MultiChoice is fast expanding and building out its stacked, online content verticals on its DStv Now Catch Up service, adding a BBC Arts & Culture trove of shows that DStv Premium subscribers can access that go beyond the linear channels carried on DStv.
In a new content deal between MultiChoice and BBC Studios Africa, 127 hours of arts and culture programming is being added to the DStv Now streaming service for DStv Premium subscribers from 4 September, ranging from opera and architecture to British royal palaces.
The BBC Arts & Culture on-demand content addition follows MultiChoice's A+E Networks deal for its History Vault content vertical that was added in July and is bringing DStv subscribers more history-interest documentary and series programming than what's available on A+E Networks Africa's linear History (DStv 186) channel.
MultiChoice has also been adding more and more limited period additional content blocks like online box sets from Discovery Networks International during its Discovery Channel Shark Week in July for instance.
The BBC Arts & Culture content will be available to stream or download on Catch Up on DStv Now online and on the app, and also on Catch Up Plus accessible through a DStv Explora connected to the internet.
MultiChoice says the additional content from the BBC on DStv Now can be "categorised into 10 genres".
"Music" will range from live concerts from some of the world's most celebrated musicians Roberta Flack and Robbie Williams, symphonic orchestra and opera and thought-provoking documentaries on some of the greatest musicians of all time including Jimi Hendrix, Duran Duran and for younger audiences One Direction.
"The Great Masters" will delve into the works of Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Da Vinci amongst others, with DStv subscribers who can lso explore the man-made world with explorations of gothic architecture, through to some of the British Royal families' most iconic palaces.
Shows that will soon be available to stream include:
Queen's Golden Jubilee Concerts: Party At The Palace
A two-hour concert from Buckingham Palace in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee starring a top line-up of the world’s most popular artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne, Brian May, Annie Lennox, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones and Will Young.
BBC Proms 2017: Last Night Of The Proms
An exuberant Last Night of the Proms commemorating composers Zoltán Kodály and Malcolm Sargent, lead by Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and starring Nina Stemme, the world’s greatest Wagnerian soprano.
Royal Opera House: The Nutcracker
To get audiences in the festive mood ahead of Christmas comes the live performance of the classic The Nutcracker, with its wonderful score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The story takes place during a Christmas party where the toy maker Drossellmeyer (Sir Anthony Dowell) comes to entertain the children.
He gives Clara (Alina Cojocaru) a Nutcracker doll and she at once falls in love with it. When everyone has gone to bed Clara comes downstairs to find her doll and suddenly gets involved in a great adventure. Sir Peter Wright’s production for the Royal Ballet is designed by Julia Trevelyan Oman and the orchestra of the Royal Opera House is conducted by Evgenii Svetlanov. The programme is introduced by Deborah Bull.
One Direction - Road to San Siro
This concert film captures One Direction at the peak of their pop-music powers, performing all their biggest hits from What Makes You Beautiful and Live While We’re Young to One Thing and Story of My Life.
The Queen's Palaces
Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse - these buildings have been part of British royal history for hundreds of years. Presented by Fiona Bruce, The Queen’s Palaces showcases the art and architecture, the interior decoration and the treasures stored inside these fabulous buildings and reveals the surprising and fascinating stories behind them.
Van Gogh - Painted With Words
Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Vincent Van Gogh to perfection in this powerful and critically acclaimed docudrama, with every single word of dialogue sourced from the artist’s original correspondence.
The Private Life Of A Masterpiece: Special: The Mystic Nativity
One of the most popular paintings in London’s National Gallery, Botticelli’s Mystic Nativity is a picture of hope in difficult times. In this programme Private Life of a Masterpiece explores the connections between the symbolism in Botticelli’s painting and the preaching of a radical Dominican monk, Girolamo Savonarola, later executed for his views.
Art Of America/ Russia/ France/ Scandinavia/ Spain
Art historian Andrew Graham Dixon unlocks the mystery, variety and history of some the world’s most influential countries including separate series on Russia, America, France, Spain and Scandinavia and each of their unique art.
Fry's Planet Word
Language is what defines humans from other species, and with our planet home to around 7 000 different languages, words have played a crucial role in our evolution. Stephen Fry explores language in all its forms.
The full list of BBC Arts & Culture programmes that will be available to DStv Premium subscribers include:
ROYAL COLLECTION
Royal Opera House: Stravinsky Staged - The Firebird And Les Noces
Queen's Golden Jubilee Concerts: Party At The Palace
Anthems From Kings
SYMPHONIC
BBC Proms 2011: Brahms Night
BBC Proms 2016: Last Night Of The Proms
Chopin Saved My Life
BBC Proms 2017: Last Night Of The Proms
BALLET & OPERA
Royal Opera House: The Magic Flute
Royal Opera House: The Nutcracker
The Cunning Little Vixen
Royal Opera House: Rigoletto
BBC Proms 2010: Last Night Of The Proms
LIVE PERFORMANCES
Il Divo: A Musical Affair: Live in Japan
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly
Robbie Williams - One Night At The Palladium (2 eps)
Robbie Williams - Sing When You're Winning
Backstreet Boys: World Tour Live Concert
Lesley Garrett Tonight: Series 1 (Best Of)
Lesley Garrett Tonight: Series 2
MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES
In And Out Of Hell - The Meat Loaf Story
Jim Morrison - Rock Poet
Duran Duran - There's Something You Should Know
Jimi Hendrix - The Guitar Hero
All Apologies - Kurt Cobain
One Direction - Road to San Siro
ARCHITECTURE
The Art of Gothic
Secret Cities: Series 2
Secret Cities: Series 1
The Queen's Palaces
Dan Cruickshank's Adventures In Architecture
Dan Cruickshank's Warsaw - How A City Came Back From The Dead
Sex And Sensibility - The Allure Of Art Nouveau
THE GREAT MASTERS
Da Vinci - The Lost Treasure
The Divine Michelangelo
Rembrandt
Van Gogh - Painted With Words
The Genius Of Carl Faberge
MASTERPIECES
Unfinished Masterpieces
The Private Life Of A Masterpiece Special: The Descent From The Cross
The Private Life Of A Masterpiece Special: Adoration Of The Christ Child
The Private Life Of A Masterpiece Special: The Mystic Nativity
The Private Life Of A Masterpiece Special: The Taking Of Christ
WORLD ART
The High Art Of The Low Countries
The Art Of France
Art of Scandinavia
Art Of America
The Art Of Spain
The Art Of Russia
Art, Passion and Power: The Story of the Royal Collection
LITERATURE
Shakespeare Uncovered: Series 3
Shakespeare Uncovered: Series 2
Shakespeare In Italy
Imagine...: The Fatwa - Salman's Story
Imagine...: The Year Of Anish Kapoor
The Beauty Of Books
Omnibus: Annie Proulx - Way Out West
Fry's Planet Word
