MultiChoice looking at the possibility of offering a Sport bouquet on DStv and if offering big sport events as pay-per-view is economically viable.

MultiChoice is looking at and researching the possibility of offering a Sports specific DStv bouquet to DStv subscribers but is cautioning that it won't be happening soon, and is also researching the economic viability of offering big sport events as a pay-per-view (PPV) option in Africa.

Tim Jacobs, CEO of MultiChoice Africa, said at the MultiChoice Content Showcase in Mauritius that MultiChoice that offering a sports specific bouquet on DStv is part of MultiChoice's product development.

"We listen to consumers, but it's a different model to our current one." Tim Jacobs said MultiChoice is "constantly evaluating the viability, so it's something we're considering, but it's not imminent".

David Booth, chief content officer for MultiChoice Africa, also commenting on the possibility of a sports specific DStv bouquet on Wednesday at the Main Beach Marquee where MultiChoice held a MultiChoice Africa Media Roundtable press conference, said that MultiChoice is always looking at trends.

"We're not in a position at this time to go that far [introduce a sports specific package]. There's always a chance to improve our content and quality and over the next two years, we'll see how it goes," said David Booth.

"Pay-Per-View sounds attractive, but it's actually a red herring," said Tim Jacobs.

"An easy example is the Mayweather/Pacquiao boxing match earlier this year. It sold on Pay-Per-View across the world – in the USA at $99 for 3 to 4 hours of viewing.

"Across the continent, subscribers pay less than that for DStv Premium for a whole month of viewing across all our channels – and in this instance, that included that fight, which was broadcast on SuperSport. That's the benefit of scale for us."

"If you segment sports, for example the English Premier League (EPL), the reality is that the cost of that is much higher than everyone thinks because you need to divide up those expensive rights between a much smaller viewing population, so the cost goes up exponentially."

"That doesn't mean we're not looking at Pay-Per-View as an option – we need to be flexible and we get a lot of requests for it."

"We’re watching consumer demand and looking at whether it's economically viable. It's not on the cards right now, though, but we do have a research team trying to work that out," said Tim Jacobs.

MultiChoice's 5 day DStv Content Showcase in Mauritius started on Tuesday with the satellite pay-TV service doing a programming and content upfront where several TV channels - from Sony Television and BBC Worldwide to SuperSport, M-Net, Viacom's BET, MTV Base, A+E Networks UK's History, Lifetime and others - are presenting their latest and upcoming programming and content over the coming months.

MultiChoice excluded South Africa's press and TV critics from attending the MultiChoice Content Showcase that media from other Africa countries are attending, and MultiChoice didn't inform South African journalists covering the TV industry beforehand that the event would be taking place.

MultiChoice will be doing pop-up channels in DStv in 2016; M-Net's Star Wars pop-up channel is 'an experiment', says the pay-TV operator.

MultiChoice will be doing 4 limited-period pop-up channels on DStv in 2016 similar to M-Net's current Star Wars pop-up channel on channel 109 which is an experiment, the satellite pay-TV operator has revealed.

At the end of the year, MultiChoice will be adding another new kids pop-up channel for the December holidays, a kids channel from Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) that already provides Cartoon Network (DStv 301) and Boomerang (DStv 302) as kids channels to DStv.

David Booth, chief content officer for MultiChoice Africa, revealed at the MultiChoice Content Showcase that MultiChoice sees the current Star Wars pop-up channel from M-Net and The Walt Disney Company in Africa as "an experiment" and will be doing more of them in the future - at least 4 pop-up channels in 2016.

In 2014 MultiChoice and DStv had great success with the Oscar Pistorius Trial channel from Combined Artistis Productions in South Africa.

It was also a pop-up channel of which the ratings and viewership at certain times outperformed premium channels like M-Net (DStv 101) and made it the 4th most watched TV channel on pay-TV in South Africa.

"We want to be more fluid and offer more pop-up and events channels – it's very much part of our strategy," said David Booth at a panel discussion on Wednesday at the Main Beach Marquee where MultiChoice held a MultiChoice Africa Media Roundtable press conference.

"We have big plans over the holiday period to bring in a kids' channel from Turner Broadcasting, for example."

"Going forward, I see events channels offering fantastic opportunities. The Star Wars channel is an experiment, and it's also something we've done in the past with Big Brother Africa. It's our ambition to do four more pop-up and events channels in the next year," said David Booth.

MultiChoice's 5 day DStv Content Showcase in Mauritius started on Tuesday with the satellite pay-TV service doing a programming and content upfront where several TV channels - from Sony Television and BBC Worldwide to SuperSport, M-Net, Viacom's BET, MTV Base, A+E Networks UK's History, Lifetime and others - are presenting their latest and upcoming programming and content over the coming months.

MultiChoice excluded South Africa's press and TV critics from attending the MultiChoice Content Showcase that media from other Africa countries are attending, and MultiChoice didn't inform South African journalists covering the TV industry beforehand that the event would be taking place.

MultiChoice to add a pop-up kids channel from Turner Broadcasting System to DStv for the December holiday.

MultiChoice will be adding a pop-up kids channel from Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) to DStv for the December holiday.

Turner Broadcasting System already supplies MultiChoice with kids channels like Cartoon Network (DStv 301) and the pre-school Cartoonito programming block, and Boomerang (DStv 302).

While Turner's Adult Swim TV channel is for 18+ viewers and therefore not a kids channel, it leaves channels like Boing, or Toonami (boys focused), or CN Too, as a second Cartoon Network channel as one of the possible channel options available from Turner Broadcasting to be joining DStv for a limited time period.

David Booth, chief content officer for MultiChoice Africa, revealed at the MultiChoice Content Showcase that MultiChoice will be adding a pop-up kids channel for the December period.

MultiChoice's 5 day DStv Content Showcase in Mauritius started on Tuesday with the satellite pay-TV service doing a programming and content upfront where several TV channels - from Sony Television and BBC Worldwide to SuperSport, M-Net, Viacom's BET, MTV Base, A+E Networks UK's History, Lifetime and others - are presenting their latest and upcoming programming and content over the coming months.

MultiChoice excluded South Africa's press and TV critics from attending the MultiChoice Content Showcase that media from other Africa countries are attending, and MultiChoice didn't inform South African journalists covering the TV industry beforehand that the event would be taking place.

MultiChoice defends DStv repeats: 'A repeat is not a repeat if you haven't seen it'.

MultiChoice is defending something that irritates a lot of DStv subscribers - repeats and rebroadcasts, but on Wednesday morning said the old content shown isn't a repeat if a DStv subscriber hasn't seen it before.

On Wednesday morning at the Main Beach Marquee, MultiChoice held a MultiChoice Africa Media Roundtable press conference with some MultiChoice and M-Net executives attending the MultiChoice Content Showcase 2015 at the Outrigger Mauritius Resort & Spa in Mauritius.

In attendance as part of the panel was Tim Jacobs (MultiChoice Africa CEO), David Booth (the chief content officer for MultiChoice Africa), as well as Theo Erasmus ((M-Net regional director for East and Southern Africa and Lusophone countries), and Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, who is M-Net West's regional director.

It's here where the satellite pay-TV operator defended repeats of programming.

"A repeat is not a repeat if you haven't seen it," David Booth told the press invited to MultiChoice's 5 day content showcase.

It partially explains the strategy behind MultiChoice adding content and channels like the recent SABC Encore (DStv 156).

Although it is a 100% rebroadcast channel with SABC archived content, and although it is decades old, not luring viewers as "appointment television" and while several shows are of dubious quality, it counts as "new" for DStv subscribers who've never seen it.

"Repeats are a part of the eco-system of multichannel television," said David Booth.

"It's about giving audiences another opportunity to see programming – the chances of coming to something first time round is getting smaller by the day because of the increasingly-fragmented viewing environment."

"We're seeing repeats and archive programming having more life. Having exclusively live content available costs billions and no broadcaster in the world has that kind of offering," said David Booth.

"The challenge for us is balancing fresh hours of content and archive programming, which is a fine balancing act."

DStv and several pay-TV channels - ranging from Sony Television and the BBC to SuperSport, M-Net, BET, MTV Base, A+E Networks UK's History, Lifetime and many others - are presenting their latest and upcoming programming and content over the next few days at the MultiChoice showcase.

Following anger and outrage from DStv subscibers across Africa after the English Premier League (EPL) was just moved to higher SuperSport channels on more expensive DStv packages, MultiChoice told the media on Wednesday that its EPL rights costs have increased by 70%.

That cost must be passed on to the consumer. 

Tim Jacobs who explained how EPL rights impacted DStv subscription fees, said EPL rights went up 70% this year. "In order to absorb that in our cost structure we had to rebalance content".

MultiChoice in some African counries like Kenya and Uganda - after MultiChoice Uganda in mid-August blatantly lied and said it won't happen - is shockingly hiking monthly DStv subscription rates by 25% from 1 October in Uganda and 15% in Kenya - the second price increase in one year.

DStv subscribers in Uganda are furious over the 2nd DStv price increase in 2015. In Kenya there is similarly outrage over the DStv hike

It's now fueling speculation over whether another price hike for South Africa and other African countries is also on the card who are also battling with weakening currencies against the dollar - the reason given for the latest DStv increase.

MultiChoice's DStv Content Showcase in Mauritius 2015: A summary of the programming upfront and news so far.

MultiChoice is having a 5 day DStv Content Showcase in Mauritius, starting today after an official opening event on Tuesday evening.

Sadly and very disappointingly so, MultiChoice couldn't be bothered in the slightest to even beforehand just tell me, or other TV critics and longtime journalists covering television, that it would be happening.

So ...

While several DStv channels on MultiChoice's pay-TV service - from Sony Television and the BBC to SuperSport, M-Net, BET, MTV Base, A+E Networks UK's History, Lifetime and many others - are presenting their latest and upcoming programming and content, I'm not able to report about it directly, comprehensively and as incisively and fully as I would have, or would have liked to.

But I will try my best as the days ahead go by, to try and bring and summarise what MultiChoice and its channel content partners are unveiling, revealing and communicating. Of course it's largely depends on it being actually reported in the first place by some of the press and media under the 200 people actually there...

Tuesday 1 September
Nothing like some naked statues from a clothing shop at  the bread table inside the marque tent to look at, at Tuesday's gala welcoming dinner event. It's called the "Night of a Thousands Stars" - although its closer to 200 people there. The guest-list read like the "Who's who of Africa's entertainment and media".

Stephan and Lu opened the show with a cover version of Black Eyed Peas' "I've got a Feeling'. IK Osakioduwa was the host, together with Eku Edewor. Someone lost a watch.

MultiChoice Africa CEO Tim Jacobs in his opening speech says that DStv will "do all we can to make the best content available". The same story here and some more photos.

See Rita Dominic's outfit for the dinner last night! (Cause that's what why're you're flying all the way there to co and cover, right?) And then there's the trash running after Banky W to ask him when he's going to get married for a tabloid story.

Apparently Hollywood actor Johnny Depp is set to attend the DStv Content Showcase taking place at the Outrigger Mauritius Resort & Span.

African celebrities and journalists "bask at the content showcase extravaganza" according to Uganda's New Vision newspaper.

Here is someone's travelogue who forgot "what day and time it was".

Ahead of the official start there was a sightseeing tour of Mauritius and a visit to sugarcane plantations, and here's the press and guests arriving from Tanzania, Botswana, Nigeria and elsewhere at the airport. Ghana's Stonebwoy ... not drunk, just looking tired.

It's apparently Africa's biggest television content showcase - but South Africa's TV press gets shut out. For the rest of the press, Caroline Creasy, corporate affairs general manager of MultiChoice Africa says the moment you've been waiting for has finally arrived".

Wednesday 2 September
On Wednesday morning, MultiChoice held a MultiChoice Africa Media Roundtable press conference at Main Beach Marquee with Tim Jacobs, Theo Erasmus, (M-Net regional director for East and Southern Africa and Lusophone coutries), David Booth and Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu (M-Net West Africa's regional director).

Sadly I can't cover it, although David Booth the chief content officer for MultiChoice tried to defend the indefensible - MultiChoice's repeats on DStv - saying: "A repeat is not a repeat if you haven't seen it".

If now only a crime wasn't a crime if you haven't seen it, or abuse not abuse if you haven't seen it, or poverty not poverty if you haven't seen it. Imagine.

Several African countries called out MultiChoice and M-Net at the panel session for the way in which Nigerian TV content is "overshadowing" other African region's content.

Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu from M-Net said there's more more Nigerian content on DStv because Nigeria produces more content.

On why there's more Nigerian stars at the MultiChoice Content Showcase than people from other countries, M-Net says the personalities from other African countries were too busy for MultiChoice and had conflicting schedules and therefore couldn't make it to Mauritius.

With Naspers' ShowMax launching and Netflix on its way, Tim Jacobs also revealed at the press conference that MultiChoice is apparently looking at adopting some new DStv subscription models to "give greater flexibility to subscribers", given the steep rise in DStv subscription fees across Africa.

MultiChoice said ShowMax "tries to eat our lunch" and that MultiChoice has to be innovative since Naspers' ShowMax is "cannibalising" the DStv audience.

Theo Erasmus said several African countries still need to increase their capacity and upscale their local TV content output in order to boost Africa's film and TV industry.

MultiChoice revealed that a kids pop-up channel from Turner Broadcasting will be added to DStv for the December holidays.

MultiChoice said that M-Net Movies and The Walt Disney Company Africa's Star Wars Channel is an experiment and that DStv will do 4 pop-up channels in 2016.

Here's the best run down of everything the panel said at the press conference.

MultiChoice is looking at the possibility and researching the option of a Sports specific DStv bouquet as well as whether offering big sport events as pay-per-view is economically viable.

On Wednesday Sony Television did a The Amazing Race Sony Spectacular Search "activation" as the marketers call it.

Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) which runs channels like MTV Base and Comedy Central built a sandcastle with their activation also happening today ahead of a type of game.

Zambia's Daily Mail reports that MultiChoice Africa's general manager of corporate affairs, Caroline Creasy, and MultiChoice Africa's CEO Tim Jacobs get on stage to do a lip sync battle of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off at VIMN Africa's evening event.


Friday 4 September
On Friday the saritical TV news show Zambesi News will be in Mauritius to entertain the press MultiChoice did invite.

BREAKING. David Booth appointed as new chief content officer at MultiChoice Africa.

David Booth has been appointed as the new chief content officer at MultiChoice Africa - so far no word or announcement from the satellite pay-TV platform about it.

David Booth was previously the vice president of programming at MTV Networks UK and Ireland and then the senior vice-president of content and programming.

UPDATE 14:30 - I've now received a statement from MultiChoice Africa after a media enquiry.

"MultiChoice Africa has announced the appointment of David Booth as chief content officer - taking up the position in February 2015."

Nico Meyer, CEO of MultiChoice Africa said: "We are delighted that David is joining our team, he is an accomplished TV executive with a real passion for programming and a track record across global TV markets."

"We are sure that he will help drive our content strategy across the continent in order to grow our business to even greater heights."