People's Planet Shutters After 16 Years as 'We Ran out of Shelf Space', Content Catalogue Remains Available for International Sales

by Thinus Ferreira

The People's Planet channel, which launched as People's Weather in 2010, has gone dark after 16 years.

People's Planet disappeared from eMedia's Openview at the end of August, after MultiChoice dropped it in March 2024. The channel's content catalogue however remains available for international distribution.

People's Planet ceased broadcasting altogether at the end of August 2026.

Stephan le Roux, People's Planet channel head, says the channel didn't shutter due to a lack of audience but because "dedicated wildlife and environmental content has no reliable home on South African and African platforms".

"Over 16 years on air, People's Planet built something rare in South African broadcasting: a loyal, committed audience for wildlife, conservation and environmental storytelling. That audience did not go away," he says.

"What was missing was platform commitment. Environmental and natural-history content in this market is treated as filler rather than as a category worth investing in, and a channel built entirely around it has nowhere to absorb that pressure."

"There is a real and committed audience in this country for stories about the natural world, and we saw it every week for 16 years."

"What there isn't, is a platform environment willing to back that content for the long term. We didn't run out of viewers or ideas. We ran out of shelf space."

According to Stephan le Roux, from 2020, roughly 95% of People's Planet's content was locally produced, something that "came at a real cost in a market where imported content is cheaper and easier to schedule".

The content catalogue of People's Weather remains available for international distribution.

City Beasts and Family in the Wild are out for international distribution with ORF-Enterprise in Austria.

Snake Season, presented by Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans, has three seasons running on Sky Germany, with season 3 having aired on EarthX and the first two seasons on Curiosity Stream. 

Monkey Helpline and Snake Season are licensed to Big Media for Eastern Europe, with the snake series dubbed into German and Russian.

"There are South African stories, told by South African filmmakers, playing to audiences across Europe and the United States," said Julie Laurenz of Film Mamba, the production house behind Apex Alley, Snake Season and Monkey Helpline. "The international market values this work. That's what makes the position at home so difficult to accept."

Stephan le Roux says "People's Planet extends its thanks to its viewers, to the production partners and independent filmmakers who built its catalogue, and to the journalists, producers and crew whose work defined it".

"While this chapter of People's Planet has come to an end, the need for a dedicated home for wildlife, conservation and environmental storytelling in South Africa has not. The audience is there. The stories are there. The talent is there. What is still needed is a platform willing to give this content the space, investment and long-term commitment it deserves."

"The need for this storytelling isn't going away. This may be the end of People's Planet in its current form, but we haven't given up on what we set out to build."

"South African wildlife and environmental stories deserve a platform and an audience at home, and we still believe there is a future for that."

eMedia's Openview Dumps People's Planet After 6 Years, Replaces it from September with In-house Packaged eXplore Channel

by Thinus Ferreira

eMedia's Openview free-to-air satellite service has decided to dump People's Planet and to replace it from 1 September 2026 with an in-house channel in the form of a self-packaged channel it calls eXplore.

e.tv gave no reason for dumping People's Planet on Openview channel 115. 

People's Planet was originally called People's Weather when it was added to Openview in November 2020. The channel rebranded in mid-2024 to People's Planet.

Two years ago with the rebrand, People's Planet CEO Stephan le Roux said People's Planet decided to "partner exclusively with Openview, owned by the eMedia group as it is a rapidly growing platform that shares the vision for sustainability and growth, making it the perfect partner to help us reach and inspire a broader audience".

Now, by September 2026 there's not a word from People's Planet or Openview about what failed in its "exclusive partnership" as People's Planet is replaced by eXplore.

According to e.tv "eXplore will replace People's Planet and offer a broader mix of real-world stories based on the premise that our everyday world is stranger than we imagine".

"The programming moves between the natural world, life-or-death stories of survival and the darker side of human behaviour. Viewers can expect wildlife and conservation titles alongside documentaries, real-life mysteries and true-crime investigations."

e.tv notes that "Adding eXplore reflects Openview’s continued focus on bringing greater variety to viewers. The launch-day evening line-up begins with wildlife and conservation titles before moving into true crime and investigations of real events."

"It includes Cheetah Diaries at 18:00, Chameleons of the World at 18:25, Kalahari Meerkats at 19:20, Endangered with Michaela Strachan at 19:45, Evil Unmasked: The Station Strangler at 20:10 and A Mother's Madness at 21:00."

People's Planet channel adds 4-episode Journey of Firsts as Soweto influencer Arthur Magadze explores Cape wine culture

by Thinus Ferreira

The People's Planet (Openview 115) channel has added a new 4-episode series, A Journey of Firsts: From Soweto to Stellies, with the Soweto influencer Mpho (Arthur) Magadze, known as Soweto Hippie, exploring the wine culture of the Cape.

A Journey of Firsts: from Soweto to Stellies, that started 25 November, was produced by Chen Swan and Walla Films for Delheim Estate in Stellenbosch.

It follows Arthur Magadze's one-week experience on a South African wine estate as he spends time immersing himself in the wine and wine-farm activities on Delheim Estate in Stellenbosch, while also taking in the broader Cape lifestyle.

The informative and entertaining series of four half-hour episodes focuses on his immersion into the Cape’s wine culture and its people, the natural beauty of one of South Africa’s leading estates, and the magical processes behind ripening grapes and making wine.

"Making this series saw me flying in an aeroplane for the first time and a first visit to the Cape, a cool place I had dreamed of seeing for as long as I can remember,” says Arthur.

"Stellie's side is too different from Joho. The guys from Delheim put me on – I was there to sip. It was so great to learn more about wine culture, not just the consumption side. I learned so much! The best was to learn that nobody is wrong – I could enjoy wine the way I experience it."

"I will never take another bottle of wine for granted after experiencing what it takes to make one, and I have been sharing my experiences and stories with my community and friends ever since returning to Soweto. This one is definitely for the books. Now I will put people on about wine making and culture."

"Each day I learnt something new about vineyards and winemaking, as well as the different types of wines made on the farm. All these new names became my homies Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Rosé."

A Journey of Firsts was filmed at the start of Delheim’s 2025 harvest season and Arthur was taken under the wings of Delheim directors Victor Sperling and Nora Thiel - the estate’s second-generation custodians - as well as the Delheim team.

From selecting harvest-ready grapes to discovering the intricacies of cellar work, the secrets of wine tasting, and enthralling stories from Delheim’s pioneering wine history, the series provides a compelling behind-the-scenes view of life on a leading Cape wine farm beneath Stellenbosch’s majestic Simonsberg.

"What I'm saying is, once A Journey of Firsts rolls, pour a glass of Delheim wine, kick back and check out the Soweto Hippie doing wine. You’ll love this journey as much as I did."

People's Planet adds Girl About Town with Amila Skepe exploring Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay

by Thinus Ferreira

The People's Planet (Openview 115) channel has added a new show, Girl About Town, with Amila Skepe, exploring the Eastern Cape in South Africa and tourism, nature, animals and wildlife conversation in this province and the Nelson Mandela Bay area.

Girl About Town is shown on People's Planet on Mondays at 11:00, 13:30 and 19:00.

Girl About Town explores the various challenges faced by these industries and profiles the people and organisations who try to make a positive impact, says Pauline Cordell, director at the Gqeberha-based production company Media Seven.

"Viewers will enjoy interviews with some familiar Nelson Mandela Bay and Eastern Cape locals making a difference in their fields. Each episode explores different aspects of tourism and conservation, highlighting the dedicated work being done."

"Amila experiences the nature, conservation, tourism and animal world, getting a glimpse of those making a difference in their industries."

Amila Skepe is a journalist and radio presenter from Motherwell. Episodes include profiling Sharon Jessop, a passionate conservationist who runs to raise awareness about rhinos and poaching.

Other Girl About Town episodes include a visit to the Simbonga Game Reserve and Sanctuary as she visits Lauren and Keegan Smith to witness the daily care of rescued lions. 

In another episode Amila Skepe explores the tourism industry in Nelson Mandela Bay followed by an episode with behaviourist Rita van Zyl to explore the world of positive reinforcement dog training.

MultiChoice and eMedia secretly settle TV feud over channel carriage and sports sublicensing showing

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice and eMedia have secretly settled their long-running TV feud regarding both the carriage of e.tv channels on DStv, as well as the blackout on Openview of SuperSport content acquired by the SABC.

While the details of the confidential settlement agreed to in September are not yet known, e.tv's additional TV channels continue to remain available on MultiChoice's DStv which means that a channel carriage extension deal was signed.

On the sports rights sublicensing issue, if the SABC were to acquire rugby or football matches from SuperSport again - and if this is also shown on the version of the SABC's TV channels carried on eMedia's Openview - that would mean that MultiChoice has entered into an amended deal with the SABC and e.tv as well.

Neither MultiChoice nor eMedia will be able or allowed to keep the details of the part of their so-called "confidential" settlement regarding the sports sublicensing matter secret.

This is because their months-long skirmish and public fight pertains to, and involves, the SABC as South Africa's public broadcaster which was dragged into the squabble, with even Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's latest minister of sports, arts and culture, who told MultiChoice, eMedia and the SABC to settle the issue or the government will become involved.

In its half-year results until the end of September, eMedia Holdings notes that "The Competition Commission's complaint against MultiChoice South Africa by eMedia for removing eMedia's four entertainment channels from the DStv bouquet as well as DStv's preclusion of the Rugby World Cup matches from the Openview platform has resulted in significant legal fees for the Group."

"The matter has, however, been satisfactorily settled by both parties in September".

Issue 1: e.tv channels to remain on DStv

The settlement means that eMedia's long-running TV fight over its TV channels on DStv has been settled exactly two and a half years after it started in March 2022.

At the time MultiChoice decided to dump the e.tv-packaged TV channels of eExtra (DStv 195), eToonz (DStv 311), eMovies (DStv 138) and eMovies Extra (DStv 140) from DStv, following the termination of a five-year channel carriage agreement that MultiChoice didn't want to renew, opting to keep only e.tv and eNCA (Dstv 403).

eMedia then took MultiChoice to the Competition Commission and accused MultiChoice of an abuse of marketplace dominance under the Competition Act. 

MultiChoice was forced to keep all of the e.tv channels it wanted to remove on DStv until the conclusion of the case.

Issue 2: Sub-licensed SuperSport rights

On the second matter the heat was really turned up in a really acrimonious fight between MultiChoice and eMedia after MultiChoice decided to resell SuperSport content to the SABC.

MultiChoice however forced the public broadcaster to black out the SuperSport content on the SABC's version of its SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and SABC Sports channels carried on eMedia's Openview.

eMedia argued that content that is on the SABC should be available wherever the SABC's TV channels are carried and shown.

MultiChoice argued that eMedia is "free-riding" and that eMedia "wants to broadcast content to their Openview customers without paying a cent to do so".

This case also went to court after eMedia dragged MultiChoice to the Competition Commission and the Competition Tribunal.

In response to a media query MultiChoice on Tuesday told TVwithThinus "The terms of the settlement are confidential but we can confirm that the litigation between MultiChoice and eMedia Holdings has been settled amicably between the parties".

eMedia in response to a media query on Tuesday told TVwithThinus "The issues between the parties have been satisfactorily resolved by agreement, which brings to an end to the legal proceedings between MultiChoice and eMedia. We have entered into a confidential settlement agreement on the matter. We are very pleased with the outcome."

A million decoders: The South African public broadcaster wants to start a SABC satellite TV service.

Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster which has no money to pay for the project itself, is looking for a company to manufacture a million decoders and start a SABC satellite TV service for it for free.

The technically insolvent SABC - struggling with falling TV ratings and declining viewership through audience erosion due to rival streaming and satellite TV - now wants to start its own SABC satellite TV service, or direct-to-home (DTH) service.

The SABC is looking for a company to bear 100% of the cost to set up its SABC satellite TV service, manufacture and distribute set-top boxes (STB), and to create and run a call centre for five years.

As part of the extremely ambitious requirements, the SABC wants 100 000 decoders of what is supposed to be a million eventually, pushed to market by the end of the year when the last of its analogue TV signals are switched off.

The SABC is envious of eMedia's Openview satellite TV service which has surpassed 3.42 million activated decoders by the end of March this year since e.tv launched Openview a decade ago in October 2013.

Openview helped to buffer e.tv against TV ratings erosion, gave e.tv another entry point into homes, allowed eMedia to launch its own multi-TV-channel offering and start a subscription bouquet as an additional revenue stream. 

The SABC wants its own 4K-resolution enabled STBs to carry its own existing collection of SABC TV channels, as well as its 19 SABC radio channels.

From SABC DTT to satellite TV

According to the public broadcaster, South Africa's severely botched, almost two decades-delayed process of switching from analogue broadcasting to digital terrestrial television (DTT) has severely damaged its once-entrenched market position.

SABC audience sizes keep diminishing which negatively impacts its advertising income as more and more SABC viewers are cut off and switch to other broadcasters when they can no longer get SABC signals.

eMedia has already said that South Africa's TV switchover from analogue to DTT technology is outdated, damaging the country's TV and broadcasting industry, and consumers have leapfrogged past it.

The SABC dabbled in its first satellite TV service almost thirty years ago when it launched its own AstraSat in 1996 a year after MultiChoice started DStv in 1995.

The SABC blew millions of rand on starting AstraSat which massively damaged the broadcaster financially when AstraSat launched with a bouquet of the SABC's TV channels and a few others like M-Net which packaged a special SuperSport "lite" channel for AstraSat that the SABC paid for similar to the sport sublicensing deals it does with SuperSport now.

Just a year and a half later in February 1998 the SABC was forced to cut its enormous losses and abruptly shuttered AstraSat to rather concentrate on its existing analogue broadcast network with distribution done by Sentech.

In a tender document, the SABC says it needs its own satellite TV service to combat the "devastating effect of analogue switch-off on viewers on 31 December" and that the creation of its own satellite service will enable the broadcaster to take control of its future broadcast destiny and to "position the SABC as a content aggregator, to add additional TV channels to the existing bouquet and to consolidate audiences through a single platform".

The SABC says DTT is severely limiting and doesn't allow it to grow its number of TV channels, nothing that its existing offering of six SABC TV channels are an extremely weak value offering since rivals easily offer 10 or more channels.

The SABC notes that the delays in rolling out DTT have eroded SABC viewership while competitors grew their ratings at the cost of the public broadcaster. 

The SABC says that it is in danger of losing another 1.7 million viewers by 31 December when Sentech cuts the last of its analogue transmissions countrywide.

Sentech already switched off 198 analogue signals from transmission towers across several provinces, cutting off millions of viewers who can no longer get SABC reception through the TV sets they used to receive it.

SABC satellite decoders

Now the SABC wants a satellite TV service again with a partner that will have to shoulder 100% of the operating costs - including establishing and running a call centre and the manufacture and distribution of decoders.

According to a new SABC tender for which applications closed on Monday at noon, the SABC prefers that whichever company takes on the multimillion-rand project, uses the IS20 satellite transponder which MultiChoice, as well as eMedia and Sentech, have already been using for their DStv and Openview satellite TV services.

By using the IS20-transponder, households with an existing satellite dish installation to watch DStv or Openview through those decoders, will be able to simply plug-and-play the SABC's service by connecting the SABC decoder to the existing satellite dish cable.

According to the SABC, the already existing network of installers and agents of DStv, Openview and Startimes SA's StarSat would then also be able to do installations of the SABC's STBs.

The successful bidder will have to carry the cost of satellite transponder uplinking and the full capital expenditure of a "turnkey-solution" for the SABC which will run into millions, "at no cost for the SABC".

Besides the first 100 000 decoders to be manufactured, the SABC eventually wants a million decoders in the market for its satellite TV project, with a 50/50-share between a basic type of decoder and a more luxury, hybrid type STB.

The basic SABC decoder will just work with a normal satellite TV dish mounted outside, while the more expensive hybrid STB - similar to eMedia's latest Openview OV512 decoder - must offer built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 functionality and be able to connect to the internet.

This more expensive SABC decoder will have to offer the broadcaster's SABC+ streaming service and allow viewers to record, download and store content and programmes, similar to MultiChoice's DStv Explora decoders.

By the end of September, the SABC wants to see a manufactured prototype decoder which the successful bidder must "demo" to the broadcaster in a presentation, before mass production starts - preferably somewhere in South Africa according to the SANS-1719 requirements.

The SABC says it projects to have a million users of its own SABC satellite TV service after half a decade.

It's unclear how the SABC expects the successful bidder to make money from the project or recoup its massive investment, although the SABC says it expects the partner to make a "profit-sharing" proposal.

In June the SABC fired its COO and head of video entertainment, while its ad boss resigned, after they were found guilty of deliberately hiding an ad revenue profit-sharing agreement with Discover Digital which got a contract to run the broadcaster's SABC+ video streaming service.

SABC: Looking for a turnkey solution

The SABC confirmed to me that the broadcaster wants its own satellite TV service, done for the SABC as a complete turnkey solution.

"The SABC can confirm that the organisation is in pursuit of the development and implementation of a free-to-air (FTA) direct-to-home (DTH) solution as an additional platform strategy," Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson said in response to questions.

"It must be noted that this is the implementation of the SABC's long-standing digital transformation strategy which includes building SABC-owned platforms and being present in multi-platforms with capabilities for multi-channels, as well as futureproofing the organisation."

She says "Like any other strategy journey, there are priorities as well as milestones and as such, the SABC has recently successfully implemented the OTT platform, SABC+. The next step is the implementation of the DTH platform."

"In terms of DTT, the SABC is already on the DTT platform. Therefore, the introduction of a DTH solution is another strategy in line with the SABC's mandate to provide universal access."

"The SABC is looking for a partner to collaborate with, in providing this solution. The SABC will provide content and the partner will provide other elements as covered in the turnkey solution".

An industry expert told me that a SABC satellite TV service "is a good idea which should have happened years ago since the SABC could have had a satellite TV service of its own now, with the market penetration and audience that Openview and e.tv currently have".

"It's a big risk however for whoever takes on this massive project - and for free. Perhaps the SABC should ask Elon Musk to do it - he has the satellites and he's got billions he can lose."

eVOD: With 1.3 million registrations eMedia wants it to become 'the Netflix of South Africa'.

by Thinus Ferreira

eMedia says it is positioning its eVOD video streaming service "as the Netflix of South Africa" primarily filled with e.tv's local content in video-on-demand format and that its streamer passed 1.3 million registered users with 1.3 billion minutes in watch-time.

In eMedia's latest annual financial report for the year ending 31 March 2024 it just released, eMedia says it is planning further enhancements before the end of March 2025 "to increase registered viewership and ad revenue".

eVOD - with e.tv that continues to commission and produce and release eOriginals on the streamer - competes with the South African public broadcaster's SABC+ which passed one million users but earlier this month relaunched yet again, now requiring user registration which means that SABC+ is starting anew for a third time to lure users and viewers to build a base.

eVOD that launched in August 2021 is also competing with MultiChoice's Showmax and a flurry of global streamers operating within South Africa like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and a few smaller ones. 

According to eMedia, eVOD racked up 1.3 billion minutes in watch-time by the end of March - representing 19% growth in watch-time, and now has 1 129 162 registered users. It should be noted that the 1.13 million registered users don't represent active users, the number of which eMedia doesn't want to provide.

Over 23 eVOD original movies were released during the financial year, as well as six eOriginal series.

eVOD did its first-ever live-stream event in October for the Red Bull Sound Clash and is working to introduce live-stream advertising and display banner advertisements for viewers.

eMedia says e.tv continues to "lead the group and maintains a market share of approximately 33.5%". 

This is slightly down from its 34.5% in March 2023, although it outperforms the SABC's 27.3% and DStv's32.9% market share.

Antonio Lee, eMedia financial director, says eMedia's prime time share "averaged 34.4%, surpassing both the SABC's 30.5% and DStv's 28.9%, solidifying the group's position as the largest broadcaster during both 06:00 to 24:00, and prime time."

"This marks the third consecutive year that the group has outperformed the SABC in prime time."

About its free-to-air satellite TV service Openview, eMedia says it's "another key component of the group" and that eMedia's TV channels available on Openview "consistently rank among the top 20 satellite TV channels nationwide, indicating strong performance and audience engagement".

"The group is pleased with the growing market share of its channels on Openview and further growth in audience market share is anticipated with the increasing activations of Openview set-top boxes."

Openview reached 3 428 523 activated set-top boxes by March 2024.

In its ongoing battle with MultiChoice which wants to remove a collection of e.tv-packaged TV channels from DStv - a case that is still ongoing - Khalik Sherrif, eMedia Holdings CEO, says that "there is a looming threat of the channels being removed once again".

"It is concerning that the matter of dominance seems to be overlooked in a market where DStv commands approximately nine million out of about 12 million satellite homes."

"This absolute dominance has a significant impact on eMedia's revenue as the loss of advertising revenue from the audience viewing the channels on DStv will severely affect eMedia's ability to compete and acquire quality content."

"While eMedia will continue to fight for the channels to remain on the DStv platform, urgent measures must be taken to mitigate the loss of advertising revenue. Alternative strategies will be explored to compensate for this revenue shortfall."

eMedia notes that its legal battles with MultiChoice increased legal expenses over the past year by R8.8 million.

2024 Olympic Games: How and where to watch.

by Thinus Ferreira

South African viewers will be able to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics Games from its opening ceremony on Friday evening taking place in Paris, France – and all the competitive events thereafter – across various SuperSport channels on MultiChoice's DStv, as well as the SABC, Showmax and the official Olympics website.

Comprehensive coverage of various events of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be available to South African viewers across nine dedicated SuperSport linear TV channels, on MultiChoice's Showmax video streaming service, as well as four of the SABC's linear TV channels and on these same SABC's channels carried on eMedia's Openview satellite service.

The official Olympic Games website will also live stream events. 

SuperSport

From 26 July to 11 August, SuperSport will broadcast all gold medal events live.

Analysts will include South African gold medallists Ryk Neethling, Lyndon Ferns and Sizwe Lawrence Ndlovu, silver medallist Godfrey Khotso Mokoena, and bronze medallist Bridgitte Hartley, as well as Olympians like Geraldine Pillay and Alyssa Conley.

MultiChoice and SuperSport is adding what it call a "SuperScreen" Olympics channel on DStv channel 199 for DStv subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa, which will feature 8 split screens, providing viewers with an overview of all the SuperSport Olympic channels.

Besides this, MultiChoice and SuperSport will run 8 dedicated Olympic Games linear TV channels, 5 streaming channels and 4 overflow channels, with highlights on the SuperSport Grandstand (DStv 201) channel.

SuperSport will also run a 24-hour Olympic Update Channel (DStv 217) as a dedicated news and highlights channel available to DStv Access subscribers across the continent.

SuperSport will also broadcast content pieces profiling current Olympic stars like Akani Simbine, Ferdinand Omanyala, Lythe Pillay, Miyanda Maseti, Patrick Chinyemba, Worknesh Mesele and Noah Lyles with the segments which will also be available on DStv CatchUp.

In South Africa, MultiChoice's Olympic Games channels will be Olympics 1 (DStv 203), Olympics 2 (DStv 204), Olympics 3 (DStv 205), Olympics 4 (DStv 206), Olympics 5 (DStv 207), Olympics 6 (DStv 208), Olympics Africa (DStv 209), Olympics News (DStv 217), Olympics SuperScreen (DStv 199).

DStv package tiering-wise, Olympics 1 will be available down to DStv Compact, Olympics 2 will be available down to DStv Access, Olympics 3 will be available down to DStv Family, Olympics 4 will be available down to DStv Compact, Olympics 5 will be available down to DStv Compact, and Olympics 6 will be available down to DStv Compact.

The Olympics Africa channel will be available down to DStv Access, both the Olympics News and Olympics SuperScreen channels will be available down to DStv Access.

Showmax

MultiChoice and SuperSport are funnelling some 2024 Summer Olympic Games coverage to its Showmax video streaming service as well.

Showmax subscribers on the Showmax Premier League Mobile plan will be able to stream some Olympic events ranging from athletics, basketball, field hockey, football, gymnastics and sevens rugby to swimming.

SABC

The South African public broadcaster will broadcast 2024 Summer Olympic Games coverage across its SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and SABC Sport TV channels, as well as its SABC+ video streaming service, 19 radio stations and its sabcsport.com website.

The SABC was asked for specific broadcast details of its Olympics coverage but didn't respond at the time of publication.

Since the SABC acquired the 2024 Olympic Games rights from the Olympic organisers directly and not as sublicensed content from MultiChoice and SuperSport, the Olympic Games coverage will be seen on the version of the SABC's TV channels carried on eMedia's Openview satellite TV service as well unhindered.

The SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and SABC Sport channels are also live-streamed on the SABC+ streaming service which means South African viewers can watch the Olympics coverage this way as well, although it's unclear whether the SABC will show every gold medal event live.

Olympic Games website

The official Olympic Games website at olympics.com will also livestream events free.

Some live streams of some sporting events will be blocked in various territories, including in South Africa. The website carried a "Full Calendar" per date. 

If an event is available to be live-streamed in South Africa and shows within the schedule/calendar, just tap on the image in order to access the live stream.

Additionally, if you have missed a sport live stream, sport replays and highlights will be available to watch on the "Event" page.

South African government to intervene over Sprinbok rugby broadcast block and sports rights fight between MultiChoice, SuperSport, eMedia's Openview and the SABC.

Thinus Ferreira

An explosive TV keg is on the verge of erupting as untenable pressure is building up over millions of South African TV viewers who continue to be blocked from watching Springboks rugby on free-to-air television, with South Africa's government that said it is now going to intervene.

The ongoing TV sports sublicensing fight between South African broadcasters continue to block South African viewers from seeing Springbok rugby tests on television and specifically on the South African public broadcaster - content that qualifies as sport of national interest and importance.

Two of South Africa's new ministers - Solly Malatsi as minister of communications and Gayton McKenzie as new minister of sports, arts and culture - both now say they want to meet as soon as this week in a sit-down meeting with all of the stakeholders that include MultiChoice and SuperSport, the SABC, eMedia and the South African Rugby Union (SARU).  

Gayton McKenzie says he will summon MultiChoice and SuperSport, eMedia and e.tv, as well as the SABC to meetings. 

"We are very close to a roundtable with all decision-makers. We shall not rest until all can watch the national teams. The nation owns the national teams and the owners must watch their teams playing," he said.

"We are actively dealing with this matter. It is inexcusable and a huge shame on us. We shall very soon revert back after concluding talks."

Gayton McKenzie said he "felt anger, disappointment and sadness that so many South Africans can't watch. We need them to share the Springbok joy. We can't say we are a pro-poor country but don't have the Springboks on SABC. This needs to change. It must change. It's going to change."

The fight over TV sports sublicensing rights revolve around money and the millions paid to broadcast these, as well as the reselling or sublicensing of it and which viewers then get access to it.

MultiChoice's SuperSport is willing to pay hundreds of millions to sports bodies, content distributors and licensors for something like the past two Saturdays' Springbok test matches against Ireland. This money is then used to fund sport organisations and bodies, as well as pay players.

DStv subscribers in turn pay to watch this sports content on pay-TV services like SuperSport-packaged channels on DStv.

SuperSport sold and sublicensed the rights of the Springbok test matches to the SABC but with a contract stipulation that the content is not allowed to be shown or be accessible on the version of the SABC channels carried on eMedia's Openview satellite service.

MultiChoice argues that eMedia and e.tv would otherwise get free access to premium sports content that e.tv isn't and hasn't paid for.

eMedia argues that what is being shown by and on the SABC should be accessible everywhere the SABC's TV channels are carried and that SuperSport is deliberately not willing to sell or sublicence sports rights to eMedia en e.tv but just to the SABC.

Since eMedia dragged MultiChoice to the Competition Commission Tribunal which is still to hand down judgment in this matter - the SABC, which originally agreed to buy and sublicence the rights from SuperSport had to backtrack and break the deal to broadcast the content.

While MultiChoice and eMedia are duking it out over sports sublicensing rights, the SABC and South African Rugby are caught in the middle with viewers sitting without access.

Mark Alexander, South African Rugby Union president, in a statement said SARU supports the SABC's decision to backtrack on its planned agreement with SuperSport to broadcast the Springbok test matches but also says SARU support the SABC's desire for Springbok matches to be broadcast on the public broadcaster.

"This may appear to be a minor and obscure issue to the general public but it is critically important to the Springboks and the future of rugby in South Africa, affecting to just the broadcasters but the sport itself."

He says it's not SARU, SuperSport or the SABC which are fighting with each other.

"It was the intervention of eMedia and its demand that Openview be permitted to broadcast the rugby without any financial contribution by eMedia that put an end to this agreement."

"eMedia's attempts to put an end to exclusivity in sports broadcasting rights would slash the rights fees, with the sport itself suffering the most, severely impacting our programme delivery from the grassroots level to the back-to-back Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks."

"It is absurd that eMedia should be allowed to broadcast sport without contributing to its support and development."

Khalik Sherrif, eMedia CEO, says SARU is wrong.

"It is an absolute shame when the real facts of a dispute in which there is a court decision in favour of the public is distorted by a national body such as SARU. SARU should act in the interests of all South Africans and not only the privileged few," says Khalik Sherrif.

Sheriff says SARU is simply parroting MultiChoice's views.

According to eMedia, it is "the SABC's decision which resulted in the rugby not being aired by it".

"It is clear that MultiChoice and SuperSport and the SABC are solely responsible for the broader public not being able to watch these sporting events, such as the Springbok/Irish test matches and the cricket T20 final. eMedia has been in the public’s corner trying to ensure the widest access to these events."

MultiChoice told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that MultiChoice is "sympathetic to the position of the SABC in guarding against free-riding by a commercial competitor and using its limited funds in a manner that would serve to further the commercial interest of a private commercial entity".

"The allegation that SuperSport gave too little time for eMedia to bid for the rights is completely false."

"Despite having known about the test matches for months, eMedia belatedly approached SuperSport to inquire about the rights and, after being probed, made an offer to sublicense the rights."

"Their bid was inferior to what the SABC offered and was therefore rejected. Even as late as last week, eMedia repeated its patently sub-commercial offer for the rights to the second test in spite of it having been made aware that its offer was not commercially viable."

"It appears to us that eMedia prefers to free-ride on the investments made by SuperSport and the SABC rather than to itself invest at the level which Springbok rugby deserves."

"Sports broadcasting requires a careful balancing act. While fans would understandably like to watch everything for free, the fact is our sports federations depend on the licensing of exclusive broadcasting rights to keep sport alive."

"SuperSport makes a substantial investment in South African rugby and as a country, we have witnessed the fruits of that investment with the World Cup-winning performances of the Springboks."

"SuperSport must protect its investment in exclusive broadcasting rights. But even so, SuperSport is mindful of the desire of audiences to also see the Springboks play on the channels of the public broadcaster."

"We have therefore endeavoured to reach appropriate sub-licensing arrangements with the SABC. It is eMedia alone who has disrupted those arrangements in pursuit of its own commercial interests."

The SABC in response to a media query told TVwithThinus "the SABC will not be pressurised to use public funds to finance private third parties for sports rights".

"The SABC remains committed to broadcasting sports of national interest."

The SABC said it had acquired the rights for the Olympics games directly from the rights holder, International Olympics Committee in 2017 and will show the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games on the SABC TV channels.

ALSO READ: SABC backtracks on promises to broadcast Springbok Test rugby, cites ongoing Competition Appeal Court case over SuperSport sublicensing rights.

e.tv ends Power-UP! rerun channel on Openview it started as a workaround for Eskom electricity blackouts.

by Thinus Ferreira

Openview and e.tv today removed the Power-UP! TV channel from its satellite TV service channel line-up, a year and a half after Power-UP! was started in January 2023 as a rerun channel to give viewers another chance to see content due to South Africa's crippling Eskom electricity blackouts called "loadshedding".

Openview viewers got no advance warning about Power-UP!'s removal. eMedia started Power-UP! as a linear content repeat channel to give viewers a second windowing opportunity to see a repeat of content they would have missed due to a lack of electricity to keep a TV set on.

In an announcement, e.tv said that "With recent improvements in power stability, Openview announces discontinuing the Power-UP! channel (channel 114 on Openview) from Monday 8 July 2024".

Marlon Davids, managing director of channels, says "We are thankful to our viewers for their ongoing support. Your engagement has been invaluable, and we are excited to bring you an even more thrilling prime-time experience. Our commitment to providing nonstop entertainment has always been unwavering and will continue to be so".

ALSO READ: eMedia's Openview adds Power-UP! as content repeat channel to try combat South Africa's crippling Eskom electricity blackouts.

eMedia launches new Openview OV512 decoder.

by Thinus Ferreira

eMedia has launched a new Openview OV512 decoder which is its first with a built-in Wi-Fi receiver, as well as an upgraded remote control.

The Openview OV512 decoder that will retail for R799, has a built-in Wi-Fi receiver.

The upgraded Openview remote control has a dedicated "+MORE"-button to access streaming content directly, an "ON-DEMAND"-button for additional content, and "HOME"-functions.

Openview says that viewers can now "enjoy more local and international shows and movies with the ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward on-demand content in crystal-clear picture quality and HD compatibility".

Mmatshipi Matebane, executive for retail, says in a statement "Our new, sleek, and stylish decoder continues the trend of cutting-edge technology that Openview is known for. We remain dedicated to providing our customers with the best entertainment experience, and these new changes are a testament to that commitment."

eMedia has activated just over 3.5 million Openview decoders across South Africa and Southern Africa since it launched its free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV service.

Competition Tribunal grants eMedia's Openview interim relief in MultiChoice sports sublicensing fight: SuperSport ordered to allow content to be seen on SABC channels on Openview.

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's Competition Tribunal has granted interim relief to eMedia's Openview satellite service in its sports rights sublicensing fight with MultiChoice, ordering MultiChoice and SuperSport to allow SuperSport content to be carried and seen on the SABC's TV channels on Openview in cases where the SABC acquired and unlicensed sports content from SuperSport.

MultiChoice and SuperSport ordered the SABC in 2023 to either black out or replace SuperSport sports content that the SABC acquired through sublicensing, for the version of the SABC's TV channels carried on eMedia's Openview.

In an acrimonious legal case, eMedia took MultiChoice to the Competition Commission in 2023, after MultiChoice and SuperSport blocked the SABC from making Rugby World Cup and Cricket World Cup content that the SABC sublicensed from SuperSport, available on the SABC's TV channels carried on Openview.

Instead of live international sports tournaments, the SABC had to programme old filler content for its SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 channels carried on Openview, while SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 carried on MultiChoice's DStv and as free-to-air terrestrial channels, showed SuperSport content.

In an ongoing case before the Competition Tribunal, eMedia claims that MultiChoice has been abusing its alleged dominant position "by concluding anticompetitive and restrictive sublicensing agreements with the SABC".

Besides the overall case, eMedia also sought interim relief over the issue. MultiChoice opposed eMedia's application for interim relief, noting that "none of eMedia's complaints had any basis in competition law or fact".

On Monday, South Africa's Competition Tribunal in a media statement said "The tribunal has granted eMedia interim relief pending the final determination of its complaint to the commission, or for a period of 6 months, whichever occurs first".

"MultiChoice, including its subsidiary SuperSport, and the SABC are interdicted from implementing and enforcing any restriction in the (existing) sub-licensing agreements entered into between them."

"MultiChoice, including its subsidiary SuperSport, and the SABC are further interdicted from including restrictions which prohibit the SABC from transmitting or making available sub-licensed broadcasts on platforms owned or operated by eMedia (through Openview) in future sub-licensing agreements concluded between them relating to the broadcasting of sporting events."

"The tribunal's reasons for its decision will be issued in due course."

The interim relief means that in cases where the SABC, for the remainder of 2024, acquires content from SuperSport through sublicensing agreements, that content will be seen on the SABC's channels on Openview as well - in other words, there will no longer be one version of SABC channels for DStv and another blacked-out version of SABC channels for Openview when the SABC shows SuperSport sports content.

Late on Monday afternoon eMedia in a statement said "Today, Multichoice was dealt a blow when the Competition Tribunal granted interim relief to eMedia to lift all restrictions to broadcast sporting events of national interest (soccer, rugby and cricket) on its Openview channels, effective immediately".

"We are satisfied that our perseverance to stop MultiChoice'ss anti-competitive behaviour has paid off."

"More so, we are delighted that the interest of the hundreds of thousands of viewers that rely on Openview for purposes of accessing the SABC's channels and who were precluded from viewing the World Cup Rugby and Cricket matches because of the restriction imposed by SuperSport has been heard."

eMedia's Openview renames Proud bouquet to Edge as OUTtv prepares to debut The G-List filmed in South Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

eMedia's Openview satellite service has renamed its Proud bouquet, offering gay content, the Edge bouquet, with the OUTtv channel that is getting ready to debut The G-List from the end of the month as a new show that it commissioned and filmed in South Africa.

Openview's formerly Proud and now Edge bouquet continues to carry two subscription TV channels - OUTtv and Fuse.

About the bouquet name change, Openview says that the Edge bouquet "embraces diversity and inclusion with a colourful world of exclusive content and has something for everyone".

"Reflecting the dynamic and inclusive nature of the content and programming on the channels found on the bouquet, Edge symbolizes a forward-thinking approach, pushing boundaries and embracing a variety of perspectives".

"The Edge bouquet is our way of broadening our scope while staying true to our commitment to quality entertainment and representation."

Meanwhile OUTtv getting ready to debut its South African-filmed original series, The G-List at the end of October.

The G-List is described as "a captivating reality series that delves into the lives of three dynamic queer

individuals navigating the vibrant world of South African entertainment and media: Kyle Clark, a charismatic media mogul and brand influencer; Mthaux, a bold, non-binary fashionista challenging norms; and Lula Odiba, a vivacious YFM DJ blazing a trail for women in broadcast".

The G-List will offer an "intimate look at their lives in the spotlight. With humour, heart, and plenty of drama as "as a riveting exploration of success, identity, and the pursuit of dreams in the colourful realm of South African media and entertainment and the country's bustling LGBTQI scene".

Openview says the first episode of The G-List will also be available for streaming on e.tv's eVOD service.

The Edge bouquet has a free 3-day trial period after which a monthly subscription fee applies. There is also a 2-hour open window period daily between 21:00 and 23:00 for viewers to sample-watch the channel's content.

eMedia drops Openview TV sport rights case against MultiChoice and SuperSport, will now pay wasted court costs.

by Thinus Ferreira

eMedia has suddenly dropped its Openview TV sport rights case it brought against MultiChoice and SuperSport and will now pay MultiChoice's court costs.

Last week eMedia lost in court when the Gauteng High Court scrapped its urgent application from the roll after eMedia took MultiChoice and SuperSport to court demanding that its Openview satellite service get access to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

eMedia told MultiChoice it's withdrawing its court case and will pay "the wasted costs of the respondents", in this case MultiChoice.

eMedia didn't approach the Rugby World Cup organisers in Dublin, Ireland directly in 2018 when the rights became available for sale like SuperSport which bought the rights five years ago, and didn't approach SuperSport for a sublicensing agreement like the SABC which did sublicense the right last month from SuperSport to show 16 matches.

eMedia argued that since it carries SABC2 which shows the 2023 Rugby World Cup Matches it should get the content for free since there shouldn't be one version of SABC2 as a digital terrestrial television (DTT) TV channel and on DStv and StarSat showing matches, and a SABC2 version for Openview showing filler content.

MultiChoice South Africa CEO Marc Jury slammed eMedia's case as a "classic example of free-riding" and accused the Hyde Park-based broadcaster of trying to profit from content it didn't pay for.

After abandoning its high court case and now having to pay costs, eMedia has now again lodged a case with the Competition Commission where another case of e.tv against MultiChoice is winding its way through the system after MultiChoice over a year ago decided it no longer wanted to carry the set of e.tv-packaged TV channels on DStv.

eMedia's second case at the Competition Commission now centres around MultiChoice's sport rights acquisition process and allegations that it locks out other broadcasters like e.tv through imposed restrictions. The SABC has lodged a similar long-winding complaint with the Competition Commission which is still being heard.

"Almost immediately after filing an application before the Competition Tribunal, eMedia has now formally abandoned its high court litigation and will have to pay MultiChoice's legal costs," MultiChoice told TVwithThinus in a statement after eMedia withdrew its court case.

"This confirms our view that eMedia litigation was entirely without merit," the Randburg-based pay-TV operator said.

MultiChoice said "This is the third attempt by eMedia to launch urgent proceedings in the last two weeks with the first two attempts being rightly rejected by the High Court. eMedia decided not to acquire the broadcasting rights in any form. It cannot now use the judicial system to free-ride on the investments made by MultiChoice. MultiChoice considers the latest application to be entirely without merit and will oppose it vigorously."

In response to a media query, Philippa Rafferty, eMedia group executive for legal and business affairs said "Due to the court striking the matter from the roll for urgency, we have decided to withdraw the high court matter for now while we proceed with our complaint to the Competition Commission and application to the Competition Tribunal for interim relief".

"We will reconsider the high court matter in due time. We are still confident of the merits of the case."

ALSO READ: eMedia takes sports rights fight with MultiChoice to Competition Commission.

ALSO READ: Court sides with MultiChoice in 'free-riding' e.tv TV rights fight over 2023 Rugby World Cup.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice slams Openview over 2023 Rugby World Cup TV rights legal action: 'A classic example of free-riding'.

ALSO READ: e.tv takes SuperSport to court over SABC's sublicensed Rugby World Cup TV rights.

ALSO READ: eMedia's e.tv channels to stay on MultiChoice's DStv for another few months after latest Competition Appeal Court decision.