This past week M-Net (DStv 101) held a press-wow "local content safari" where the pay-TV broadcaster pulled out all the stops to dazzle selected press and South African TV critics with a jam-packed content upfront for its upcoming new TV shows.
Over the 3-day event that took place at the sprawling Legend Golf & Safari Resort in Limpopo, M-Net unveiled the second season of The Wedding Bashers that returns first with 4 special episodes, the new season of Survivor South Africa set in the Philippines, a new natural history series, The Wild Ones, and the second season of My Kitchen Rules South Africa.
M-Net not only flew in stars, on-air talent, journalists and advertising executives from across South Africa, but also screened episodes of its new shows to the press in advance before broadcast, and did comprehensive and wide-ranging Q&A talent sessions with the stars and producers of the various shows - besides a game drive, a visit to an rhino orphan rehabilitation sanctuary, as well as breakfast, lunches and dinners.
M-Net lux-de-lux local content upfront was the biggest ever held by a TV channel in the history of South Africa's 40-year television industry.
The upfront was more encompassing and immersive than any others held by other TV channels in the past, in the way that it allowed journalists covering TV, access to producers and talent, and screened full episodes followed by Q&A panels.
With its "local content safari" M-Net raised and set a new benchmark for top notch content upfronts in South Africa.
M-Net surpassed the level of content upfront information and press session media engagements that have been done by premium TV content and channel providers like Discovery Networks International EMEA, BBC Africa's BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide Africa), Viacom International Media Networks Africa, FOX Networks Group Africa and some others in South Africa until now, and who all run channels on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service.
M-Net wanted to emphasise that the pay-TV broadcaster places a high value on its premium content and that it also places a high priority on showcasing it to TV critics and the press.
Here's 28 photos that capture just some of M-Net's terrific 3-day local content upfront that it held for the media:
