After Big Brother Titans ratings flop MultiChoice is switching back to Nigeria's Big Brother Naija commissioned for an 8th season.

by Thinus Ferreira

After the ratings flop of MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic's joint South African and Nigerian production of Big Brother Titans earlier this year on DStv, MultiChoice is switching back to Nigeria's Big Brother version for the continent, Big Brother Naija, which has been commissioned for another season.

MultiChoice Nigeria will be doing an 8th season of Big Brother Naija for DStv subscribers across the sub-Saharan African continent after the 7th season, which was named "Big Brother Naija: Level Up" in 2022.

DStv Liberia announced to subscribers in the West African country that MultiChoice will be doing another Big Brother Naija season. In an announcement about a DStv price reduction from July for subscribers in Liberia, the company noted that "Big Brother Nigeria will return".

Big Brother Naija has continued to enjoy both social media buzz and TV ratings success - both of which eluded Big Brother Titans earlier this year.

With both a hugely misguided and largely absent PR and publicity strategy from Mzansi Magic and MultiChoice, bad casting of housemates who didn't gel and more entertaining contestants evicted first, along with a lack of buzz and interest from DStv subscribers, it wasn't surprising that low DStv ratings were expectedly far below Big Brother Naija levels due to the less compelling content.

DStv Liberia announces massive subscription fee price drop from July 2023 and says reduction is its way to thanks DStv subscribers for their loyalty.

by Thinus Ferreira

DStv Liberia is dropping monthly subscription prices massively for customers in the West African country from July 2023 who will see an enormous drop in its American dollar-based fee pricing from next month.

Liberia is the first country in Africa in 2023 where MultiChoice is reducing monthly DStv subscription fees, after hiking prices in several African countries this year from South Africa and Kenya, to Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and from July also Tanzania.

DStv Premium in Liberia is getting reduced from US$91.00 to US$61.00 from July, while the DStv Compact Plus package will drop from US$59.00 to US$36.00. DStv Compact is getting a price reduction from US$28.00 to US$23.00 monthly.

The DStv Family package will be cut from US$21.00 to US$13.00 monthly, while DStv Access is getting cheaper from US$14.00 to US$8.00.

In a press statement announcing the reduction in DStv fees in Liberia, Simeon Freeman, Consolidated Group and DStv Liberia CEO, says MultiChoice is reducing its DStv subscription fees in Liberia since it is looking at various ways to thank its many customers for their ongoing support and loyalty whilst delivering world-class entertainment at a price they can afford.

DStv Liberia says reducing monthly DStv fees is MultiChoice's way of "demonstrating commitment to its customers to ensure that they receive the best possible access to great entertainment at an outstanding value".

"DStv Liberia is delighted to announce that DStv customers in Liberia will now enjoy quality entertainment for less. This means that monthly subscription prices on DStv have decreased effective 1 July 2023."

"We are constantly looking at various ways to thank our customers for their ongoing support and loyalty whilst delivering a world-class entertainment service at a price they can afford. The price drop across the DStv bouquets is our way of demonstrating a commitment to our customers to ensure they received the best possible access to great entertainment at an outstanding value."

"As a lead partner to DStv, MultiChoice is committed to putting customers at the heart of every decision we make and we aim to continuously delight them with great entertainment and the best value. DStv viewers of all ages and tastes are in store for great entertainment."

"Across the African continent, DStv presents the most value from other competitive pay-TV offerings. Over the past 26 years of which DStv Liberia has operated in the market, we have worked tirelessly to ensure we provide an unrivalled channel for our customers to enjoy. Our key priority is to put our customers' needs at the heart of everything and we undertake to continue doing so."

After MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic's rating flop of Big Brother Titans in South Africa, DStv Liberia also announced that the company is going back to the Nigerian version for another season, with MultiChoice Nigeria that has commissioned a new season of Big Brother Naija.

DStv Liberia says "Big Brother Nigeria will return. MultiChoice will make great entertainment even more accessible to our customers in Liberia".

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Tanzania increases DStv prices by up to 8.8% from July 2023 as the latest African country getting a DStv price hike.

ALSO READ: PRICE HIKE. MultiChoice Ghana hiked fees by 19% in 2023, blames country's deteriorating economy as well as currency devaluation and fuel costs.

ALSO READ: PRICE HIKE. MultiChoice Nigeria hikes DStv prices again from May 2023 by up to 22.2% with cheapest GOtv bouquet seeing biggest price hike.

ALSO READ: SHOCKER. MultiChoice Kenya does second DStv price hike of up to 10% from April 2023 just 7 months after last fee increase, angry subscribers say they're cancelling and going to streaming.

ALSO READ: Six months after its last increase MultiChoice Uganda does another DStv price hike from April 2023 up to 10.25% as outraged subscribers slam pay-TV operator for 'garbage' content that's 'repeated and super old' .

ALSO READ: MultiChoice: Here is the pay-TV company's DStv pricing from April 2023.

TV RATINGS April 2023: SABC1's Uzalo sheds 1.2 million viewers as e.tv loses 2.1 million viewers with new soaps and DStv's bad Big Brother Titans ends with just 340 000 viewers on Mzansi Magic.

by Thinus Ferreira

As South Africa's ongoing and debilitating electricity blackouts continue to wipe millions of TV households from the country's ratings system, Uzalo as the most-watched show in the country lost over 1.2 million viewers in April, while e.tv's two new prime-time soaps were both rating disappointments - as was M-Net's Big Brother Titans finale on Mzansi Magic.

As South Africa continues to suffer through Eskom's Stage 6 load-shedding, the Durban-produced Uzalo plunged over 1.2 million viewers in April, falling from 6.248 million viewers in March as South Africa's most-watched show in television to 5.098 million in April. 

Meanwhile, e.tv's most-watched show, Scandal! - the fourth most-watched show overall in South Africa - shed 760 036 viewers in April when it fell from 4.947 million in March to 4.187 million viewers in April.

On SABC1, Skeem Saam moved up from its third place as third most-watched show to clinch second place, surpassing Generations - The Legacy. 

Although Skeem Saam lost viewers, falling from 4.603 million to 4.328 million viewers in April, Generations lost a much bigger part of its audience, tumbling from its perennial second-place with 4.924 million to 4.194 million viewers in April.

South African TV viewers absolutely love watching the TV news in their language. The Xhosa TV news bulletin on SABC1 lured 2.39 million viewers as the most-watched TV news in the country during April, followed by the Zulu TV news bulletin on the channel with 2.23 million viewers.

Nyan Nyan was slightly down from 2.087 million to 1.84 million viewers. Primedia and Rose & Oaks' Deal or No Deal SA was also slightly down from 1.6 to 1.45 million viewers.

SABC2's Muvhango sheds 400 000 viewers

On SABC2, the Venda prime-time soap Muvhango as the channel's most-watched show shed in excess of 400 000 viewers, falling from 1.775 million to 1.366 million viewers, followed by Afrikaans soap 7de Laan that sagged from 1.109 million to 922 467 viewers in April.

Giyani eroded from 982 107 to 851 977 viewers, while the Setswana TV news bulletin was down from 776 801 to 628 976 viewers in April. The Afrikaans TV news bulletin was down from 687 421 to 663 442 viewers.

Nong Seakaladi dropped from 593 729 to 541 354 viewers, while the Mandela and De Klerk movie lured 412 173 viewers. 

Natural history docs a lure on SABC3

On SABC3 the most-watched programming in April was the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes that lured 590 918 viewers, followed by the English TV news bulletin at 18:00 with 438 732 viewers, and the local soap The Estate with 418 028 viewers at most during the month.

Viewers like watching natural history programming on S3, with Baboons: Rules of the Troop (402 646), Great Parks of Africa (383 965) and Into the Wild: Colombia (305 136) finding a receptive audience. 

The 14:30 afternoon repeat of SABC1's Deal or No Deal SA lured 272 078 viewers to SABC3.

e.tv loses viewers 

The two new prime time replacement soaps for Imbewu and Durban Gen on e.tv - Nikiwe and Smoke & Mirrors were both ratings disappointments, luring far fewer viewers with their debut on 17 April.

While Durban Gen still had 1 967 574 viewers in April in its 18:30 timeslot, Nikiwe only got 1 455 901 in the same timeslot last month. While Imbewu at its end grabbed 2 275 169 viewers in April, Smoke & Mirrors only got 1 712 591 viewers at most last month. 

Neither Nikiwe or Smoke & Mirrors are top 5 e.tv shows like Imbewu and Durban Gen were.

House of Zwide as e.tv's second most-watched show lost 400 000 viewers and fell from 4.085 million to 3.599 million viewers.

Besides the 760 000 viewers that Scandal! lost, the 400 000 lost viewers from House of Zwide and the combined hit of 1 074 251 fewer viewers with Nikiwe and Smoke & Mirrors - it means that e.tv lost over 2.1 million viewers in just a month on the red letter channel.

The Black Door was lower from 2.237 million to 1.994 million viewers, while the Gavin Hood film Tsotsi was a bright spark pulling 2.12 million viewers for e.tv on 23 April as the channel's 4th most-watched piece of programming during the month. Mama Jack lured 2.076 million viewers.

Big Brother Titans ends with little fanfare

MultiChoice saw an overall improvement during April for DStv subscriber ratings although Gomora on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) as the most-watched show was slightly down from 885 304 to 863 074 viewers.

Sizok'thola on Moja Love (DStv 157) was second-most watched on pay-TV during April and up from 589 801 to 693 271 viewers, followed by Isifiso on Mzansi Magic in third place with 662 945 viewers.

Moja Love's X-Repo increased its audience from 588 547 to 628 788 viewers, while Gqeberha: The Empire improved from 589 267 to 608 811 viewers in April. The River declined from 586 939 to 540 788 viewers. Umndeni on Moja Love lost viewers, going from 458 356 to 371 607 viewers in April. 

M-Net's Big Brother Titans reality show finale was a ratings disappointment, luring only 346 252 viewers to Mzansi Magic on Sunday 2 April in the Sunday evening 19:00 timeslot.    

ALSO READ: Little publicised Nikiwe and Smoke & Mirrors cost and lost e.tv over 1 million viewers in April in disappointing TV ratings debut.

TV RATINGS January 2023: South African television loses another 2.5 million viewers due to Eskom blackouts while MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic's Big Brother Titans and Gqeberha The Empire are rating flops.

by Thinus Ferreira

After collectively wiping over 5 million TV viewers during primetime from the country's television ratings in December 2022 Eskom's ongoing electricity blackouts in South Africa up to Stage 6 load-shedding did further damage to the country's viewership which was down another 2.5 million viewers in January.

Meanwhile, MultiChoice's new season of Big Brother: Titans which started on DStv on 15 January, as well as the Tshedza Pictures telenovela Gqeberha: The Empire produced in the Eastern Cape and which started on 16 January on DStv, both had disappointing viewership premieres.  

Between SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 collectively the South African public broadcaster lost another 2.53 million viewers in January from its top 20 shows.

eMedia's free-to-air commercial TV channel e.tv kept steady, showing a slight increase from 33 to 33.2 million viewers in January for its top-rated shows. 

In pay-TV, MultiChoice continued to shed thousands of DStv subscribers in January whose TV sets and decoders don't work when Eskom and cities leave suburbs powerless during Stage 6 loadshedding.

SABC1 lost another 1.81 million viewers across its top shows in January. Uzalo as the channel and the country's most-watched show kept steady with a slight viewership gain from 5.19 to 5.27 million viewers.

Generations - The Legacy in second place also held steady at 4.11 million viewers compared to December's 4.1 million viewers, while Skeem Saam as SABC1's third most-watched show gained viewers, going from 3.57 to 3.89 million viewers. 

The Zulu TV news bulletin made gains rising from 1.966 to 2.198 million viewers, while the Xhosa TV news bulletin rose from 2.053 to 2.194 million viewers. The country's 2022 matric results announcement on 19 January drew 1.813 million viewers.

Spidey snares viewers for SABC3 web

On SABC2 the channel's most-watched show Muvhango showed small growth, going from 1.548 to 1.66 million viewers as the channel's only show pulling over a million viewers.

Kgatelopele was flat at 784 283 viewers, compared to December's 786 740, with Afrikaans soap 7de Laan also flat at 775 339 compared to December's 764 955 viewers. The Afrikaans TV news bulletin declined from 616 357 to 568 255 viewers.

The Setswana TV news bulletin climbed from 484 646 to 545 338 viewers, while Morning Live held steady at 444 316 viewers. The Venda/Tsonga TV news bulletin drew 367 592 viewers.

SABC3 showed slight ratings growth in January, going from 519 808 viewers who watched the FIFA World Cup match between Japan and Spain December as the channel's most-watched number, to the Sunday night film Taken pulling 597 658 viewers on 22 January.

Spidey helped to prop up SABC3 in January, with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 luring 379 683 and Spider-Man 3 grabbing 372 941 viewers, while The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 caught 301 172 and 299 076 viewers in their webs respectively. The English TV news bulletin pulled 315 462 viewers, slightly up from December's 289 308.  

DStv's Big Brother: Titans and Gqeberha: The Empire flop

On the red letter channel its top show Scandal! ebbed slightly from 4.01 to 3.9 million viewers, while House of Zwide in second place held steady at 3.2 million from December's 3.12 million viewers, as did Imbewu in third place with 2.158 million viewers compared to December's 2.13 million.

The Black Door was slightly down from 1.85 to 1.73 million viewers in January, and Durban Gen was 1.63 to 1.53 million viewers. 

e.tv's 20:00 TV news bulletin went from 1.54 to 1.46 million viewers, while the Leon Schuster-fronted film Mr Bones was the channel's most-watched film for the month, grabbing 1.79 million viewers.

On pay-TV, MultiChoice's DStv continues to suffer declining ratings with its most-watched show Gomora on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) down from 912 173 to 783 149 DStv subscribers who tuned in during January.

The telenovela Gqeberha: The Empire which premiered on 16 January during Stage 6 loadshedding had a disappointing 413 227 viewers at most during January. 

The latest Big Brother season with housemates from Nigeria and South Africa, Big Brother: Titans which also made its debut during Stage 6 loadshedding has also been a ratings dud, not rating well despite being shown on the Mzansi Magic, Mzansi Wethu and its own dedicated DStv pop-up channel.

The third season of Big Brother Mzansi a year ago in January 2022 still had a lowly 529 041 viewers but with little promotion and barely any PR support Big Brother: Titans has less than 330 000 viewers and couldn't even rate on the list as one of DStv's 30 most-watched shows during January. 

Isencane Lengane on Moja Love (DStv 157) drew 625 293 viewers in January while the channel's Uyajola 9/9 was down from December's 670 983 to 621 234 viewers. 

The Queen was down from 620 601 to 608 313 viewers. Diep City lost 30 000 viewers on Mzansi Magic, going from 553 799 to 523 354 viewers.

X-Repo on Moja Love dropped from 518 780 to 497432 viewers.