M-Net is improving and tightening up its expansive set of M-Net Movies channels on DStv from July and promising that it's going to help DStv subscribers much more who've become confused as to not just what top-rated premium programming is showing, but on which of the M-Net channels to find it.
Long overdue and now returning sense and sensibility, M-Net is taking the pruning shears to its crowded content garden where DStv subscribers the last three years have struggled to find the rose blooms between the overgrowth.
From July M-Net is cutting down the number of M-Net Movies channels but importantly not the content, moving the Vuzu AMP channel and re-arranging DStv channel numbers in the process in a more sensical way to help viewers find what they're looking for, easier.
The better M-Net Movies alignment will mean the same number of movies shown, but across less channels, lessening the repeat ratio and making it easier for DStv subscribers to actually find films.
To lift ratings stuck in the mid 60 000 to low 70 000 viewers for hit shows that should perform much better, and to emphasise the channel's premium content offering, M-Net's Vuzu AMP channel is also moved forward and given a more prominent position from July on DStv channel 103.
Vuzu AMP will now follow M-Net and M-Net Edge which will remain on DStv channels 101 and 102.
From July the existing M-Net Movies Comedy, M-Net Movies Family and M-Net Movies Romance channels will all be folded into and combined into one channel called M-Net Movies Smile (DStv 105).
From July the M-Net City and M-Net Movies Action channels are upgraded to high definition (HD) channels.
The M-Net Movies channels - reduced from 9 to 7 better curated channels - will now occupy DStv channel numbers 104 to 111 in a much better arrangement.
M-Net is also reducing the number of older library movies across the M-Net Movies channels for a fresher offering. M-Net says it temporary pop-up channels like the recent M-Net Movies Blackout channel and the hugely successful M-Net Movies Star Wars channel in 2015 will become a regular occurence.
"M-Net's slate of up-to-date series from Hollywood has been spread across M-Net, M-Net Edge and Vuzu AMP on DStv Premium for a while and it makes perfect sense to present these three channels to our viewers as a cluster in this new sequence," says Yolisa Phahle, M-Net CEO.
"We will also work harder to make sure that viewers know which channel a series will be broadcast on - some of our viewers have indicated that they don't always know whether series will be on M-Net or Vuzu AMP. We would like to fix that".
From 1 July on DStv:
■ M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104)
Only the channel number changes.
■ M-Net Movies Smile (DStv 105)
The former Comedy and Family channels' films will be shown here now. The channel is for DStv Premium subscribers only.
■ M-Net Movies Action+ (DStv 106)
No change.
■ M-Net Movies Showcase (DStv 107)
The channel number changes. The films that were on the Romance channel will now be seen here.
■ M-Net Movies Action (DStv 110)
Becomes an HD channel.
■ M-Net Movies Stars (DStv 111)
No change.
■ M-Net Movies Zone (DStv 139)
No change.
