by Thinus Ferreira
As part of a promotion to drive uptake and use of its DStv Now online service MultiChoice is opening up access to all of its DStv channels to almost all DStv subscribers from this Friday to Sunday for 3 days.
TV channels that are only available to DStv Premium or higher-tiered subscribers will be accessible to all DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Family and DStv Access subscribers which they will be able to live-stream from Friday, 13 March. DStv EasyView subscribers are excluded.
In order to watch any DStv channel they desire, DStv subscribers will however have to use data to watch the channels as live-streamed linear channels on DStv Now and will have to use the DStv Now app for mobile smartphones, laptops, computers, smart TV sets or Xbox.
MultiChoice plans to introduce an as-yet-unnamed streaming version of its DStv service similar to DStv Now, that will be a so-called "dishless DStv version", soon.
In late-2019 Niclas Ekdahl, CEO of MultiChoice's Connected Video division, said that MultiChoice plans to launch "dishless DStv" before the end of its financial year and hopefully by the end of March 2020.
The DStv Now Open Weekend will be MultiChoice's first public test for 2020 of whether its servers can now handle the influx of multiple DStv subscribers logging in and using its streaming platform to deliver a large number of concurrent live-streams.
It crashed due to system failures in 2019 with hugely popular content like Game of Thrones and 2019 Rugby World Cup matches when the MultiChoice server verifying DStv subscriptions and tier-status during login was too small and couldn't cope with the large number of DStv subscribers who tried to sign in simultaneously.
This weekend's DStv Now all-access promo means that all DStv subscribers will be able to watch a smorgasboard of exclusive entertainment, sport, news and documentary content usually restricted for DStv Premium subscribers who are paying for premium access.
This includes the 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on Saturday 14 March that broadcasts live from 20:30, as well as M-Net's 2020 7th Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards that will be broadcast live with red carpet coverage starting at 17:00 on any of the Africa Magic channels.
There's a flurry of cricket, golf and rugby happening across the various SuperSport channels with cricket like the Australia vs New Zealand 1st ODI on Friday 13 March from 05:20 to 14:00 on SuperSport 5 (DStv 205), Aus vs NZ 2nd ODI on Sunday 15 March 01:20 to 09:45 on SuperSport 2 (DStv 202), and India vs SA 2nd ODI on Sunday 15 March from 09:45 to 18:30 on SuperSport 2 (DStv 202).
The Players Championship Day 2 is shown on Friday 13 March from 19:00 to 01:00 on SuperSport 5 (DStv 205), Day 3 on Saturday 14 March from 20:00 to 01:00, and Day 4 on Sunday 15 March from 19:00 to midnight.
The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix main race is on Sunday 15 March on SuperSport 5 (DStv 205) from 07:05 to 09:00; while the EFC Welterweight title fight is taking place on Saturday 14 March between 19:30 and 23:00 on SuperSport 11 (DStv 211) between Themba Gorimbo and Lyle Karam.
Tottenham Hotspur plays Manchester United on Sunday 15 March in English Premier League action on SuperSport 3 (DStv 203) between 18:20 and 20:30, with the Serie A clash between AC Milan and Roma that will be on SuperSport 9 (DStv 209) on Sunday 15 March.
Multiple Vodacom Super Rugby matches are played with Chiefs vs Hurricanes on Friday 13 March from 8:00 on SuperSport 1 (DStv 201); on Saturday 14 March it's Blues vs Lions (starting 05:20 on SS1), Reds vs Vodacom Bulls (starting 10:10 on SS1) and Sharks vs Stormers (starting 15:00 on SS1); and on Sunday 15 March with Brumbies vs Waratahs (starting 07:00 on SS1).
Then there are Six Nations matches including Wales vs Scotland on Saturday 14 March (starting 16:10 on SS5), Italy vs England (starting 18:35 on SS1), and France vs Ireland (starting 21:50 on SS1).
The week's episode of the second season of The Bachelor SA with March Buckner repeats on M-Net (DStv 101) on Friday at 09:50 - this season's first free look at the show, with the local current affairs show Carte Blanche on Sunday at 19:00.
