Yet another global video streaming service, Acorn TV, has launched in South Africa offering users British and international television series.
Acorn TV, priced in dollar at $4.99 (R71.51) per month, is done from North America and has now expanded to become available in South Africa.
Acorn TV also expanded into a further 29 countries including Australia, New Zealand, India, as well as the Caribbean (Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent, Dominica, Antigua, Barbuda, Belize), Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland) and South American countries (Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Guyana).
The subscription video-on-demand service (SVOD) at www.acorn.tv joins the crowded field of existing video streamers available in South Africa, including Netflix South Africa, Naspers' Showmax run by MultiChoice, Amazon Prime Video, TV2GO and Cell C black.
They're all going after the very small, but growing, video consumer segment in South Africa with digital access and who are willing to spend money on data besides a monthly subscription fee - a market set for rapid expansion as broadband penetration increases and data costs hopefully decrease in future.
Acorn TV that launched in 2011 in America and Canada, will also be competition for linear British TV channels available in South Africa like BBC First and BBC Brit from BBC Studios Africa supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, as well as ITV's ITV Choice channel also running on DStv.
Acorn TV is run by RLJ Entertainment, owned by AMC Networks. Besides the website, Acorn TV is available as an Acorn TV app on Apple TV, Android, iPhone, iPads and Roku streaming players.
"Acorn TV is doing phenomenally well in North America, so we're thrilled to continue to take the Acorn TV experience globally with 30 new countries," says Matthew Graham, the senior vice-president and general manager for RLJ Entertainment.
"We are excited for global fans of British and international drama and mystery to discover the wonders of Acorn TV with addictive series featuring stellar acting, beautiful settings, and gripping storylines."
Acorn TV says it's adding new programmes weekly and has "a wide assortment of first-rate British and international television".
This includes the first 7 seasons of the British dramedy Doc Martin with season eight added on 17 December, the Irish detective drama Jack Taylor with Iain Glen, Benedict Cumberbatch in the British drama The Last Enemy, Daniel Craig in the wartime drama Sword of Honour and the complete series of the original Poldark.
Also on the Acorn TV carousel are the Australian cop drama East West 101, the British period drama The Bletchley Circle, Lynda La Plante's The Commander and Above Suspicion, the miniseries The Secret Agent, the drama Traffik, and documentaries like Britain's Bloodiest Crown and Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty.
