In the past few months the BBC has sold over
800 hours of programming to the African pay-to-play streamer ShowMax and pay-TV
operator StarTimes.
BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC,
has sold over 250 hours of content to Naspers' ShowMax, and over 200 hours to
China's StarTimes, MultiChoice's biggest pay-TV rival on the African continent.
In its second deal with ShowMax, the
subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service picked up shows like Absolutely Fabulous and War and Peace. StarTimes took shows like
Luther, Doctor Who and Call the Midwife.
BBC Worldwide says Africa
has become one of its "most flourishing markets" with a growing demand for
quality BBC programming.
MultiChoice carries several
BBC Worldwide channels on its DStv pay-TV platform across Africa, with South
Africa that carries all five channels – BBC First, BBC Brit, BBC Earth, BBC
Lifestyle and CBeebies.
The BBC says "appetite for BBC content has expanded
rapidly".
"It's an incredibly
exciting time for the television industry in Africa," says Joel Churcher, BBC
Worldwide vice president and general manager for Africa.
"There's an insatiable
appetite for top-tier programmes and BBC
Worldwide content, in particular our drama series, are cutting are
cutting through the wealth of content available and being recognised as some of
the most popular shows across the continent."
