by Thinus Ferreira
The SABC is taking over TelkomONE as Telkom is getting out of offering its own customised video streaming service offering after two years, with the South African public broadcaster relaunching and rebranding it as SABC+.
SABC+ carries SABC1, SABC2, SABC3, SABC Sports and SABC News as TV channels, the SABC's 19 radio stations and says it will do occasional "pop-up channels" for radio and television in future. SABC Education will also be added as a TV channel.
SABC+ streams the various linear SABC TV channels live and has a 7-day catch-up window making content available for a week afterwards. There is also a "2-day rewind"-option in the cloud.
Pop-up type TV channels on SABC+ will include a festive SABC channel that will launch in December, as well as a Senzo Meyiwa murder trial TV channel for court watching.
SABC+ joins a crowded streaming space already populated by Netflix SA, MultiChoice's video streamer Showmax, eMedia's eVOD, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, BritBox SA, Acorn TV, VIU, TruthTV, WOW Presents Plus and MarqueeTV.
SABC+ will work on the web and as an app but on Thursday morning www.sabcplus.com didn't work, although www.sabcplus.co.za did, which then redirects to www.sabcplus.com/en.
Merlin Naicker, SABC head of SABC video entertainment, says SABC+ was constructed and launched "at break-neck speed".
"What would have been a 24-month typical green fields project, we've launched in - I keep asking the team - and everybody says it's less than 21 days. So this 85-year-old organisation can move fast. That's the important message to get out to the industry - that we are moving faster."
"We're a lot more agile and SABC+ is going to speak to that content development moving forward."
He said the SABC had already digitised over 200 000 hours of the SABC archives that are "digitised and ready to go and which we will add to the service" and there are also plans to "remaster" some of the older content, including adding soundtracks in other languages in addition to the original language soundtrack of certain shows.
With only 18% of South African TV households which the SABC is aware of still paying their SABC TV Licence, SABC+ will not require or work with a valid SABC TV Licence number in order for a user or subscriber to gain access.
"A lot of our audiences are now migrating from the historical, traditional platforms to digital," said SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe.
"This is a great milestone for the SABC and it's great for audiences. It's interactive - the platform. They can use it in a manner that they can, to be able to view all our content, whether radio or television".
At an SABC launch event for SABC+ in Johannesburg on Thursday morning which a lot of media were not aware of would be happening, Madoda Mxakwe said "Today marks a very important day for the SABC as we launch this SABC over-the-top (OTT) platform".
"It's great that it's called SABC Plus because it's future-looking and it's talking about us getting into a very competitive space in the digital environment".
"We're introducing SABC+ which is really for everyone, everywhere, always. Today we move to deliver our content in a variety of platforms, across multiple platforms to reach our targeted audiences."
Madoda Mxakwe said that SABC+ gives the broadcaster "a good competitive edge to ensuring that we can migrate with audiences".
"We're repositioning the SABC as a multi-device content provider. We'll have more shows, more accessibility, more availability and access to our content anywhere you go. SABC+ is for us unlimited entertainment."
"We are now adapting to the fast-changing media environment. We know that our audiences are exposed to various media options," he said. "It's important that we reimagine public service broadcasting in the new digital era. So we're really placing a whole lot of emphasis in redefining the public broadcasting within an environment characterised by multi-platforms as well as multi-channels."
"Broadcasting in the digital age requires that we broaden the quality and scope of our content offering, intensify accessibility, as well as offer our audiences value for their time and their money."
"Very key for us is the ability to provide universal access. This has been the missing piece to complete the SABC's content distribution strategy."
