Bye, bye to The Bold and the Beautiful – again – as AMC Networks International's repeat-padded EVA telenovela channel gets axed after 5 years on MultiChoice's DStv and GOtv.

by Thinus Ferreira

After months of repeats the EVA channel from AMC Networks International is the next TV channel getting axed from MultiChoice with the American daytime soap The Bold and the Bold that is getting ripped away from South African TV viewers for a second time when the telenovela channel will go dark in March after 5 years.

DStv subscribers – who have asked about the channels' schedules that became filled with unending rebroadcasts over the last few months – have now been told that EVA, as well as EVA+, will both terminate and disappear from MultiChoice's DStv and GOtv pay-TV service across Africa on Monday 22 March because MultiChoice "no longer has airing rights". 

For the past few months, all of the telenovelas on EVA has been repeats except for The Bold and the Beautiful, produced by Bell-Phillip Television Productions, that remained as the sole original daily episode on the schedule.

Viewers in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa will now lose The Bold and the Beautiful – that recently broadcast its 8 000th episode in Africa – for a second time after SABC3 abruptly ended it in March 2019 after which they had to switch to EVA to watch it on linear television.

AMCNI launched the EVA (DStv 141) channel in March 2015 with Latin American telenovelas dubbed into English and into Portuguese on DStv channel 508 as a competitor to NBCUniversal's Telemundo. 

In November 2016 EVA+, as a sister channel, launched on DStv and GOtv, with AMC Networks International saying at the time that with the channels it aims to "satisfy the African audience’s growing appetite for telenovelas" with a crop of "hand-picked, high-quality serial dramas".

In the latter part of 2020 both EVA and EVA+  – similar to the FOX Life and Disney XD channels before they got culled – suddenly stopped adding new content except for the daily Bold and the Beautiful episode.

Viewers quickly noticed that the EVA and EVA+ schedules became padded with the rebroadcasting and repeating of telenovelas that DStv and GOtv subscribers had already seen.

AMCNI in response to a media enquiry says that "After discussion with DStv, we have decided to no longer offer EVA/EVA+ in Africa".

"We’re focused on optimising our portfolio across the region, and these changes are related to that ongoing review. This does not affect other services in our portfolio, including CBS Justice, the newest channel in our portfolio which launched exclusively with DStv in November 2019, in addition to CBS Reality and JimJam which are available to DStv and other operators throughout Africa."

MultiChoice spokesperson Sbu Mpungose in response to a media enquiry confirmed the axing of EVA and EVA+, saying that "from time to time, MultiChoice together with 3rd party channel owners reviews the channels available on the DStv platform which may result in the addition or removal of channels".

"For this reason, EVA and EVA+ will no longer be available on the DStv platform from 22 March 2021. Viewers will, however, be able to continue to view our recently introduced favourite channels such as TLnovelas (DStv 133) and the HONEY channel (DStv 173)."

Asked about what will be happening to the schedule and shows that have not completed the run of their episodes by 22 March, for instance Mujercitas (Little Women) that would only conclude on 13 April, Sbu Mpungose said that "almost all of the series which are currently on EVA and EVA+ are reruns".

MultiChoice to add Netflix and Amazon Video Prime as video streamers, now reaches 19.5 million subscribers.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice will soon add both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as global video streamers to its DStv platform, with the pay-TV operator that continues to show pay-TV growth in South Africa and across the rest of Africa in sub-Saharan Africa, adding roughly another 900 000 DStv and GOtv subscribers over its last financial year.

MultiChoice's subscriber tally according to its latest 2019/2020 financial results released on Wednesday, is now 19.5 million, with MultiChoice that revealed that it will soon be adding two "major" international streaming services for subscribers - Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

MultiChoice already runs its own Showmax subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service.

By adding international streaming services to it's existing DStv platform MultiChoice has now clearly decided that it will go the "super aggregator" way, similar to what pay-TV services ranging from the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand have done over the past year.

In this way, existing subscribers get access to further streaming services through DStv, paying their monthly bill in local currency for the add-ons, lessening payment friction and providing one place for subscribers to find and watch the content they like.

"We have long been a content aggregator, and this is proof of our aggregator model at work
– providing simplicity, choice and convenience for our customers," says Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice CEO.

"As our industry evolves, we believe that we are well-positioned to benefit from both worlds – a
large, growing pay-TV market in Africa, as well as an emerging over-the-top (OTT)
opportunity, where our own OTT services and aggregation capabilities can drive success."

MultiChoice has shown a 5% increase in subscriber growth in its 2019/2020 financial year, taking it's total pay-TV subscriber base to 19.5 million households.

South Africa still represents MultiChoice biggest and most powerful market with 8.4 million pay-TV households, while the rest of Africa combined represents 11.1 million households.

Besides adding two global streaming services, MultiChoice is also getting ready to roll-out and launch its as-yet-unnamed "DStv dishless", stand-alone DStv streaming service that will mimic its existing direct-to-Home (DTH) service but without the need for any installation.


Covid-19 makes MultiChoice grow
Despite a tough consumer environment, MultiChoice says that its South African business "held up well" - it grew 6% year-on-year in its 2019/2020 financial year, or roughly 500 000 subscribers over a 90-day active basis.

"The impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in South Africa and associated lockdown saw an uplift in subscribers towards the end of March 2020," the pay-TV operator says.

MultiChoice says it saw "strong, ongoing growth in Connected Video users on both the DStv Now and Showmax platforms as online consumption increases" with Showmax that now has more than 50% local content.

"The aftermath of the virus and low oil price, although uncertain in quantum, will likely have a negative impact on the economies of many of the MultiChoice Group’s markets, with weaker
currencies and higher levels of unemployment expected," says Calvo Mawela.

"While macro-economic implications are largely uncontrollable, we are taking steps wherever we can to counter potential future headwinds. These include implementing further cost savings initiatives across the organization and continuing to do what we do best – provide our customers with great entertainment."

MultiChoice says that over the last financial year it has produced 3 850 additional hours of local content, with its local content library that now exceeds 56 800 hours. Local content now accounts for 40% of the total content spend.

MultiChoice is doing two new co-productions, Blood Psalms and Rogue, plans to launch 4 further new local content TV channels including a new action movie channel, and plans to further ramp up local content production in 2021.


DStv Premium base continues to shrink
MultiChoice's base of DStv Premium subscribers - it's most valuable top-tier subscribers continues to shrink in South Africa.

MultiChoice that combined DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers into a single category, has shown a 4% decline year-on-year, or 100 000 subscribers, in terms of the subscriber mix. MultiChoice says that DStv Premium pricing impacted growth.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice wants to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for TV content, next DStv Explora will provide access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video OTT streamers.
ALSO READ: EXPLAINER. How and why MultiChoice by adding video streamers to its DStv offering is finally pivoting into becoming a pay-TV Sweets from Heaven.  
ALSO READ: This is how MultiChoice changed its 2019/2020 financial results presentation in which it first revealed that it is adding Netflix and Amazon Prime Video ... and then deleted and altered its presentation.

Confusion and uncertainty growing after reports that Nigeria has cancelled MultiChoice's recently-issued licence to continue with its GOtv digital terrestrial TV service; MultiChoice says its GOtv licence has not been revoked.

Confusion and uncertainty is growing after the Nigerian government has reportedly cancelled the recently-extended pay-TV licence of MultiChoice's GOtv service in the West African country, while MultiChoice says the licence for its service stands and has not been revoked.

Nigerian media are reporting that the GOtv licence that was re-issued in March 2019 granting MultiChoice Nigeria another 3-years to run GOtv, has been withdrawn.

According to Lai Mohammed, Nigeria's minister of information and culture, the GOtv licence has been withdrawn due to irregularities.

MultiChoice in a statement, in response to a media enquiry, told TVwithThinus late on Wednesday however that "The MultiChoice Group can confirm that its GOtvlicense in Nigeria was successfully renewed in March 2019 by the relevant authority. It has not been cancelled, revoked or nullified".

Besides running its DStv Nigeria service targeting higher-income customers, MultiChoice Nigeria also runs GOtv Nigeria, MultiChoice's digital terrestrial television (DTT) aimed at lower-income households - and it's this licence that was apparently revoked.

According to Nigeria's Daily Independent newspaper, MultiChoice's GOtv licence was revoked by Nigeria's federal government because of a growing N2.5 billion scandal (R96 million) that has engulfed Nigeria's National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), headed by Modibbo Ishaq Kawu, and the regulator responsible for issuing the recent 3-year licence to MultiChoice Nigeria.

If the licence has been nullified, it means that MultiChoice Nigeria and GOtv Nigeria have become collateral damage as part of broader Nigerian government infighting and a recent investigation that was done by Nigeria's Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) into the NBC.

Lai Mohammed is reportedly locked in an expanding court battle against Modibbo Ishaq Kawu as director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission in Nigeria.

In a letter on 29 March 2019, Lai Mohammed reportedly wrote that "The decision to renew the GOtv licence for 3 years negate the position of the white paper on the DSO (Digital Switch Over), making it not only illegal but a willful disrespect for our laws and national institutions".

"Recall that the ministerial task force on the DSO, which I chair, had specifically ruled that all pay digital terrestrial television (DTT) companies would no longer be allowed to self-carry and would have to go to one of the two licenced signal distributors for that function."

"That decision was made based on the government white paper which puts signal distributors in charge of transmission and separates them from content providers."

"No part of the licence fees paid by MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd. should be touched by the NBC until a negotiated agreement has been signed, subject to my approval," wrote Lai Mohammed.

Nigeria's two signal distributors are Integrated Television Services (ITS) and Pinnacle Communications Limited, meaning MultiChoice Nigeria will have to switch to using one of these two for its GOtv pay-TV content. 

MultiChoice Uganda adds Pearl Magic, packaged by M-Net, as a new DStv Uganda and GOtv channel to help promote localised Uganda TV content production.

MultiChoice Uganda on Monday launched Pearl Magic as a new TV channel on DStv Uganda and GOtv Uganda, packaged by M-Net, to broadcast local Uganda entertainment content and to help with the promotion and creation of local TV content in the African nation.

Pearl Magic follows Zambezi Magic that MultiChoice Africa launched in July 2015 for Southern African viewers, excluding South Africa.

Similar to Zambezi Magic, M-Net will buy and broadcast series and films from Uganda filmmakers and producers if it meets passable technical requirements. A lot of producers and filmmakers in Uganda however still have a huge struggle to produce anything near adequate content for TV broadcast.

MultiChoice Uganda will also have to be careful not to upset the Uganda government and censors in the country with MultiChoice Zambia that self-censored and caved under pressure from the Zambian government in November 2017 and yanked one of the local shows made specifically for the channel, Talk with Kwangu, off the air.

Pearl Magic available on DStv Uganda on channel 161 and on GOtv on channel 304 will show music, reality shows, films and telenovelas.

Programming on Pearl Magic will include localised shows like the music programmes Beyond the Beat, The Code and Jechilli; TV series like Mistakes Girls Do, 5@Home, Love Makanika, the reality show Jangu Tulye, as well as Indian telenovelas dubbed into Luganda like Doli Armaanko Ki.

"Pearl Magic will include everything that is Ugandan," says Albert Nga, MultiChoice Uganda marketing manager.

"It will showcase what we are made of and are able to produce. Bring the content and we shall schedule and load it. We had to start from somewhere and we shall continue to push Ugandan content".

Gerald Sserunjoji who heads up the Association of Producers in Uganda says "this is something we have waited for for several years. The industry applauds MultiChoice for such an opportunity they have extended to us."

Nigeria's ROK Studios expands its channel bouquet by adding ROK2 as a Nollywood channel and ROK3 as a Ghanaian TV and movies channel to MultiChoice's DStv and GOtv platforms across Africa.

ROK Studios and MultiChoice launched two further ROK TV channels - ROK2 and ROK3 - on DStv and GOtv today across Africa, excluding South Africa where the prime ROK channel is carried, that will broadcast Nollywood and African music content in addition to Ghanaian movies and TV series.

Based in Lagos, Nigeria, ROK Studios launched the ROK TV channel in November 2016. ROK says the addition of ROK2 and ROK3 "will result in the growth of the studio’s linear TV programming as it continues to build a pan-African TV audience".

ROK says with the two new, additional channels, that its content production will double and that ROK Studios will continue to "invest in scriptwriting, production and new talent".

ROK2 will broadcast traditional village, tribal, and "palace regal" Nollywood movies and TV series 24 hours per day and launches with titles including King of Kings, The Heiress, Throne of Revenge and Mark of the Gods.

ROK2 will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers, as well as on MultiChoice's DTT pay-service, GOtv Max.

ROK3 will broadcast a selection of Ghanaian movies and TV series, in both English and Twi, during the day and will play West African music from 23:00 overnight.

ROK3 launches with titles including Black & White, Stalemate, Banks Chronicles, Agya Fakye Me, Ama Pooley, Born Again, Coach Krakye and Ye Obi Dea Yie. 

ROK3 will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Family and DStv Access subscribers and on GOtv Max and GOtv Plus.

"Great storytelling is at the core of everything ROK does - so today, we are really delighted to be launching two new TV channels on DStv and GOtv," says Mary Njoku, ROK CEO in a statement.

"Everything we do as a film studio, we throw passion and intensity behind, to ensure beautiful, thrilling and ultimately, entertaining African stories are brought to life alongside ever improving production standards."

"What we achieved with ROK has resonated with audiences around the continent, which has allowed us to build on our success and bring even more brilliant Nollywood and Ghanaian stories, direct to our loyal fans on DStv."

MultiChoice in the same statement says "Our aim is to find content that resonates with our customers and more and more, we have realized that our customers love homegrown stories and watching local talent and adding these two channels speaks to just that. Providing a platform to our African storytellers and celebrating local talent and productions is part of our DNA and what we aim to deliver to our customers for years to come."

MultiChoice Ghana doing a 'price freeze' on DStv and GOtv subscription fees as the latest African country outside of South Africa that won't be hiking monthly fees from April.

MultiChoice Ghana is doing a "price freeze" on the subscription fees for DStv subscribes and GOtv subscribers in Ghana with subscription fees that is being lowered for commercial DStv subscribers in the west African country where MultiChoice won't be hiking subscription fees on 1 April.

In contrast to South Africa where MultiChoice is again increasing hiking DStv subscription fees from 1 April, Ghana has joined the growing number of African countries where MultiChoice Africa has either lowered DStv and GOtv subscription fees the past few months, or kept it unchanged.

MultiChoice Ghana in a statement says "in the last two years we have offered the best value entertainment by combining both quality and variety at a reduced rate to ensure everyone has access to great family entertainment. Consistently we have remodeled our business and adjusted our pricing and content to best suit the varied lifestyle of our subscribers".

MultiChoice Ghana says it is doing "a price freeze on all DStv and GOtv packages for our residential subscribers however our commercial subscribers will get some decreases effective 1 April 2018".

Cecil Sunkwa-Mills, MultiChoice Ghana general manager also revealed that MultiChoice will be adding a 24-hour World Cup channel, SuperSport 13 (DStv 213) as "an appetiser" of the 2018 FIFA World Cup starting later this year in Russia.

All 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be available on all DStv packages.

Despite trash reporting from Nigeria's press, MultiChoice Nigeria's DStv and GOtv in the West African country WON'T be shutting down in 2019 and forced to close.

MultiChoice Nigeria and other pay-TV operators in Nigeria won't be shutting down in 2019 and won't be closing or forced to end their services like DStv and GOtv in the West African country next year, despite hugely erroneous and factually wrong trash reports by Nigeria's pathetic press.

Last week one once again one idiot in Nigeria ran a factually wrong story that was quickly copy-and-pasted by the lame duck Nigerian press, clueless about proper background regarding their own country's TV and pay-TV industry, and breathlessly reporting that the Nigerian government is going to force MultiChoice Nigeria, StarTimes Nigeria and others to close down since their pay-TV licences won't be renewed.

Utter sh*t.

But is no longer unexpected from MultiChoice's second largest pay-TV market in Africa where irrational Nigerian resentment and hate against MultiChoice has been steadily building the past 3 years along with a litany of fake news reporting.

Firstly, the Nigerian government needs all the local and foreign investment it can get and hold on to with the tanking Nigerian economy. It's not going to shut out companies and ironically will have to come up with a plan to keep multi-national companies who have been leaving Nigeria one after the other.

Secondly, MultiChoice Nigeria is one of the biggest corporate tax payers and corporate investors in Nigeria. The Nigerian government isn't going to close off this income tap.

Thirdly, MultiChoice Nigeria is a massive source of employment for local Nigerians through the entire pay-TV value chain - think direct employees to installer agents. Take away MultiChoice and you increase joblessness directly.

Fourthly, while Nigerians have made trashing MultiChoice and DStv a national pass time, DStv is the best of the available pay-TV providers since it launched DStv there in 1995 and GOtv in 2011.

On a mere consumer leve, imagine the massive outcry when millions of ordinary Nigerian pay-TV viewers and even government fat cats lose their DStv and GOtv and EPL and other international soccer and telenovelas - there is no way the Nigerian government would risk that.

Trash reporting had it that MultiChoice Nigeria will be forced to shut down DStv and GOtv since the pay-TV provider was notified by Nigeria's federal government that its operation in Nigeria will end in 2019 because its licence is expiring.

Apparently its licence issued in 2014 won't be renewed because it was not in line with Nigeria's Digital Switch Over (DSO) White Paper.

The so-called "DSO White Paper" is a policy. It's a regulatory framework and a broadcasting model for Nigeria'a migration process from analogue TV broadcasting to digital terrestrial television (DTT) - a mess that's only slightly better managed than South Africa's DTT disaster.

MultiChoice Nigeria in a statement says "GOtv is provided under a fully licensed and registered entity in Nigeria, and this license comes up for renewal in March 2019".

"As a law-abiding and committed Nigerian operator which has fulfilled and continues to comply with all regulatory requirements and applicable laws, it is not clear how or why this license would not be renewed, and as such the company will investigate further in the best interests of the many customers it serves in the market."

"MultiChoice remains committed to providing its customers with a wide variety of quality entertainment through the usual best standards".

MultiChoice Africa finally promises Zambia's GOtv subscribers they will get their signal restored from today, apologises, and explains what happened - 2 weeks after they were abruptly cut off.

MultiChoice Africa has finally promised Zambia's GOtv subscribers they will get their signal restored from today and apologised, 2 weeks after they were abruptly cut off - with subscribers to MultiChoice's terrestrial pay-TV service that will likely get at least half a month's refund if not more for the bad service interruption.

GOtv subscribers has now been without any service or a signal for half a month with MultiChoice Zambia that should be refunding subscribers who have to pay but got no service for the past two weeks.

Last week furious GOtv Zambia subscribersstormed MultiChoice Zambia's offices with public protests after MultiChoice's failure to speak to them, to explain quickly what is going on, to offer and to promise refunds and to engage with the media to properly explain what is going on regarding the GOtv Zambia signal loss.

Mwika Malindima, MultiChoice Zambia PR manager, sounding incompetent after a week of GOtv subscribers suffering from signal loss, said MultiChoice Zambia would only issue a statement to GOTV Zambia subscribers "once we conclude our discussions" with authorities.

What's been happening is that MultiChoice Zambia encountered unexpected signal interference on its GOtv digital terrestrial television (DTT) frequency, making it impossible for GOtv Zambia subscribers in Livingstone and Solwezi to receive a signal, plunging paying GOTV subscribers into a TV blackout the past two weeks.

On Wednesday, MultiChoice Zambia finally held a press briefing for the media where Caroline Creasy, MultiChoice Africa general manager for corporate affairs, took over.

Caroline Creasy apologised and explained what has been happening, and promised that the GOtv Zambia signal will be restored in Livingstone and Solwezi today.

Caroline Creasy explained that MultiChoice engineers have been working on the signal interference issue. She explained that Zambia's broadcasting regulator, the Zambia Information and Communications Technology (ZICTA) was to blame since ZICTA gave out MultiChoice Zambia's terrestrial frequencies for GOtv Zambia to another operator.

“We are engaging ZICTA and other stakeholders in Zambia to secure the future of our business. However, we sincerely apologise to our clients for the blackout.”

“ZICTA confirmed they gave our signals to another operator and they allocated us a different frequency. The engineers came back from Solwezi and they are now working in Livingstone.  We are doing everything possible to have the signal restored,” Caroline Creasy said as reported by the Times of Zambia.

GOtv Zambia subscribers will apparently be "compensated" for the GOtv Zambia service loss although the specifics of what the compensation amounts to isn't clear.

Africa set to add 17.4 million pay-TV subscribers in the next 5 years as pay-TV subscriptions on the continent continue to soar.

Pay-TV subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa is set to soar and will continue its massive growth in the next 5 years, increasing by 74% between 2017 and 2025, and adding 17.4 million pay-TV subscribers to reach 40.89 million pay-TV households according to the projections in a new research report compiled by Digital TV research.

Together with pay-TV growth, will come an increase in competition, with competing pay-TV companies that are already lowering subscription fees and subsidising decoder costs.

Over the same period, according to projections, pay-TV revenue in sub-Saharan Africa will increase by 14% to $6.64 billion.

While South Africa continues to have the most pay-TV subscribers on the continent, Nigeria is set to overtake South Africa by 2021.

By 2023 South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be the top 5 pay-TV countries in Africa according to pay-TV subscriber numbers; followed by Uganda, the Ivory Coast and Angola.

These top 8 African countries according to pay-TV subscribers by 2023 will collectively have three-quarters of the total pay-TV subscriber market by 2023.

From the current 23.49 million pay-TV subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 2017, 13.78 million were satellite pay-TV subscribers and 9.11 million were digital terrestrial television (DTT) pay-TV subscribers.

According to Digital TV Research, by 2023 this will have grown to 40.89 million for satellite TV and 8 million DTT pay-TV subscribers.

MultiChoice had 12.48 million subscribers across its DStv satellite pay-TV platform service and its GOtv DTT service by the end of 2017, and that is set to increase to 16.66 million by 2023 according to growth estimates.

Naspers' MultiChoice remains by far the largest pay-TV operator on the African continent.

Vivendi had 2.96 million subscribers for its Canal Plus satellite pay-TV platform and Easy TV at the end of 2017 and will likely increase this to 4.87 million by 2023.
 
StarTimes,operating as StarSat in South Africa see its subscriber base in Africa and South Africa increase from 6.23 million subscribers at the end of 2017 to 13.42 million by 2023.

“Pay-TV competition in sub-Saharan Africa is becoming more and more intense, especially given the launch of Kwesé in 14 countries during 2017," says analyst Simon Murray who compiled the research.

Furious GOtv subscribers in Zambia storm DStv after MultiChoice Zambia fails to fix their pay-TV signal that's been off for more than a week.

The Times of Zambia newspaper reports that angry GOtv subscribers have stormed MultiChoice Zambia's offices after their decoder signal has been cut off for a week, with no clear explanation from DStv Zambia as to why it has been happening, or any communication from MultiChoice Zambia as to when their TV subscription that they are paying for, will be restored.

More than 1 000 GOtv subscribers in Livingstone, Zambia have seen their TV service cut off when MultiChoice Zambia abruptly ended their GOtv signal transmission on MultiChoice Africa's digital terrestrial television (DTT) pay-TV service.

The thousands of GOtv subscribers have been cut off for more than a week now and counting, and have now stormed MultiChoice Zambia demanding their TV signals be restored or a refund for not getting the service they've been paying for.

It's not clear why MultiChoice Zambia has refused to talk to its GOtv subscribers and to give them information and to inform they that they will be refunded for the time period that the GOtv signal isn't properly transmitting.

Mwika Malindima, MultiChoice Zambia PR manager told Times of Zambia that GOtv subscribers have been unable to get a signal for over a week now because of external interference on the frequency and server.

“Our GOtv server has been affected by an interference on the frequency. Livingstone and Solwezi are the towns that are currently affected and our technicians are already on the ground to try and address the situation”.

“We have since engaged the authorities and once we conclude our discussions, we shall issue a comprehensive statement to our subscribers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our subscribers in Livingstone and Solwezi but we can assure them that things will be back to normal soon”.

It's not clear why MultiChoice Zambia hasn't yet issued any statement to its customers and why it hasn't properly told GOtv subscriber what is going on in more than week of service interruption.

“Since Friday these people have just been telling us stories and they are not giving us directions as to when the problem will be rectified. We paid for a service but up to now the channels are not showing and so let them tell us if they have failed so that they refund us our money,” one distraught and angry GOtv subscriber told Times of Zambia.

Another said that GOtv isn't communicating with customers and not giving out any real information, just saying that "technicians are working on the problem".

The third season of Big Brother Naija starting on Sunday 28 January on DStv; will kick off with a special 2-hour show.

M-Net West Africa has announced that the upcoming third season of Big Brother Naija will start on Sunday 28 January 2018 on MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV platform with the 24-hour Big Brother Naija channel that will run on DStv channel 198.

Besides DStv, the Big Brother Naija channel will also be made available as a channel on MultiChoice's digital terrestrial television (DTT) pay-TV platform GOtv in certain African countries like Nigeria on channel 29.

The new upcoming season of Big Brother Naija , produced by Red Pepper Productions and shown on MultiChoice's DStv satellite platform in Nigeria and across Africa, will likely once again also include South Africa - similar to how it was shown across the African continent during the second season.

M-Net West Africa and Red Pepper Productions decided to keep Ebuka Obi-Uchendu as the host of Big Brother Nigeria, with the former housemate who presented the second season in 2017.

Big Brother Naija will kick off with a special 2-hour introduction show on Sunday 28 January, introducing the various housemates.

Big Brother Naija producers held Nigerian auditions in 6 places across the West African country during early December.

Viewers and TV critics will keep close eye on the reality series' latest season that remains controversial for its notorious in-show history of sexual assault against women that M-Net and the previous production company, Endemol Shine Africa, have failed to prevent, despite repeatedly saying during previous iterations that more is being done to protect against sexual violence and assault, only for incidents to happen again.

The previous season in 2017 once again saw the second season of Big Brother Naija marred by an alleged sexual assault against a contestant that once again raised concerns over why M-Net and Endemol Shine Africa wasn't adequately protecting participants, especially women, in the show despite several prior promises to put better measures in place.

Furious DStv and GOtv subscribers in Nigeria surround DStv offices in Yenagoa in public protests; demand refunds for poor service and signal quality and service cuts.

Furious DStv subscribers and GOtv subscribers in Nigeria on Wednesday held a large public protest at MultiChoice Nigeria's various offices in Yenagoa, in Nigeria's Bayelsa state, surrounding MultiChoice Nigeria's premises and voicing their anger over poor signal quality, subscription problems, being cut off and demanding refunds.

According to Nigerian media reports angry DStv subscribers surrounded DStv offices in Kpansia, Opolo and Okutukutu in Yanagoa.

The furious pay-TV consumers demanded that MultiChoice Nigeria do something about the bad signal quality, blocking subscribers after they pay and renew subscriptions and asking why they're not compensated when they lose their signal over technical glitches.

A DStv subscribers Betty Sotonye said she could no longer cope with the bad DStv service and wants a refund. "I came here to renew subscription on Saturday but until yesterday, my family and I cannot watch DStv".

DStv subscribers Thompson Efe, said "Enough is enough of this so-called DStvpeople".

So far there's been no statement from MultiChoice Nigeria.

Chinese pay-TV operator StarTimes launches 4th Beijing TV dramas and film broadcasting season in Africa; says Chinese TV content 'strengthens friendship' between China and Africa.

The Chinese pay-TV operator in Africa, StarTimes, has launched the 4th 2017 Beijing TV dramas and movies broadcasting season in Africa, with a launch event that took place in Lusaka, Zambia.

Through StarTimes - that operates in 35 African nations including under the brand StarSat in South Africa - the Chinese government says it wants to bring a lot more Chinese TV dramas and Chinese films to viewers in Zambia and across the African continent.

StarTimes that says it has almost 10 million pay-TV subscribers across Africa, says that it's the fastest-growing digital TV operator in Africa since its launch in 2002.

That makes StarTimes the biggest competitor to pay-TV operator MultiChoice and its DStv and GOtv brands, with StarTimes that is signing deals with various African governments backed by support and money funneled from the Chinese government, as well as driving subscriber growth with hand outs of free StarTimes decoder deals.

As part of the 2017 Beijing TV drama festival, StarTimes that has partnered with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Press, Radio, Film and Television, will be showing 8 Chinese TV series and films in Zambia.

StarTimes will also continue to show African StarTimes subscribers 400 Chinese drama episodes and 17 Chinese films over the course of a year, dubbed into 7 languages - English, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba and Luganda.

Guo Ziqi, StarTimes vice-president, said the broadcasting of Chinese content in Africa will continue to support the "strengthened friendship" between China and Zambia.

Wang Yefei, the deputy director-general of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television said China sees the cultural exchanges between China and Africa as very important and that the Chinese TV series and films will help African viewers "to get a panorama of China".

MultiChoice close to touching 12 million African pay-TV subscribers in 2017 as share of top-end DStv Premium subscribers continues to decrease and growth comes from lower-tiered bouquets.

Pay-TV operator MultiChoice is within reach of 12 million pay-TV subscribers across Africa with its subscriber base that added 1.5 million DStv and GOtv subscribers to top 11.9 million although the bulk of the subscriber growth is now coming from lower-tiered, cheaper bouquets.

On Friday afternoon Naspers released its annual financial results for the year until 31 March 2017 that revealed that its pay-TV business MultiChoice added another 625 000 DStv subscribers in South Africa in the past year (11% growth) to reach 6.36 million households.

In addition, MultiChoice experienced its highest net DStv subscribers growth ever over a 6-month period, and increased its spending 13% on TV programming and production costs that's paid in dollar.

It means that South Africa with over half of all MultiChoice's pay-TV subscribers in one country, remains MultiChoice's biggest pay-TV and DStv market in Africa by far, despite ongoing erroneous articles mistakenly citing countries like Nigeria as being the largest.

Naspers says its South African direct-to-home (DTH) pay-TV business delivered a "solid all round performance".

Sadly the plunge in Nigeria's currency has been debilitating on the entire MultiChoice Africa operations - a gaping black hole that led to a whopping $358 million trading loss and that wiped out MultiChoice's operational progress in lowering costs and streamlining operations.

It will likely take a couple of years for MultiChoice in Africa to return to profitability.

While the number of DStv subscribers are growing, the share of DStv Premium subscribers - the top-tier of users subscribing to the most expensive bouquet - is once again shrinking and continuing to contract, now down to 16%.

While mid-tier DStv Compact subscribers are remaining stable at 27%, the share of subscribers paying for lower-tiered bouquets is now the fastest growing, increasing its share from 53% to 57%.


PVR users in South Africa and across Africa growing fast
MultiChoice's streaming and catch-up service, DStv Now, is "gaining excellent traction" as available TV channels added to this service, and users grow, Naspers said.

Elsewhere in Africa, MultiChoice's digital terrestrial television (DTT) service, GOtv, is already profitable in four African countries. Overall GOtv is inching towards profitability, with MultiChoice that now has 3.001 million DTT subscribers in Africa.

In South Africa MultiChoice saw a 10% growth in the number of DStv subscribers, compared to 2016, who have and use its personal video recorder (PVR) decoders. With this bigger PVR use, the average revenue per user (ARPU) for PVR decoders in South Africa increased by 2% in 2017.

In the rest of Africa the growth of PVR decoders by DStv subscribers have been even more phenomenal - a whopping 26% jump, although the ARPU in the rest of Africa declined by 23% in the financial year.

MultiChoice is responding to increased content costs by removing and renegotiating non-essential TV content.

MultiChoice focused on "bouquet restructuring and reduction of non-performing content, holding subscription prices steady in key markets, better customer focus and retention, reducing set-top box prices and rightsizing operations".

Naspers' subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, ShowMax, completed its first full year of operations and is now fully localised in South Africa, Kenya and Poland.

Consolidated development spend for Naspers' video entertainment segment was $102 million compared to 2016's $85 million - up 20% year-on-year (YoY).

Naspers says increased investment in ShowMax was offset by scaling of the GOtv DTT platform.

DStv GIVES THANKS. MultiChoice launches new loyalty programme, DStv Thanks for DStv subscribers across Africa, excluding South Africa.

MultiChoice has launched a new loyalty programme called DStv Thanks across the rest of Africa - excluding South Africa - with DStv subscribers who will be getting access to additional TV channels for free, if they remain subscribed for at least 3 months.

MultiChoice that doesn't currently have plans to introduce DStv Thanks in South Africa, is implementing the new loyalty programme as only South African DStv subscribers will see price hikes introduced from 1 April, with no apparent DStv and GOtv subscription increases for the most of Africa this year, besides minimal price increases for Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland.

MultiChoice Africa is feeling the pinch and churn as subscribers in stalling economies from Zimbabwe to Kenya and from Botswana to Nigeria have been vocal about their struggles to afford DStv and GOtv.

At the same time pay-TV rivals from China StarTimes to Zuku TV and Econet Media's newly introduced Kwesé TV are all ferociously competing to sign up and retain subscription television customers in Africa's growing direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV market.

With Tim Jacobs gone as MultiChoice Africa CEO and replaced by Brand de Villiers in the position since January this year, MultiChoice's African division has now launched DStv Thanks and GOtv Wow to reward subscribers who remain connected to DStv and GOtv for at least 3 months.

According to MultiChoice the first reward is access to additional entertainment TV channels - like for instance Zee Bollymovies, Viasat Life and AfricaXP's new male-focused Trigger channel - offered for free to subscribers in various African countries who remain connected for 3 months or longer. There will also be "monthly airtime bonuses".

"When putting together this rewards programme, we analysed the best global rewards practices, as well as what our customers love about the DStv brands," says MultiChoice in a statement slightly adjusted per African country where DStv Thanks was announced.

"The rewards offered had to provide greater value to our loyal customers beyond the normal, while also providing more motivation to stay loyal to our platform".

"We're confident that the rewards we have lined up for DStv Thanks now and in the future will not only enhance our customers' television viewing experience but also solidify their connection to our platforms."

R998 to start watching MultiChoice and M-Net's GOtv with 12 TV channels; GOtv South Africa more expensive with less channels than in other African countries.

As expected MultiChoice and M-Net this morning officially announced its GOtv digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering that will cost viewers without a satellite dish R998 to start watching channels already available on its satellite TV service DStv.

At an additional R99 per month for 12 TV channels, GOtv costs exactly the same as StarSat's StarSat Special package with 47 TV channels, and the DStv Access offering over 50 TV channels.

At this price point it raises questions as to why and what type of viewers without pay-TV and who are possibly considering taking up pay-TV, would opt for this DTT product and not rather go straight for one of the existing commercial satellite pay-TV options available.

On face value even Platco Digital's OpenView HD (OVHD) free-to-air satellite service, with a once-off decoder-and-dish cost of R1000 and offering over 18 TV channels with no monthly subscription, seems to be a better deal.

To start watching GOtv, a customer must buy a GOtv decoder of R699. The decoder work with an antenna. The recommended "GOtenna" is sold separately for R299.

Interestingly GOtv operated in several other African countries under the same brand name, has more channels on offer to subscribers and cost less than in South Africa.

GOtv in Kenya for instance cost R95 for 23 TV channels; GOtv in Lesotho offers 20 TV channels for R99.80. GOtv in Namibia for instance carries Sabido's eNCA (DStv 403), while other countries include several TV news channels. 

GOtv for South Africa's website doesn't list a single TV news channel as part of the offering. Asked why there's not a single news channel available in the offering, GOtv says "the GOtv decoder will receive all free to air television and radio services, which will include several news channels".

Asked why the GOtv South Africa offering has less channels than in other countries, M-Net says it can only offer up to 12 channels on its GOtv service in South Africa as provided for in its DTT licence.

"GOtv will give many South Africans who are currently watching analogue television the chance to experience digital quality TV at an affordable price," says Tsabiso Letsoela, GOtv South Africa's general manager. 

"The digital GOtv service offers compelling channels with clearer pictures and sharper sound quality".

Yolisa Phahle, M-Net CEO says the pay-TV broadcaster – since GOtv is an M-Net service – "is excited to launch our digital terrestrial television service", saying "this is a major step forward for local television".

Although the SABC's channels and e.tv are not listed on GOtv's website for South Africa or in a press release, a spokesperson told TV with Thinus that GOtv subscribers in South Africa, besides the 12 channels, will get the free-to-air channels on GOtv like SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 and radio stations "as long as your GOtv package is active". 

Besides the GOtv Value package for R99 per month there is also a GOtv Lite option of 2 TV channels, Mzansi Music and Dumisa, at a subscription of R45 paid every three months.

GOtv uses a digital network of towers throughout South Africa like what cellphone companies are doing.

Potential GOtv subscribers will first have to check whether they fall within the coverage areas since the signal is currently limited to mostly major sentra like Cape Town, Jeffrey's Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Bloemfontein and Kimberley, and the Johannesburg and Pretoria, Polokwane and Mbombela areas. National DTT coverage will improve overtime.

What about existing M-Net analogue subscribers?

For the existing tens of thousands of M-Net analogue subscribers – M-Net viewers watching M-Net, SuperSport and the Community Service Network (CSN) through M-Net decoders – there's not a DTT option available yet.

"While M-Net analogue customers will have to switch over to digital television at some stage, they don’t have to do anything right now," says M-Net.

"Before each province shuts down their analogue signals, M-Net will be in touch to guide its analogue customers through the migration process".

M-Net analogue subscribers will get a "like-for-like package" and the exact business rules will be communicated and they will get correspondence this week, and more detailed communication with their options in the next few months.

"We are committed to assist our M-Net analogue subscribers through every step of the migration process," says the pay-TV provider.

"You'll keep getting your M-Net terrestrial service until this signal gets switched off. Closer to the cut-off time, we'll be in touch to guide you on what you need to do and how you need to do it. We only expect the switch-off to be a year or more from now."

M-Net analogue subscribers who are worried or have questions or concerns can email terrestrial@mnet.co.za

MultiChoice and M-Net soon launching GOtv as its digital television service in South Africa; what is happening with M-Net analogue subscribers?

MultiChoice and M-Net will soon launch its GOtv service as its digital TV product and service in South Africa's digital terrestrial television (DTT) market.

GOtv, MultiChoice's cheaper DTT service already available in several other African countries outside of South Africa, will cost R100 for a monthly subscription according to its South African website, with a GOtv decoder that will cost R700.

South African GOtv subscribers won't need a satellite dish but will also have to buy an antenna for R300. 

GOtv will come with around 12 TV channels at launch that's already available on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

It's not clear what MultiChoice and M-Net are planning to do with its M-Net analogue subscribers and M-Net analogue subscribers – tens of thousands of South Africans who don't have DStv but who use M-Net decoders and who have been waiting patiently for the DTT switch-over to get new decoders.

Part of the big problem is that GOtv as a cheaper digital TV service in the rest of Africa doesn't include the M-Net channel. 

Yet M-Net analogue subscribers living in South Africa must get a "like-for-like" digital terrestrial television service – a DTT service that includes M-Net as a channel.

Yolisa Phahle, M-Net CEO, confirmed to TV with Thinus last week that the digital terrestrial television offering will launch under the GOtv brand in South Africa. MultiChoice will run the platform and product, and M-Net will supply TV channels.

Yolisa Phahle didn't want to answer when asked whether their would be overlap between the GOtv channel offering available in South Africa and MultiChoice's existing DStv channels, but the website now indicates that M-Net's lower-tiered channels like M-Net Movies Zone, AfricaMagic Epic, Mzansi Wethu, Mzansi Bioskop, Mzansi Magic Music and Channel O will be included.

Other channels include Discovery Networks International's TLC Entertainment, SuperSport's SuperSport Blitz and SuperSport Select channels, Viacom's NickToons, Disney Junior and Dumisa.

Commercial free-to-air broadcaster e.tv will launch its own DTT offering which will include its own set of channels which will likely include several of the channels currently carried on its own OpenView HD (VHD) free-to-air satellite platform from Platco Digital like eKasi+, eMovies+ and eToonz+.

The SABC's free-to-air DTT offering include only 5 channels: SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 as well as the SABC News (DStv 404) and SABC Encore (DStv 156) library rerun channels available on DStv.

MultiChoice and M-Net are apparently doing a media briefing announcing GOtv for Johannesburg media on Wednesday.

Besides the normal GOtv monthly subscription of R99 that will be known as the "Value" bouquet, the GOtv website for South Africa also lists a "Lite" GOtv subscription of R45 per quarter. GOtv Lite will only have one religion and one music TV channel.

The availability of MultiChoice's GOtv in South Africa will initially be limited - due to roll-out of the DTT signals.

GOtv will primarily only work in parts of Gauteng concentrated around Johannesburg and Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town where the GOtv DTT signal can be received. National coverage will gradually grow.

The department of communications on Monday also announced that 1 February 2016 marks "the start of the dual illumination period in South Africa's digital migration process".

Dual illumination means the period where both the existing analogue signal of certain TV channels - for instance SABC1, SABC2, SABC3, e.tv and M-Net - are broadcast, as well as the digital terrestrial version of those same channels.

Once enough South African TV viewers have bought their DTT decoders which are necessary to continue watching television in future, the analogue signals will be switched off.

The minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, says "government plans to distribute 5 million free set-top boxes (STBs). The next distribution and installation process for STBs will be in the Free State this month".

Nico Meyer, MultiChoice Africa CEO in Mauritius at MultiChoice Content Showcase: 'We're committed to the digital migration process in Africa'.

Nico Meyer, MultiChoice Africa CEO says the pan-African satellite pay-TV operator which runs DStv and GOtv across sub-Saharan Africa is "committed to the digital migration process in Africa".

Nico Meyer is in Mauritius, speaking at the MultiChoice Content Showcase which kicked off on Tuesday evening with African artists, 80 journalists, international content distributor executives as well as guests flown to the Trou Aux Biches Resort & Spa.

MultiChoice unveiled a new Africa Rising music video which will be part of a new campaign although one of the six African artists in the music video didn't pitch in time for the official unveiling.

The MultiChoice Content Showcase - billed as "Africa's biggest content showcase" - is to show the local and international content MultiChoice brings to viewers.

Content at the MultiChoice Content Showcase unveiled and screened to journalists come from BBC Worldwide providing the BBC channels; Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) providing CNN International, Cartoon Network and Boomerang; and NBCUniversal's Telemundo.

There's also Viacom International Media Networks International Africa's (VIMN Africa) providing MTV Base, Comedy Central Africa and Nickelodeon; A+E Networks International's History and Crime+Investigation Network; M-Net's AfricaMagic and Channel O; Ebony Life TV; and SuperSport.

"Our mission has always been to be at the cutting edge of new technology that enables our subscribers to enjoy the very best home television experience," says Nico Meyer.

MultiChoice believes that the people of Africa deserve "only the best dynamic technology platforms and a range of bouquets built around compelling news, premium movies and documentaries, as well as sports channels," he says.

Nico Meyer says the satellite pay-TV operator is aiming "to be part of the making of this unfolding critical time in Africa's history through various initiatives that promise to unearth Africa's potential. We aim to be part of creating a paradigm shift among Africans" and that there is "so much more to celebrate in and about our continent.

Speaking about digital terrestrial television (DTT), he says that MultiChoice uses the latest generation digital video broadcast standard for its GOtv product.

"It leapfrogs the outdated T1-systems which were utilised by first movers in the digital migration and puts Africa at the forefront of technology in the digital migration process".

"MultiChoice Africa remains committed to the digital migration process in Africa and will continue to work closely with governments and all stakeholders to ensure that this is a seamless platform, ensuring great family entertainment at affordable prices," says Nico Meyer.

"Over the years we have invested billions into brand new state-of-the-art SuperSport and M-Net studios to catapult the local film industry into showcasing local talent and programmes".

"We are committed to using every technology available to us to enhance that [viewing] experience and developments on the horizon hold the promise of exciting changes," says Nico Meyer.

MultiChoice's GOtv and China's StarTimes in Kenya dragged to court in class action suit for not carrying free-to-air, public access TV channels.

MultiChoice's GOtv pay-TV service and StarTimes' pay-TV service in Kenya is now being sued and dragged to court in a massive class action suit brought by the Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) following the final warning from the consumer watchdog organisation in April that blocked free-to-air (FTA) public access TV channels on their bouquets needs to be restored.

It has not happened, and now Cofek is taking MultiChoice's GOtv, China's StarTimes and two other smaller operators to court to try and get monetary compensation for thousands of pay-TV subscribers in the East African country.

Cofek demands that Kenya's broadcasting regulator, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) enforce the regulations that mandate that operators like StarTimes and MultiChoice carry at least five local free-to-air TV channels.

Cofek also wants thousands of pay-TV subscribers to be compensated for the ongoing time period that they have been blocked from receiving public TV channels such as NTV, Citizen and KTN.

Cofek wants the court to issue an order compelling the pay-TV operators to "compensate affected pre-paid subscribers by way of either refunds and/or credit equivalent to the period the local free-to-air channels have not been relayed".

The Consumer Federation of Kenya is fed-up with terrible pay-TV subscription services from MultiChoice and StarTimes, saying that Kenyan pay-TV subscribers are simply not getting what they're forced to pay for.

Cofek says pay-TV operators like MultiChoice and StarTimes sold GOtv and StarTimes set-top boxes (STBs) on the prmise that they would broadcast free-to-air TV channels, but have broken their promise.

"Consumers who purchased the set-top boxes and paid for the services cannot be allowed to suffer for errors committed by the Communications Authority of Kenya and the service providers," says Cofek.

The blocked FTA channels happened because neither StarTimes nor MultiChoice Africa had valid and proper retransmission contracts in place nor the necessary permission to broadcast these channels.

In April the Supreme Court of Kenya ordered MultiChoice, StarTimes and the two other smaller pay-TV operators in Kenya to immediately cease broadcasting the FTA TV channels from Nation Media Group, Standard Media Group and Royal Media Services.

Because no deals and contracts could yet be signed with the TV stations, the pay-TV operators are not able to carry those TV channels and are in transgression of Kenya's pay-TV broadcasting regulations.

MultiChoice runs the DStv and GOTV satellite and terrestrial pay-TV services; China's StarTimes is also the backer of StarSat in South Africa.

BREAKING. MultiChoice's GOtv in Zimbabwe appears dead as MultiChoice suddenly offers R815 refunds to subscribers who return their decoders.

MultiChoice's GOtv is suddenly offering refunds for its completely dead pay-TV service in Zimbabwe according to reports, as the pay-TV operator remains quiet and unwilling to say or explain anything, and provide basic customer service or any explanation as to what happened, and is going on.

GOtv from MultiChoice Africa, its digital terrestrial pay-TV offering abruptly went dark at the end of January with no explanation about why or what happened, and still no communication or explanation to subscribers to explain what is going on, and what the actual real problem is.

Now MultiChoice is offering US$75 (R815) refunds to GOtv subscribers - not telling them when, or if, their pay-TV service will be restored.

GOtv subscribers - who will become former Gotv subscribers will now get a refund if they return the set-top boxes they had to buy to get the service and which launched exactly a year ago in Zimbabwe.

MultiChoice Africa's DStv service - its satellite direct-to-home (DTH) service is still up and running.

MultiChoice will presumably want Gotv subscribers to exchange their GOtv STBs for DStv, but its unclear whether viewers and consumers will trust the company again anytime soon after being burnt with a discontinued service -and then getting no customer service or real explanation and information as to why it happened.

The company continues to be hammered on its Facebook page (where its also unwilling to communicate properly with GOtv subscribers and customers) as Zimbabweans demand answers, implore the company to speak to them, wondering and asking all sorts of normal questions as to procedures and what they need to do - and getting no answers.