THD set for launch in October - an expansion of Tbo Touch's existing Touch HD online radio station - will compete with rival services like Naspers' Showmax currently run by MultiChoice, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and DEOD in a field that already saw VIDI, Altech Node, MTN's VU and recently PCCW Global's ONTAPtv.com bail out and shutter.
In an interview with the website TechCentral, Tbo Touch said that he had secured millions of rand in seed investment from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). Pricing for THD will be released later, but the entrepreneur said his VOD service will offer video priced more aggressively than competitors and through apps and the internet.
Tbo Touch said THD will produce local documentaries, TV series and films as well as offer movies and series from Hollywood and that he also sees MultiChoice's DStv as a competitor "because of the abundance of choice we are offering on this platform as well as the quality".
"I have met numerous content creators, we have added 18 videographers and directors in partnership with the IDC. They have pumped good money into the business to accommodate our innovative plans for the next 24 months," Tbo Touch said.
