TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice about OUTtv as a pop-up channel on Tuesday, with Naspers' pay-TV arm that confirmed that OUTtv will be added to DStv.
OUTtv, available in Canada, New Zealand and across Europe, will be added to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform and will show programming including movies, drama, lifestyle, comedy, reality, music and travel shows that appeal to the LGBTQI+ community.
The OUTtv channel will be made available to DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers and will broadcast shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Big Freedia Queen of Bounce, Deep Water, Wentworth, Degrassi: Next Generation and Hey Qween!, as well as OUTtv original series Knock Knock Ghost, Sex & Violence, Shadowlands, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula and Don’t Quit Your Gay Job.
OUTtv will be available on DStv on channel 198.
MultiChoice is only adding OUTtv in South Africa and nowhere else in Africa where DStv subscribers and several African countries' broadcasting and telecommunication regulators as well as censorship board from Nigeria to Kenya have in the past few years vehemently objected against the broadcast of gay-themed TV content.
MultiChoice says 80% of the content on OUTtv has never been seen in South Africa before with some of the content that will also be made available on the DStv Now streaming service.
"It is with a sense of great pride that we find ourselves, after a journey of 5 years, at the point of being able to bring a world-class entertainment product to South Africans," says Warren-Lee Whitcher, managing director of OUTtv South Africa.
"The OUTtv SA TV channel is the perfect first step on our mission of bringing our great quality and diverse content to SA audiences."
Yolisa Phahle, CEO for general entertainment at MultiChoice says OUTtv will add to the diversity of voices on DStv.
"At MultiChoice we celebrate diversity and are committed to providing a platform that allows multiple voices to be heard. We look forward to offering this pop-up to our customers in South Africa.”
Brad Danks, CEO of OUTtv says "we are delighted to introduce OUTtv to South Africa and to share our original programming with a bigger audience. We also look forward to continuing OUTtv’s international expansion and welcome the opportunity to forge new partnerships to build on our efforts in South Africa, New Zealand and Canada."
