MultiChoice Group has started streaming live sports including the English Premier League through an upgraded version of its Showmax service to help Africa’s biggest pay-TV company compete better with Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.
According to Niclas Ekdahl, head of the Johannesburg-based company, the new Showmax Pro is offered in Nigeria and Kenya as of Tuesday and will add more sub-Saharan Africa markets over the next two months.
According to the Ekdahl, the main aim is to attract subscribers and it is not necessary to be a TV customer to sign up.
It was, however, learnt that the move is designed to set Showmax apart from Netflix and Amazon Prime, which have both been expanding in Africa.
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MultiChoice launched the video-on-demand service five years ago to help stem deflections from its more expensive TV service; positioning itself as a better provider of more localized content than its U.S. competitors.
Ever since, Netflix has been commissioning and screening African-produced dramas such as Queen Sono and Blood and Water, as it strives to attract viewers.
Meanwhile, faster internet connections and cheaper packages on the continent have equally made online streaming a viable alternative to pay-TV.
In the meantime, MultiChoice’s Supersport shows live sport such as soccer, rugby, cricket and golf from all over the world and sharing the content with Showmax risks encouraging viewers to jump to the cheaper platform, although the Pro offering will be more expensive than the currently available service.
Showmax Pro, which will also have news and music channels, costs 2,100 shillings ($19.66) a month in Kenya, compared with 760 shillings for the sport-less version.
DSTV packages in the East African country, with varying amounts of sports, range from 4,420 shillings to as much as 7,370 shillings.
A cheaper, smartphone-based version is, however, being planned, Ekdahl said.
MultiChoice last month signed deals with Netflix and Amazon to offer their streaming services through its new decoder, a move intended to help retain subscribers.
