SAB ordered to pull Brutal Fruit TV ad over showing and encouraging glass bottles and bringing and drinking alcohol on a beach

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has ordered South African Breweries (SAB) to remove its "Be in the Moment" TV commercial for Brutal Fruit since it shows not just glass bottles which is prohibited on South African beaches but also depicts people bringing and drinking alcohol on a beach which are also illegal.

SAB aired its Brutal Fruit TV commercial on Warner Bros. Discovery's Discovery (DStv 121) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service.

The Brutal Fruit TV commercial was filmed by Giant Films with Emma Lundy and Cindy Gabriel as executive producers, with Joe Public as the agency.

According to the ARB, SAB's Brutal Fruit TV commercial depicts a glass bottle of Brutal Fruit on a colourful beach towel, as well as scenes and a setting in which a group of people are drinking Brutal Fruit

In response to a complaint from a DStv subscriber, SAB's Brutal Fruit told the ARB that the Brutal Fruit glass bottle depicted on the beach is closed and was only displayed "with the intention of showcasing the brand, and at no point did any of the people in the commercial consume the product on the beach".

Brutal Fruit said "it continues to encourage responsible disposal of bottles with appropriate guidance labelling to this effect appearing on packaging".

The ARB said it can't rule on the display of a Brutal Fruit glass bottle depicted on a beach, but said SAB and Brutal Fruit's argument "that the bottle is closed and alcohol is not begin consumed in the beach scenes is a little disingenuous".

"A hypothetical reasonable consumer watching the commercial as a whole and not pausing scene-by-scene as the directorate did, will view the commercial in its entirety, depicting friends enjoying Brutal Fruit together in various settings, and will not isolate the beach scenes, will not analyse each frame and conclude that alcohol is not consumed on the beach."

According to the ARB, it is "a stretch for the advertiser to assert that because the bottles are closed it is used to highlight the brand and does not encourage drinking on a beach".

The ARB in its ruling noted that Clause 3.3 of Section II states that advertisements must not contain anything which might lend support to criminal or illegal activities, nor should they appear to condone such activities.

"There is no doubt in the mind of the directorate that watched as a whole, the commercial condones and in fact encourages bringing alcohol to the beach and consuming it on the beach. This is illegal".

The ARB directorate found that SAB's Brutal Fruit TV commercial contravened Clause 3.3 of Section II of the Code and ordered SAB to remove the Brutal Fruit ad in its current format from wherever it appears.

Programming line-up for July 2024's Nat Geo WILD Sharkfest and Discovery Shark Week.

by Thinus Ferreira

The TV waters are shark-infested as Discovery Channel and National Geographic compete with a duelling Shark Week and a Sharkfest in July.

Discovery Channel (DStv 121) has its Discovery Shark Week that kicks off Monday 15 July at 17:00, with three local shark experts - Zandile Ndhlovu, Leigh de Necker and Dr Alison Towner who appear across various episodes over the week.

Ndhlovu, known as The Black Mermaid, appears in Monster Hammerheads: Species X and Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier, with De Necker who appears in 6000-LB. Shark. Towner is an expert who appears in Great White Danger Zone.

On Nat Geo WILD (DStv 182 / StarSat 221) the channel's Sharkfest starts on 20 July on weekends at 18:00, and runs until 28 August with shark-themed programming that will also be available on the streaming service Disney+.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL

Shark scientist Dr Alison Towner appears in Great White Danger Zone on Monday 15 July at 17:15 as her team investigates a new Great White hotspot off the South African coast, uncovering unusual behaviours in these predators. 

"Southern African white sharks are currently a subject of intense mystery. Human activities and killer whale predation have drastically shifted their habitat use in this region," she explains.

"Great White Danger Zone investigates how white sharks are adapting to these changes at the southern tip of Africa."

Zandile Ndhlovu appears on Tuesday 16 July at 18:10 as she dives with Dr Austin Gallagher in the Turks and Caicos, investigating a potentially new species of aggressive Hammerhead sharks in Monster Hammerheads: Species X. 

"Joining Monster Hammerheads: Species X was an incredible opportunity to combine my passion for freediving and showcasing the beauty and diversity of sharks," says Zandile Ndhlovu, South Africa's first black female freediving instructor and founder of the Black Mermaid Foundation.

She also joins Dr Gallagher’s team in Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier on Sunday 21 July at 17:15 where they study massive great whites in New Zealand.

In 6000-LB. Shark on Saturday 20 July at 18:10, the marine biologist Leigh de Necker teams up with Tom "The Blowfish" Hird to track down massive Great White Sharks off the coast of New Zealand.

"Filming 6000-LB Shark for Discovery Shark Week 2024 in New Zealand was truly one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life," she says.

"To witness these magnificent creatures in their element, surrounded by five, six, even seven at a time, was awe-inspiring. These weren't just any sharks - we're talking chunky animals between 3.5 and 5.5 meters in size! My marine biologist brain was in overdrive! Why were there so many sharks? Why were some so large? What were they feeding on? Could any be our South African sharks?"

Other Discovery Shark Week programming this week include:

Deadliest Bite, Tuesday 16 July 17:15

A group of shark experts set out to discover which shark species has the deadliest bite. Using bite force meters, biomedical imaging, and a cutting-edge super slow-motion camera rig, they'll document and analyse shark bites like never before.

Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood, Wednesday 17 July 17:15

After fatal shark attacks in 2022 and 2023 off the shore of a Mexican fishing village, shark attack survivor Paul De Gelder joins shark investigator Brandon McMillan to work with locals to identify the killers and help prevent future attacks from happening.

Alien Sharks: Ghost of Japan, Thursday 18 July 17:15

Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante explores the alien world of Japan's oceans. Teaming up with deep-sea shark expert Christina de Silva, they search for the extremely rare Japanese angelshark, the "ghost of the sea".

Jaws vs. Leviathan, Friday 19 July 17:15

In New Zealand, a clash of titans is about to erupt: the Great White versus a massive leviathan. Dr Tristan Guttridge and Kina Scollay simulate epic battles and study orca tactics to discover the ultimate predator.

Sharks of the Dead Zone, Saturday, 20 July 17:15

Dr Tiara Moore has discovered bull sharks thriving in polluted, algae-filled lagoons. Teaming up with Dr Craig O'Connell, they study why pregnant females still migrate there and how their pups survive in a seemingly hostile environment.

Shark Attack Island, Sunday 21 July 18:10

A South Pacific paradise has become a shark attack hot spot with Bull, Tiger and Great White sharks moving closer and closer to resort beaches. Seven people have been killed in just the last five years, some in knee-deep water only steps from the sand.

NAT GEO WILD

National Geographic's latest Sharkfest will run over four weeks on the Nat Geo WILD channel, with 26 hours of shark programming.

Some of the shark programming include:

Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast, Saturday 20 July 18:00

Anthony Mackie returns to his hometown of New Orleans in this hour-long special where he investigates a fishing phenomenon called depredation, in which a shark preys upon a fisherman's catch and consumes it before it can be retrieved.

Shark Attack 360, Sunday 21 July 18:00 (ends 25 August)

Eight hourlong episodes. Nat Geo Explorer and Marine Biologist Dr Diva Amon leads a team of scientists to uncover new facts about shark attack cases with the help of real-world experiments and a state-of-the-art immersive lab to bring us closer to sharks than ever before.

Baby Sharks in the City, Saturday 27 July 18:00

Shark biologists have discovered a nursery of Atlantic great whites right off the coast of New York City. Watch as they deploy a state-of-the-art camera tag to reveal the secret life of the baby great white for the first time in these Atlantic waters.

Sharks Gone Viral, Saturday 3 August 18:00

It's a social media feed frenzy as comedians Helen Hong, Keon Polee and the Sklar Brothers deep dive into the internet’s wildest shark videos - from lightning-fast shark attacks to sharks living on a golf course - while a panel of experts explore the science behind social media's most influential fish.

Supersized Sharks, Saturday 10 August 18:00

Norfolk Island off the Australian coast is home to some of the largest tiger sharks in the world. For the first time, scientists are diving in to answer why there are so many huge tigers there. Shark biologists Lauren Meyers, Charlie Huveneers and Adam Barnett lure the giants to their boat to investigate and make a surprising discovery.

Attack of the Red Sea Sharks, Saturday 17 August 18:00

This special investigates why sharks killed three people in less than a year in the coastal waters of Red Sea resorts. Multiple witnesses captured the gruesome attacks, with the videos quickly going viral, sparking confusion and hysteria. Are these attacks part of a growing trend that is becoming more common worldwide?

Shark vs Ross Edgley, Saturday 24 August 18:00

Swimmer and shark advocate Ross Edgley faces his greatest challenge yet as he attempts to pit his mind and body against the most formidable predator in the ocean. Testing the limits of his speed, strength, hydrodynamics and endurance, Ross will push his body to its extremes to understand what makes sharks such incredible and versatile predators.

Warner Bros. Discovery sends its discovery+ documentary Trump: Unprecedented to the Discovery Channel in Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

The eyebrow-raising new discovery+ documentary, Trump: Unprecedented will be shown in South Africa as a three-part series, starting on Sunday 24 July on the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) at 20:55, with interviews with the former American president Donald Trump and his family members during that country's 2020 presidential campaign, leading up to America's inauguration day of president Biden.

The 3-part docuseries from AJH Films and Alex Holder features never-before-seen footage of Donald Trump during the 6 weeks before the 2020 presidential campaign - as well as the reactions of him and his close family members to the outcome of the American presidential election.

Since Warner Bros. Discovery has not yet rolled out either its HBO Max or discovery+ video streaming services in South Africa or in sub-Saharan Africa, WBD is placing the docuseries on its linear Discovery Channel for the territory after it was released on discovery+ on 10 July in America and in other global territories.

Trump: Unprecedented got unparalleled access to America's White House and Donald Trump, including the last interview Donald Trump gave during this time inside the White House. 

Also included are unfiltered sit-down interviews with Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as insights from the journalists who covered the events as they have unfolded.

INTERVIEW. Fred Lewis of Discovery Channel's Gold Rush on digging for treasure: 'If you let emotions get in - that's gold fever - and it's going to make you make bad decisions.'

by Thinus Ferreira

Fred Lewis of Gold Rush on the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) is going for gold - in the cold - with his "Misfits" crew and says that he's not just trying to create a business but a business family as they look for precious nuggets in tons of dirt.

The military veteran is a recent addition to Discovery Channel's long-running, iconic and hypnotic reality series that's been on TV for over a decade, in which cameras capture miners facing every single obstacle imaginable as they dig for gold in a very short window of time across Canada and the United States.

I sat down with Fred Lewis to find out what it takes - and the stakes - of digging for gold.

You're a military veteran, and also did some various different school jobs. How did you get involved with gold mining?

Fred Lewis: Oh, yeah. Well, it's been a journey. I got out of the military in 2009. I served for 14 years - 7 years as a Korean linguist and 7 in Special Forces. When I got out, I went right into college and started off with a degree plan for veterinary studies. 

Then I moved out to Kentucky and my father had been diagnosed with cancer. So I changed my degree to agriculture. I got a degree in agriculture with an emphasis on livestock production; started some farming and was doing some small plot intensive garden classes to teach veterans how to grow food in their gardens. 

I did that for a few years, and then I got invited to work back at the medical facility on Fort Bragg, where I learned all my medicine. I did that job for several years, but I still didn't feel like it was what I wanted to do.

So, I started going to college, got a degree in education. Then I got offered a job to teach high school biology. I went and did that for a semester and I actually really liked the job.

 It just wasn't ... it wasn't enough for me. It didn't give me enough. I coached wrestling. I coached high school volleyball. And then I ended up getting a teaching job, teaching middle school history. Meanwhile, I was trying to get a degree in web design and got about three-quarters of the way through that degree. And it wasn't what I wanted to do.

So I gave that up and I basically stopped studying that. And that's when I got a spot on American Ninja Warrior, I went and did that twice. 

That kind of got me to realise that people were interested in my story and my background and everything I'd been through. 

So, I started putting my name out there and was invited to go with Parker Schnabel to Papua New Guinea as a security element, because of my military background and that's where Gold Rush came in. And the rest everybody's been able to watch on the show. I just got a good old case of gold fever and went with it. That's a long story!

You've also been to Afghanistan and Iraq and Korea, and also even Africa. I'm wondering, where were you in Africa and what did those experiences in all of those countries instil in you and what did you learn?

Fred Lewis: Yeah, I think my travels both as a civilian and in the military have absolutely shaped who I am.

I've been to Afghanistan, Iraq, South Korea. I spend a lot of time in Africa, up in the north, in Niger, Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, some time in Mali. 

All those humanitarian missions and counter-terrorism missions got me living with the people. It wasn't just like going there for a few days. It was six, seven, eight weeks living with villagers.

And that cultural experience kind of just taught me that hard work is something that the rest of the world does a lot more than we do. And you look at our history as a country and you're like, man, we need to start working harder. 

That kind of got me to want to do something in life that was complicated and challenging because I see so many people just swiping their card, checking in and checking out. And it just, I don't know, it's not for me.

A lot of the guys on the team or your team are also former veterans. Why is that? And is that why they work so well together as a team, because of their previous training, do you think?

Fred Lewis: Yeah. When I started this company, I wanted to give veterans a chance because I've worked closely with veterans over the last 10 years of being a veteran and I've formed non-profits.

I've worked with non-profits, I've done classes to help veterans learn how to do things.

The one thing that's in common with all of us is we all need a purpose. And when we get out of the military, it doesn't just come to us. No one delivers us a purpose. We have to find it and it takes a long time and a lot of work to do that. 

So, when I saw myself become so interested in gold mining, I knew other veterans would have the same exact response. So, what I've done is I put together a team and tried to recruit people I felt like, needed it - people that were in a spot in their life where they didn't quite know where they were going. 

I know that the military has already put a selection process through most of our special operations. So, I focused on special operations knowing that the individuals I'm hiring have already proven themselves, they don't have to prove themselves to me. I know they can work. 

When you put these people together and we're all thinking the same, we're all from the same backgrounds, it's really amazing what we can do. And I think that's what I want to showcase on Gold Rush.

Viewers see you doing conflict resolution and you seem to be really good at diffusing situations when people fight and are angry. Is that something that you learned or is it from having been a teacher or how did you develop that skill?

Fred Lewis: I think that's a result of all the leadership I had throughout my military career and all the coaches and all the ways that I've been taught to coach in the civilian world. 

I am not the kind of person that likes conflict. I've been through enough of it in my life. I've seen what it does. So, when I see a problem, I think it's the best thing to do to solve it quickly. 

The biggest thing for me is I'm trying to create a family. I'm not trying to just create a business, to make money, to find gold. I'm trying to make Misfits Mining into a family that changes everybody's lives. And I think that when conflict comes up, just like a family at home, you've got to solve it and you've got to get through it.

The gold mining business seems like such a high-risk, high-reward business and I'm wondering, how difficult is it to maintain your distance emotionally while you're working? You're in a situation with limited time, limited resources and all of these dangers and breakdowns and costs mounting. How do you not get swept up in the stakes and emotions?

Fred Lewis: Yeah, that's the challenge of gold mining. My method is to come into the beginning of the season, do all the math, do all the analyses, do all the numbers, crunch everything so I know what I'm looking at and then shut emotions off. 

You have to run through the entire season, being confident that you've set up your budget correctly, confident that you have the supply system you need, and confident that your tests are right - and that the goal is going to be where it's going to be. If you let emotion get in, that's gold fever, it's emotion.

And if you let it get in, it's going to make you make bad decisions. 

So, you've just got to be confident and shut those emotions off. And I think that's another thing being former military that really benefits guys like us. 

We can shut our motions off whenever we want, and you've just got to lean forward and trust yourself. And that's why most gold mining operations fail. They don't trust the system and they don't do their homework.

And then once it starts, how many hours are you guys able to sleep? How much do you actually have to be awake for and work during the few days you have?

Fred Lewis: Well, we kept the mine running 24 hours a day. So, it's never down. 

For us, we're working probably between 14, 16 to 18 hour days depending. And I try to give everybody a day off every 12 days. I know it sounds horrible, but when you break down gold mining, it's a numbers game and you can input the amount of fuel you're using. 

You can input the number of man-hours going into, versus the gold coming out. And you're going to know how much you have to work to make money. So, it's not like a choice of comfort. It's just the name of the game.

What would you say you've learnt from your Gold Rush experience so far?

Fred Lewis: Man, there are a few things I've learned that was unexpected. I think one thing that was unexpected was the number of haters I was going to get. 

I figured coming on the show and being the new guy, I'd get a little bit, and failing last season was a little rough, but man, I'm almost to the point where I think I might have to start an anti-bullying campaign or something. 

Luckily, it doesn't bother me personally. It just surprises me the number of people that don't give us a chance to prove ourselves - that don't give us a chance to defend ourselves. 

It just assumes that we're over our heads when we – we are over our heads, but at the same time, we're confident that we can do this. And it's just surprising, I don't know, I get a lot of really good messages from veterans every day, flooding my account, just like thanking me for giving them motivation and asking me for work, which is great. But I get a heck of a lot of hate too.

Gold Rush is on the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) with double episodes of season 11 on weekdays at 10:30 and season 12 from 1 February as single episodes. The latest season 12 is available as a box set on DStv Catch Up.

MultiChoice Showcase 2021: 18 must-know info-blasts from this year's media event.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice shifted its bi-annual media showcase events for South Africa's press to the end of the year (and did just one this year) with the MultiChoice Showcase 2021 showcase that took place yesterday afternoon as a virtual presentation and dropping various info-blasts throughout the presentation.

Like an Easter egg hunt, the media usually scour for nuggets of information dropped by various MultiChoice executives and shown in sizzle reels, with yesterday that was no different - although MultiChoice shared less information in totality than in any previous years of the showcase. 

Here are 18 things I picked up that you'd want to know:

1. Survivor season 41 on M-Net

M-Net (DStv 101) will show season 41 of America's Survivor in January 2022. 

Season 41 will usher in a new era which will be marked by a lack of a theme, harkening back to the early days of the series. The show will simply be known as Survivor 41. "Those ideas served us very well for 20 years, but now it’s time for something new," says host and producer Jeff Probst. 

M-Net will also show the 8th season of Survivor Australia Brains v Brawn" which will start on M-Net straight after the current 7th season.

2. Survivor SA renewed for a 9th season in 2022

"Return of the Outcasts" will be the "subtitle" of the 9th season of the local South African version that M-Net has now renewed for a 9th season filming in January 2022 and broadcasting in July.

Insiders couldn't wait to tell me earlier this week that Survivor SA was renewed and M-Net refused to respond to media queries about it, until the logo was flashed and "S9" at the MultiChoice Showcase 2021.

The castaways are chosen from previous players who didn't make it to the final Tribal Council and all "have a score to settle". We're told it's filming in January 2022, will broadcast in July on M-Net (DStv 101) and will once again be done somewhere in South Africa because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

3. Award shows

DStv subscribers will be able to watch the 64th Annual Grammy Awards on 1 February on 1 Magic (DStv 103), the 94th Annual Academy Awards known as the Oscars on 28 March on M-Net (DStv 101), the Billboard Awards on 28 April on 1 Magic, and the Miss Universe pageant in 2022.

4. Paradise lost

No air date was provided for an upcoming new TLC show but from the producers of 90 Day Fiancé comes a sexy new docu-soap Love in Paradise – The Caribbean, following people who found love in the Caribbean. 

The tropics will provide the backdrop for relationships in various phases from holiday flings that turned serious to a rekindled love after 10 years apart and a vacation romance that turned into a pregnancy. Will meeting in paradise work out?

5. Pushing sport

Pushing the Line coming January 2022 to the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) will follow some of the top highliners and the up-and-comers of sport, who live together and push one another to take on the craziest places to set lines and break records.

6. Greedy

Mzansi Greed will debut on Moja Love (DStv 157) on 2 December, 21:30 exploring the worlds of crime and greed. What lengths will a person go to for money and power? 

The series focuses on cases of South African pyramid schemes, embezzlement and other crimes, featuring interviews with family members, police investigators business associates, fraud victims and, in some cases, the fraudsters themselves.

7. More SuperSport sports documentaries

In 2022 SuperSport will debut more locally-produced sports documentaries like Chasing the Sun.

 SuperSport is working on Pulse of a Nation: A South African Football Story that is a 4-episode documentary series looking at South African soccer.

Two Sides is another Springbok documentary - likely a documentary film - with cameras that once again filmed inside the Springbok rugby camp. The short sizzle clip shown to media contained a litany of unbleeped "f"-words from Springbok players and staff around them as everyone struggle to cope with the stress.

8. New broom

MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax has a new boss that the media saw for the first time on Thursday. 

Barry Dubovsky who has been with MultiChoice since 2018 joined Showmax in his new role as its chief operating officer (COO) in August. Barry says that in 2022 Showmax will continue to focus on rolling out more Showmax Original productions.

9. Naija reality

The 7th season of Big Brother Naija gets a broadcasting date: June 2022. 

A group of isolated housemates will once again do tasks as they compete for a cash prize. Date My Family Nigeria will start in January 2022 on DStv, sending singletons on dates with three potential partners' families in a bid to find love.

The 7th season of Idols Nigeria will start in February and Judging Matters is a new "Judge Judy"-type show that will address legal issues from a small claims court, in partnership with the Lagos state ministry of Justice, hosted by Justice Olushola Williams and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

10. M-Net moves into Mozambique

M-Net is moving aggressively into the Mozambique market and upping local content produced in Portuguese for DStv subscribers specifically in Mozambique and Angola.

In Mozambique, MultiChoice and M-Net will launch the new Maningue Magic channel on DStv channel number 503 on 17 January 2022. 

The channel will have a local telenovela Maida, local lifestyle show, Txunado, local drama The Influencer, as well as Boss Station, a Mozambiquan original music show. Viewers can also expect to see a local version of Date My Family.

11. South Africa's Big Brother goes continental

The new season of Big Brother Mzansi revived after a decade will not just be seen in South Africa but will be shown across sub-Saharan Africa on DStv, similar to how Africa can watch Big Brother Naija. 

Also new is that the prize money will be R2 million for the winner.

12. A foodie date

The 4th season of MasterChef South Africa coming to M-Net (DStv 101) got a date: It will start on 28 February. 

Instead of on a wine farm like previous seasons, the new season is currently being filmed at the foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town "in a dynamic new location that celebrates both the heritage and the innovation of South Africa's diverse culinary offering".

13. kykNET returns

In 2022 kykNET (DStv 144) will have the 4th season of the Afrikaans procedural drama series Die Byl with Projek Dina returning for a second season. 

A new season of the anthology series Spoorloos is currently in development with a story set behind the backdrop of a small coastal town.

14. Fighting housewives

The third season of Real Housewives of Johannesburg will be shown in April 2022 that will consist out of 14 episodes. 

The Real Housewives of Lagos will be on Showmax in the first half of 2022. 

The second season of The Real Housewives of Durban will also be on Showmax but is still listed as "coming on 2022" only with no indication whether it's the first or second half of the year.

15. Local tabloid

While I Blew It will be back for a 4th season in 2022 and Ubizo for a third season on Mzansi Wethu (DStv 163) there will be new series as well doing what Moja Love has found success with Bangoxoshile, Not The One For You, Siza Mina and Fafi. 

Bangoxoshile is a series that assists homeless people who were forcefully removed from their homes by family, relatives or a spouse.

In Not The One For You friends and family write in to ask for assistance in confronting a friend or family member about a potent relationship that they should not be in. 

Siza Mina is a tabloid daily talk show featuring controversial topics and guests who are seeking intervention in resolving issues relating to family, marriage, parenting, divorce, broken friendships, cohabitation. 

In Fafi the 28-year-old Thandi Ndlovu is in love and getting married in 3 months - however it’s not her husband-to-be, Sgoloza Ndlovu, she’s in love with, rather her beloved late husband, Menzi Ndlovu. The Ndlovu family custom has dictated that upon Menzi's demise, his brother must marry his widow.

16. Sporties

On SuperSport in 2022 (see the full summary in its own article Here) the 2022 FIFA Football World Cup coverage will include all 64 matches, live and in prime time, as well as the UEFA Champions League and Europa League (until May 2022) and the FA Cup (until May 2022).

SuperSport will have the all-new United Rugby Championship (until June 2022) and an old friend in the shape of the Six Nations making a reappearance in February. There's also the World Sevens Series of the Blitzbokke.

In cricket, there's The Ashes and India's tour of South Africa until January 2022, the IPL in March and the Proteas' tour of England from July to September. In tennis and golf all of the Majors will be on SuperSport from January to July 2022. 

In WWE wrestling there will be headline events like the Royal Rumble in January and WrestleMania in April 2022.

On two and four wheels SuperSport will cover the longest-ever F1 season, MotoGP, SuperBikes, and cycling events from May's Giro d'Italia to October's Absa Cape Epic, the Amstel Gold Race to Challenge by la Vuelta and the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup and Paris-Roubaix to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

In athletics SuperSport will have the American Indoor Track League, Diamond League, IAAF World Indoor Tour and World Athletics Continental Tour and in July and August 2022 the Commonwealth Games from Birmingham.

17. Absence of Aletta

This was notably the first MultiChoice Showcase - previously known as the DStv Content Showcase but for some reason rebranded - without Aletta Alberts, Africa's TV content queen. 

The extremely experienced and well-versed executive who was MultiChoice's head of content and third-party channels passed away in July from Covid-19 complications.

MultiChoice apparently didn't replace her position and her absence was definitely felt - the MultiChoice Showcase 2021 didn't have the all-knowing, all-telling tether of Aletta Alberts as anchor who in the past would help the media to integrate and build a bigger picture to put all of the various content streams into perspective.  

18. Notably nothing on this - so far 

Unlike previous years media sadly were not given the opportunity to ask questions at the showcase. MultiChoice that usually make announcements about DStv decoders didn't say anything about its decoders this time with no updates on the DStv Streama decoder that was announced over a year ago but never launched. 

Does MultiChoice plan to add Disney+ as a streaming service next to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when it launches in South Africa from around June 2022? Or what about eMedia's new eVOD? Is Paramount+, discovery+, HBO Max, Apple TV+ and Peacock going to be added to the DStv Explora Ultra in 2022 like Sky and Comcast overseas did? We don't know yet. 

It's also not yet clear where MultiChoice is with letting DStv subscribers build their own subscription with DStv Flex by choosing various packages with selections of channels instead of picking a bouquet. 

MultiChoice has been investigating this and asking consumers their thoughts about such an offering earlier this year. 

It's also unclear for how long M-Net Movies will have premium first-run films to premiere given the impact of the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic on the world's film industry.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: Why month-old pre-recorded interviews from MultiChoice executives sitting in Dubai touting DStv's 'home-grown local content' in Africa?

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: SuperSport to shine in 2022 with a vast locked-in offering of local and international sports events.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: 'Fuck, fuck fuck, fuck' says SuperSport in profanity-laced Springbok documentary sizzle reel for new Two Sides rugby and Pulse of a Nation football local documentaries coming to DStv in 2022.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: MultiChoice and M-Net aggressively ramp up Lusophone production targeting DStv subscribers with new channels and content in Portuguese in Mozambique and Angola.

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Discovery Channel adds Evgeny Afineevsky's Francesco documentary film about Pope Francis to the schedule for Sunday 4 April.

by Thinus Ferreira

Discovery Inc. has added the Francesco documentary about Pope Francis, a Discovery original production, that has been scheduled for broadcast on the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) on Sunday 4 April at 22:00.

Francesco is from the Academy Award-nominated director and producer Evgeny Afineevsky with the documentary film that gained unprecedented access to Pope Francis and that provides an intimate look at a global leader who approaches challenging and complex issues.

Francesco is a Discovery original production, directed and produced by Evgeny Afineevsky, with producers Den Tolmor, Eric Esrailian and Teri Schwartz.

The executive producers of Francesco are Ted Hope, Colleen Camp, Mark Monroe, Tomáš Srovnal, Michelle Bertrán Neve, Svetlana Chistyakova, Bonnie Abaunza, Bohdan Batruch, Regina K. Scully, Elba Luis Lugo, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Robert Fyvolent.

In the documentary film, Pope Francis addresses the Roman Catholic church's viewpoints about a wide range of issues such as climate change, migration and refugees, women’s empowerment, sexual abuse and LGBTQ issues, the Covid-19 pandemic and border walls.

Francesco also contains interviews with the people around Pope Francis, including his nephew Jose Ignacio Bergoglio, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI; Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim and activist for survivors of sexual abuse; and Sister Norma Pimentel, an advocate for refugees.

"I am tremendously honoured that Pope Francis allowed me to witness and create this inspirational monument dedicated to the most pressing issues facing humanity today," says Evgeny Afineevsky. "It is extremely exciting to partner with Discovery to bring his story to people around the world."

Discovery Inc.'s new Discovery+ video streaming service to roll out globally in 25 countries within a year with 1 000 hours of original content, wants to sit alongside Netflix and Disney+ as the go-to global streamer for non-scripted real-life content.

by Thinus Ferreira

Discovery Inc. on Wednesday evening during a virtual media event announced that it will be launching its new global video streaming service discovery+ in the United States on 4 January 2021 and thereafter worldwide to 25 countries within the next year and commissioned at least 50 original new series exclusive to the service.

With Britain's Sky pay-TV service that already added discovery+ last month where Sky Q subscribers are getting discovery+ free for a year, it's highly likely that MultiChoice in South Africa that recently partnered with Netflix might add discovery+ to its new DStv Explora Ultra decoder as well - perhaps even before The Walt Disney Company Africa rolls out Disney+ or WarnerMedia brings its HBO Max streamer to the continent.

While no mention has been made of Africa or the continent's most developed TV market South Africa, Discovery will start its global rollout of discovery+ in the United Kingdom and Ireland, India, the Nordics, Italy and the Netherlands. That will be followed by Spain, Latin American markets - including a planned launch in Brazil - and in parts of Asia.

discovery+ will cost $4.99 (R76) with ads and $6.99 (R107) per month without commercials although Discovery says the price will differ per territory. 

In America, Discovery+ will launch with the largest-ever content library for a new subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service with more than 55 000 episodes from Discovery's so-called "passion bouquet" of brands and TV channels. This will include 2 500 current and classic shows from Discovery's portfolio of channels like HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. 

The streamer will include more than 1 000 hours of discovery+ original content in its first year. Some of the content will eventually also be shown on Discovery's linear TV channels, but will be handled differently in different countries where discovery+ launches.

Discovery Inc. says that it is still very much committed to its strong existing distribution relationships with pay-TV operators for its set of linear TV channels but is embracing the "next generation" distribution model of direct-to-consumer streaming to find new subscribers - mostly through mobile and broadband internet who haven't yet subscribed to a traditional pay-TV bundle.

As part of new, exclusive discovery+ originals, Discovery Inc. has commissioned content from Chip and Joanna Gaines, David Schwimmer, Will Packer and Kevin Hart, Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis and will be bringing a whole new 90 Days Fiance spin-off series exclusively to its streaming service.

New original content on discovery+ will include shows like the topiary reality competition show Clipped that will have Michael Urie as host and Martha Stewart as lead judge, who together with landscape expert Chris Lambton and landscape designer Fernando Wong will judge how contestants make sculptures out of meticulously trimmed shrubbery and plants and flowers.

"We have been working methodically the past 2 years to bring all of our strategic advantages t the launch of discovery+, including distribution and advertising partnerships around the world, a world-class offering of quality brands, authentic personalities and the largest content library at launch, as well as a broad slate of exclusive programming," said David Zaslav, Discovery Inc. president and CEO.

"With discovery+ we are seizing the global opportunity to be the world's definitive product for unscripted storytelling, providing households and mobile customers a distinct, clear and differentiated offering across valuable and enduring lifestyle, and real-life verticals."

JB Perrette, Discovery International president and CEO, said "Discovery drives inspiration, aspiration and loyalty everywhere, like few media brands can. discovery+ will harness our unique global and local model and strategy to serve fans around the world as we bring the best of real-life entertainment to customers in a whole new way".

Discovery: Pay-TV glue

"We are very important to the traditional pay-TV bundle - the satellite pay-TV distributors have been extremely happy with us because we've been producing the most content during Covid-19 and they're making more money selling us, we're making more money selling us because of the value of our content," David Zaslav said on Wednesday during an investors' call for discovery+.

"We think we're great in the bundle - we're the glue: News, sports and us. And now we have something that's really unique. As you look at all of entertainment, there are 6 or 7 players that are playing for the scripted series and scripted movies, so they're one of 5, one of 6, or one of 8. We're one of one."

"Not only are we one of one, but we're going to have it all. If you love real-life entertainment and you love non-fiction - which is what people spend more than 55% of their time on consuming on television - so maybe the scripted series is sexy, but what they really watch is our stuff," said David Zaslav.

He said "We hit the market now with a fresh library that's as big as Netflix, with 50 originals and loads of people that you love and brands that you love and can hang around with".

He said Netflix and Disney+ "have great services but with us facing over the next couple of months a continuing challenge of people spending more time at home -it's one of the reasons we wanted to hurry up and get the discovery+ launch in January 2021."

"We want to get this into the marketplace. We think this is something that people will really love. We think this could be very big."

"If we can own non-fiction we can really be a competitive service to Netflix globally and that is our ambition. That is what we want to be, that what we think we are," he said.

"We do see ourselves as a competitor to Netflix and as a competitor to Disney+ but we see it in that we're competing to be as successful as they are. Netflix has been able to get so many subscribers around the world to sign up and they have a brand that people love around the world,"

"Disney+ has been so successful here in the United States and they're taking it around the world. I think discovery+ is a great companion to those two services."

"People love Netflix, there are loads of people who love Disney+, there are people who love HBO Max but we're one of one. We're completely different. We fill out the entertainment pie, we're full broadscale in non-fiction and real-life entertainment with all of our brands and characters."

"We're competing to be a real-scale player that's profitable and global as an IP company in every language around the world which Netflix has been able to do and that's how we want to compete. We want to be there with them, we'd love to be alongside them and alongside Disney, and alongside all those great services that are providing scripted series and scripted movies," David Zaslav said.

"When Oprah was in India she was visiting and she looked inside of a tent and they were watching Discovery. We have brands that people know. And they couldn't get us before without paying for a big bundle."

"It's not in our model but it's in our heart that there are 2, 3, 4 billion smartphones out there on which people can consume content, they can buy content, they don't want to pay for a big bundle, but they take a look at this huge library, they look at all of these brands and characters that they know and in many of these markets we are less than $5."

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