bundle" deals in place with pay-TV operators like Comcast's Sky in the United Kingdom carrying Paramount+, and Sky Showtime as a joint venture in Europe with Comcast and Vivendi's Canal+ that will launch Paramount+ in France in December in a similar way as well.

Tom Ryan, president and CEO of streaming at Paramount, for the first time at the company's latest investors' presentation this week, confirmed that Paramount+ is coming to Africa.

With South Africa as the most sophisticated television market on the continent, it's a shoo-in that Paramount+ will be launching in South Africa next year, in the way that Disney+ will this year.
"We're leveraging our global footprint to bring Paramount+ to new markets with enormous potential," he said. "We're deploying hard bundles, where we work with a local provider to give their customers immediate access to Paramount+ as well as direct-to-consumer (DTC app), and a la carte distribution."

Paramount is also creating new and cheaper "mobile-only" plans for markets where mobile devices dominate streaming consumption – something else that will likely be a defining feature when Paramount+ comes to South Africa next year.

Also read: 
- Possible cutbacks from Warner Bros. Discovery
- Could G4 launch on DStv perhaps to replace a channel like Ginx Esports TV?
- NCIS: Los Angeles might get cancelled
- Cartoonito launches on Boomerang across Europe possibly as a trial run before scrapping the channel
- Lifetime could be on the chopping block on DStv
- Could ESPN close alongside National Geographic and Disney Channel?
- February on ViacomCBS Africa channels
- BBC Kids launches in the United States, could Africa be next?

"Beginning in 2023, we'll turn out sights to Asia, Africa and the Middle East," Tom Ryan said during the investors' presentation, "building on our momentum to bring Paramount+ to every region of the world."

"Our global expansion underscores an important lesson in streaming: The stories we create are only as powerful as the audience they reach. So in addition to expanding Paramount+ to more people, we're also enhancing the service itself."
Raffaele Annecchino, Paramount president & CEO for international networks, studios and streaming, in a statement about the launch of Paramount+ in partnership with Canal+, said that Paramount is "strategically creating a streaming model for long-term growth".

"Our subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) premium services allow us to expand our streaming business in more than 60 markets, as we build our momentum toward expanding Paramount+ in all the markets across the world".

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets and if you're struggling to share the article through certain platforms use this link (Lnk.Bio).