Done on DStv, dizi tells MultiChoice's pay-TV subscribers to switch to StarTimes to continue watching the Turkish telenovela TV channel from April on StarSat.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Turkish telenovela channel dizi that is ending on DStv at the end of the month is telling pay-TV subscribers to switch to rival StarTimes from April where the TV channel is also available and will remain available after its 5-month period as a pop-up channel on MultiChoice's pay-TV platform ends.

In August 2020 MultiChoice announced that it would be adding the Turkish telenovela channel, Timeless Drama Channel or TDC as a pop-up channel to DStv from November 2020.

The channel, from SPI International/FilmBox, known as "dizi", then switched from the TDC name to dizi when it launched on DStv channel 123 on 2 November 2020.

The dizi channel has been available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers in South Africa and Lesotho, and on DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus and DStv Compact across all other sub-Saharan Africa territories, showing an array of glossy telenovelas and costume dramas. 

Neither MultiChoice nor SPI International/FilmBox ever explained why the channel launched not as TDC but with the original dizi channel name.

Now after 5 months dizi is ending as a DStv pop-up channel. On the DStv electronic programme guide (EPG) on the dizi channel MultiChoice is telling DStv subscribers "Dear viewer, please note that the Timeless Dizi pop-up channel will stop airing on 31 March 2021. Thank you for watching".

On social media dizi Africa is telling DStv subscribers to switch to StarTimes and StarSat to keep watching the channel.

"Dear viewers, we are moving. Starting 5 April, dizi will bring you the most popular Turkish series with English dubbing from its new home at StarTimes," says the channel.

"Our pop-up time with DStv will end on 1 April. You can find us at our new home on StarTimes direct-to-home (DTH) and digital terrestrial television (DTT) platforms at channel 141 and channel 051 (247 in Uganda), respectively".

The channel says that "we would like to thank DStv for giving us the opportunity to become a pop-up channel and we hope that our roads will cross again while we look forward to meeting our fans at our new home."

"Turkish series fans who have already been enjoying dizi: From 5 April dizi will get even better with English dubbing and the possibility to catch up on all those episodes you may have missed from the smash-hit productions like Karadayi, Kurt Seyit and Shura, Black Money Love, Wings of Love, and Red Scarf".