Thursday, September 13, 2018

MultiChoice and M-Net shutting down its M-Net Binge channel for DStv Premium subscribers at the end of September after a year and 4 months.


MultiChoice and M-Net are shutting down another of its self-packaged channels, this time M-Net Binge (DStv 900) that will come to an end on 1 October.

DStv Premium subscribers are losing M-Net Binge after a year and four months since it started in May 2017, with MultiChoice and M-Net telling subscribers in an on-screen message to "please note that M-Net Binge will stop airing 1 October 2018".

"Continue your entertainment with the latest series on M-Net 101/102, watch it on Catch Up or binge-watch it on Catch Up Plus. Thank you for watching".

This is what DStv subscribers and the public are seeing at the moment:


M-Net and MultiChoice launched M-Net Binge in May 2017 with the channel that ran over weekends as a linear TV channel on DStv to help subscribers catch up on missed series and episodes.

At the time Yolisa Phahle, now MultiChoice's CEO for general entertainment, said "M-Net's successful movie pop-up channels have shown that our premium viewers love themed and curated content and M-Net Binge is an exciting initiative for series fans to catch up with the best of the best shows that they may have missed or want to watch again."

Responding to a media enquiry, Lani Lombard, M-Net's head of publicity, says that "over the past couple of years, M-Net and MultiChoice have introduced several innovative platforms to speak to series fans' changing viewing needs within the ever-evolving video entertainment landscape".

"As such there are now several ways for DStv customers to catch up on premiere M-Net 101 and 1Magic shows they may have missed or want to watch again."

"After reviewing the current uptake and perceptions around these platforms and services, M-Net and MultiChoice decided to discontinue the weekend pop-up channel M-Net Binge (DStv 900) from 1 October 2018."

"M-Net 101 and 1Magic series fans can still watch their favourite shows at their own convenience. DStv Catch Up allows customers with a PVR or Explora decoder to watch selected series currently on DStv - these shows are automatically sent to your decoder without having to do anything".

"There is also DStv Catch Up Plus, an extended version of DStv Catch Up, where selected series are available to DStv Premium customers to stream or download with a DStv Explora decoder that is connected to the internet."

"DStv Now online or on the app enables DStv customers to stream shows or download shows straight to their devices. The online streaming service Showmax is available to all DStv customers - either through DStv Exploras connected to the internet or through the Showmax app. Previous seasons of shows that are currently on DStv can be streamed or downloaded."