StarSat to add CBS Reality, CBS Justice, Kartoon Channel! and FilmBox Action; improves value of its StarSat Super bouquet.

by Thinus Ferreira

StarSat is adding four new TV channels in late-March and during April, and is improving the pay-TV operator's mid-tier package with four other TV channels as well.

After deciding that StarSat won't do any price increase in 2023, China's StarTimes Media SA that runs StarSat from Midrand with the Randburg-based MultiChoice as its main rival, is adding the CBS Reality, CBS Justice, Kartoon Channel! and FilmBox Action channel later this month and in April to its StarSat Super package.

CBS Reality will be added to StarSat channel 170 on 22 March and carries shows like Judge Judy and Cheaters. CBS Justice will be added to StarSat channel 222 from 22 March and is for crime-lovers with true-crime series, ranging from crimes committed by the rich and famous to passion killings by the guy next door.

Kartoon Channel will go live on StarSat on channel 304 on 10 April and is aimed at kids between two and 10 years of age. The channel has kids shows on weekdays and family-friendly movies over weekends, with content ranging from Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten to Peppa Pig.

FilmBox Action will be added to channel 140 on StarSat on 10 April and is dedicated to the action genre, with iconic action heroes in classic Hollywood films, spectacular series from America, Europe, and Asia, and modern blockbusters.

StarSat is also improving its mid-tier offering with the four channels of Manchester United TV (StarSat 252), Real Madrid TV (StarSat 254), MSNBC (StarSat 263) and Fashion TV Africa (StarSat 282) being made available to StarSat Super package subscribers.

StarSat says that with South Africans having experienced a year marked by a "state of emergency, rising inflation and flooding, the average consumer struggles to make ends meet. Service providers should try assisting their customers in this time of need".

"StarSat, unlike some of its competitors, will keep prices for all TV bouquet offerings unchanged in 2023," says John Yan, StarSat CEO.

"Just like all other service providers, our costs go up yearly. We at StarSat, however, have decided to absorb that cost to allow South Africans to continue to afford our rich and diverse content offer."

"We're very pleased that we managed to secure four new channels for our Super Package subscribers," says John Yan. "We trust that these channels will be a boon to our customer's television enjoyment."

From 17 March StarSat, as part of a new content marketing initiative, StarSat is also going to make one higher-tiered TV channel available to StarSat Special package subscribers, starting with the launch of a new English-dubbed telenovela, Marry Me, Marry You.

StarSat says the pay-TV operator plans to announce the acquisition of several new TV channels in the second half of 2023.

ALSO READ: StarSat: 0% price increase for 2023 'is the least we can do'.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice adds Qwest TV to DStv, StarTimes adds Kartoon Channel! for StarSat as 2023's first TV channel add-ons.

Struggling Cell C black video streaming has lost 2 more TV channels as the price remains the same, with another 2 channels getting shuttered at the end of July.

Cell C's struggling Cell C black subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service has lost another 2 TV channels from its line-up although subscribers have to keep paying the same, with yet another 2 channels getting dropped from the service at the end of this month.

LFC TV, the TV channel from Liverpool FC, as well as Chelsea TV have been axed from Cell C black since May and June, without Cell C saying a word. It's not clear whether Cell C dropped the channels or whether LFC TV and Chelsea TV pulled their channels.

Another two channels that have been offered on Cell C black - Barca TV and Real Madrid TV are also going black on Cell C black at the end of July.

Cell C black had not notified the media about the ongoing loss of TV channels, which follows after Cell C black lost other channels earlier in 2019.

In February the Sony Channel, Sony Max, the kids channel POP, as well as True Movies disappeared from Cell C after Sony Pictures Television Networks decided to abruptly remove its linear Sony Channel and Sony MAX channels from South Africa.

Cell C black hasn't replaced any of these channels, although Cell C black subscribers have to pay the same amount of money in subscription fees.

Meanwhile Douglas Craigie Stevenson, Cell C CEO, in an open letter to investors, said that Cell C had begun a round of cost cuts, has frozen hiring and is reviewing multiple contracts.

"We have implemented significant austerity measures and have cut costs which do not contribute to revenue generating activities, including a review of all contracts to ensure alignment with business priorities and a hiring freeze," Douglas Craigie Stevenson wrote.

"I want to emphasise that Cell C is strategically positioning itself and we are using our best efforts to be a strong participant in the industry, I firmly believe we are on the right track."

Cell C has not only struggled to compete with Vodacom and MTN as a cellular service, but also in the SVOD space against Showmax from MultiChoice's Connected Video division, Netflix South Africa, Amazon Prime Video and a growing number of other video streaming services.