Universal Networks International on the new Studio Universal movie channel in Africa: 'A cherished brand we don't just launch everywhere'.

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Talking about the positioning of the new Studio Universal channel in Africa and South Africa, Universal Networks International that worked for almost 2 years with MultiChoice on developing the new movie channel Studio Universal (DStv 119), calls the channel a ''cherished brand'' and a TV channel that Universal Networks International ''don't launch everywhere''.

Studio Universal that has now been added to DStv in 47 countries across Africa shows blockbuster Hollywood movies from the Universal studios stable as well as other Hollywood studios, mainly from 1991 onwards.

Africa is only the third continent, after South America and Italy in Europe, where this TV channel has now been rolled out. The addition of Studio Universal has been helped in part by the success of The Universal Channel (DStv 108) that's the number one channel in Africa in terms of viewership on the continent.

''We've been in the African market now for a long time, working with DStv. Out of that has grown an understanding, from working together, on how the platform dynamics have changed. As DStv has grown, it's allowed us to develop with them,'' said Universal Networks International's Colin McLeod, the managing director for emerging markets for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region at the press launch of Studio Universal in Johannesburg.

''If you look at what we've done with The Universal Channel we've developed that brand over a relatively short space of time.''

''It doesn't matter of you look at DStv-i ratings, or whether you look at Saarf, The Universal Channel always rates as one of the top 5 channels. The Universal Channel is one of the top channels. We bring great entertainment content into Africa and we're the number one content provider in terms of ratings in Africa,'' Colin McLeod said.

''Alongside that – the ratings – we also do and have attitudinal research available like Ipsos, tracking attitudes and behaviour on DStv, rather than just ratings. On specifically the DStv platform, movies are the 4th most popular genre on the platform. That tells us a lot of how we developed Studio Universal to bring this new movie channel to market. There is a big demand from DStv subscribers for movies in South Africa. That is why we developed Studio Universal and is launching it on DStv as a new movie channel for Africa,'' said Colin McLeod.

''Studio Universal is our very cherished movie brand. We don't launch it everywhere. Conditions have to be right for bringing a brand like Studio Universal into the market. It's part of our DNA. We don't want to bring the Studio Universal channel in and then have to make it right,'' he said.

''Africa is a new market; working specifically with DStv, where we're launching our Hollywood blockbuster channel. It's a Hollywood blockbuster channel with different movies. Not only do we have Universal movies on it, we work with the majority of Hollywood studios to bring DStv all Hollywood movies from within the Universal environment.''

''We have great experience with building complimentary movie platforms across the world. We know how to bring a complimentary movie channel to a dynamic platform. We know that with DStv's content – already so rich – that when we build channels, on how to complement that there,'' said Colin McLeod.

''Studio Universal is about blockbusters, it's about great entertainment, it's about escapism, it's about family viewing. We thought hard about this and how we're doing this because you have to make a channel such as this work on a platform such as DStv where there's already other movie channels and rich content,'' he said.


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