The cash-strapped SABC is embroiled in a huge struggle for its soul, and the pay TV operators DStv and TopTV are not the responsive television platforms they claim to be . . . but South African TV viewers have actually never had it this good.
Say what??!
Yes. In terms of the available spectrum of television, the plethora of TV shows and TV channels, South African viewers actually get to see the best of what's available and is actually better off in terms of scope of the potential content that we can watch and get access to now. (Note: the price to get that content, the programming turn-around time of getting to see it and other factors are actually big negatives and drawbacks to pay TV in South Africa but that's excluded for this specific topic.)
By calculating the value of individual American pay TV channels - based on things such as market value, programming assets, programming leverage and revenue - The Daily Beast has come up with the 25 most valuable pay TV channels in America. Twelve of the 25 most valuable pay TV channels are actually available in South Africa on DStv and TopTV. Furthermore the top shows on a lot of the channels that is not available in South Africa can actually be seen on other channels, such as HGTV's Design Star on BBC Lifestyle (DStv 180) or AMC's Mad Men or Lifetime's Army Wives on M-Net (DStv 101) or ABC Family's Secret Life of an American Teenager on Vuzu (DStv 123).
So what are the most valuable pay TV channels that South Africans also get to see? Both DStv and TopTV have some. ESPN (DStv 230), Nickelodeon (DStv 305), The Disney Channel (DStv 303), MTV (DStv 321), The Discovery Channel (DStv 120), CNN (South Africa gets CNN International on DStv 401), CNBC (South Africa gets CNBC Africa on DStv 410), Cartoon Network (DStv 301) and History (DStv 254) are available through MultiChoice.
On Digital Media (ODM) has BET (TopTV 190), Fox News (TopTV 405) and FX (TopTV 110).
