ShowMax adds over 400 hours of Nickelodeon content from Viacom as well as adventure and sports programming from Red Bull.

Those who want to be a sponge and those who need some wings can now get it on ShowMax - the subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) service from Naspers is adding over 400 hours of Nickelodeon content, as well as adventure and sports programming from Red Bull.

ShowMax that launched in August and has over 20 000 episodes of TV shows and movies in its catalogue, already has the most extensive SVoD service in Africa.

It is now further enlarging it with almost 800 episodes from Viacom International Media Network's (VIMN) Nickelodeon channel as well as the Red Bull adventure brand.

The Nickelodeon and Red Bull content addition bolsters ShowMax with a further 400 hours of viewing.

"Bringing both of these studios on board at the same time is a major coupl for our content team," says Victor Eckard, ShowMax's head of content.

"There's huge demand for kids content and Nickelodeon is one of the undisputed leaders with titles like SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

"Red Bull meanwhile is synonymous with high-adrenaline adventure and sports shows, along with incredible documentaries and great history and lifestyle programming."

The Nickelodeon content will be added to ShowMax as follows:

4 December 2015

iCarly (seasons 1-7)

Big Time Rush (seasons 1-4)

Big Time Movie (seasons 1-4)

Victorious (seasons 1-4)

11 December 2015

SpongeBob SquarePants (seasons 1-7)

18 December 2015

Bubble Guppies (seasons 1-2)

8 January 2016

Go Diego Go! (seasons 1-5)

15 January 2016

Dora The Explorer (seasons 1-4)

22 January 2016

Avatar: The Last Airbender (seasons 1-3)

27 January 2016

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (first season)

The Red Bull content will be added to ShowMax as follows:

2 December

Lions on the Move

Elephant King

Dust and Stripes

Strandwolf

9 December

The Mona Lisa Mystery

11 December

The Sherpas' Quest

14 December

The Xtreme Collxtion 2015: The Bold New Face of Sport Magazines

23 December

1:1 Thierry Henry

28 December

Neymar: The Documentary

South Africa's ShowMax adds 125 hours of ITV Studios content to its subscription video-on-demand service, including new Jekyll and Hyde.

ShowMax has added 125 hours of content from ITV Studios Global Entertainment to its video-on-demand (VOD) service.

It gives ShowMax access to the brand new ITV Studios' action-adventure series Jekyll and Hyde, seasons one to three of the acclaimed drama Rectify, series one to three of the period drama Mr Selfridge with Jeremy Piven, the first season of the new TV series Good Witch and the drama Texas Rising with Bill Paxton, as well as the crime series Vera.

The deal was brokered by André Renaud, ITV's general senior sales executive for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

"Our aim is to make our premium content available for viewers to watch whenever and wherever they like, so we are delighted that South African audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy some of our most popular recent dramas," says Dan Gopal, the executive vice president of EMEA distribution and global digital partners for ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

"Africa is one of the fastest growing markets for TV content and ShowMax is one of the major players in the region, so they are the ideal partner for our programming".

"Our goal from the outset has been to establish ShowMax as the most comprehensive, high quality SVOD content collection in Africa," says Victor Eckard, ShowMax's head of content.

"We're delighted to partner with ITVS GE to add these incredible programmes to the platform and look forward to a great working relationship".

Gideon Khobane taking over as M-Net channel director; Victor Eckard now head of content for DStv digital media.

Gideon Khobane is taking over as M-Net channel director, replacing Victor Eckard who is now head of content for DStv digital media.

Gideon Khobane was previously the marketing manager for M-Net set of AfricaMagic TV channels on DStv and since July 2014 he was M-Net's research and business intelligence director.

He worked for 6 years with M-Net AfricaMagic channels division in neighbouring African countries since he joined M-Net in 2008.

Gideon Khobane now assumes the position of looking after the M-Net (DStv 101), M-Net Edge (DStv 102) and M-Net City (DStv 115) TV channels that M-Net supplies to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform for South Africa and the rest of the African continent.

"Gideon Khobane replaces Victor Eckard who successfully launched M-Net Edge, Express from the US, and has been instrumental in the success of Catch Up and Catch Up Plus, and has now been asked to head up the content division at DStv Digital Media," says Yolisa Phahle, M-Net CEO for South Africa, in a press statement.

M-Net also still makes mention of the M-Net Series channels, although no M-Net channels with that brand name exists anymore.

"M-Net and the M-Net Series channels will continue to drive growth for the company and I can think of no more suitably qualified individual than Gideon Khobane to take these channels forward," says Yolisa Phahle in the statement announcing Gideon Khobane's appointment.

"Gideon Khobane has played a critical role in the increasing success of the Africa Magic brand and more recently has driven M-Net's strategy in South Africa."

M-Net says Gideon Khobane's new role as M-Net channel director will include management, overall content acquisition, scheduling and content marketing, "while ensuring that the two M-Net premium brands, M-Net and M-Net Edge, remain the most loved and talked about channels on DStv Premium; with a view to the newly-launched M-Net City becoming one of the most-watched channels on the DStv Compact package".

"My research and content marketing background gives me a deep awareness of what sort of content has worked with M-Net audiences in the past, and how the team and I can convert those insights into higher viewership results," says Gideon Khobane in the statement.

Gideon Khobane says the goal is to turn these M-Net channels in his portfolio "into the most talked about channels in Africa".

Gideon Khobane will be looking at the introduction of further new local formats for M-Net as well as adding new adaptations of popular international productions to the M-Net roster.

"Our aim is to always remain the top entertainment choice for our audience, and our offerings need to be innovative," says Gideon Khobane.

BREAKING. M-Net's next new reality show is Power Couple South Africa, looking for 8 couples to compete in relationship challenges.

M-Net's next local new prime time reality show on South African television will be Power Couple South Africa.

It will be the first time that the reality show - which has been done in Israel, Portugal and currently in Brazil - is being done as an English language show anywhere in the world.

The show - a bit of a cross between elements of Fear Factor, Love in the Wild and Temptation Island will revolve around 8 couples competing in various challenges in and around a camera-filled villa in Cape Town, to win an ultimate cash prize - worth more than R1 million - premised on how well they know each other.

Auditions for Power Couple SA kick off on 14 February - Valentines Day - in Cape Town at The Bay Hotel, with auditions also taking place on 18 February at the Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban and on 28 February at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg.

People who want to enter need to be older than 21, irrespective of how long or short they've been a romantic couple.

Power Couple SA, produced by production company Afrokaans, is set to debut in August on M-Net for a total of 14 weekly episodes and will be filmed over the course of 5 weeks from the middle of March to mid-April.

Viewers will decide the eventual winner through public voting who will be announced during a live finale broadcast on M-Net in December.

M-Net executives, the show's executive producers and some South African power couples like Nico Panagio and his wife Christi announced the show to the media on Tuesday afternoon at the Table Bay Hotel in Camps Bay at a press conference, calling Power Couple SA "a revolutionary concept" which "combines all the elements needed for compelling television".

"No show we've ever tested that was brand-new to M-Net has ever tested this highly," Anne Davis, M-Net's senior commissioning editor told TV with Thinus.

The 8 couples will compete in some small yet difficult and intimate, and some spectacular high-adrenaline action adventure challenges, through which they will accumulate thousands of rands depending on what they've bet and how successful they think their partner is going to be in completing specific tasks.

If they win in Power Couple South Africa a couple adds money to their savings pot; if they fail the money they've bet is lost.

Power Couple SA producer Handrie Basson when asked, told TV with Thinus that the new show is specifically not looking for famous or established power couples - although the idea was discussed - but is looking for ordinary South Africans couples to enter.

"We are not looking for famous couples. We want ordinary South African couples. Any couple can enter and maybe be one of the 8 couples chosen to live in the villa. They can be straight or gay, but must be romantically involved. It's about sharing a bedroom," said Handrie Basson.

"The house where the 8 couples will live is a luxurious villa in Cape Town where they will stay for the duration of the production in the lap of luxury," said Handrie Basson.

Although divorced people and those who are not a romantic couple can't enter, he says "maybe there's a relationship we could save on this show. It's about how well people know each other - or how well people who realise they don't know each other, work and communicate to get to know each other".

Based on the outcome of the challenges, two couples will be up for elimination each week as the others will decide whom they would like to keep in the game.

"At the heart of Power Couple SA is that it is a feel-good show," said Handrie Basson. "Power Couple SA will be done in English but when a couple speak not in English but in their love language - like Afrikaans or other - you can speak it, there will be subtitles".

"The interesting thing for couples entering Power Couple SA and for viewers watching, will be whether they know each other well or learn to get to know each other very well when starting the game - or learn to communicate very well," said Handrie Basson.

"You're going to see very intimate and revealing challenges which will make you laugh out loud and which will be full of entertainment value - however we're not laughing at them, viewers will be laughing with them," said Handrie Basson.

"The challenges the 8 couples will face over the course of their stay in the house will be big in scale and also fun," said TV director and producer LeRoux Botha.

TV with Thinus asked Victor Eckard, M-Net director, whether the production and broadcast of Power Couple SA means no further seasons of some other as yet unannounced renewed or cancelled reality shows like MasterChef SA this year.

"Making Power Couple SA doesn't mean we're not doing any of the other big reality shows or that we will continue doing them. The idea with Power Couple SA is to bring something new to South African viewers that people haven't seen before and we're very excited about this show".

"We consistently evaluate all the M-Net reality shows and we're looking for brands to take us to even bigger ratings and to take M-Net on channel 101 on DStv to the next level - something which we're definitely evaluating every single day at M-Net and M-Net Edge," said Victor Eckard.

BREAKING. Vincent Bones (30) wins Idols on M-Net's historic 10th season; 'the first thing I need is a house,' says formerly homeless winner.

In a resurgent season which lured 24,3 million votes Vincent Bones (30) from Pietermaritzburg won the popular vote when he was announced as the winner on Sunday night in the 10th season's live finale of Idols on M-Net (DStv 101) and Mzansi Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).

The worship leader's touching back story - he managed to escape a life as a homeless street kid in Sunnyside, Pretoria which he became after the death of his mother and uncle - as well as his powerful soulful singing, proved an irresistible draw to viewers who week after week voted to keep him in the reality show competition.

"Sleeping in the streets is scary at first. It's a challenge you get used to," he said on Sunday night.

Luckily Vincent Bones was put into Boys Town, finished his schooling and changed his life. "I believe what I went through in life, is enough to carry my character," he said about entering Idols.

Vincent Bones who can play piano, drums, base and saxophone came to national viewer attention in the second season of the historic 10th Idols season - the first time he auditioned as a contestant for a TV show.

On Sunday night be triumphed in front of the crowd at Carnival City and viewers watching the live finale at home, garnering more votes than Bongi Silinda (24) from Nelspruit.

"The first thing I need is a house. That's one of the only things at the moment right now in my mind, so that I can get a stable place for my family."

"I was probably the most nervous person throughout the season," said Vincent Bones.

"The best thing I can say is to believe in yourself a little bit. If you know your talent, that will help you, because if you come to a show like Idols you need to make sure that you work on your confidence a little bit."

"I was terrified from the first day," he said. "After making it to the Top 16 I was a mess. It's a singing competition but you need to be a confident person as well."

Vincent Bones said he will not forget where he comes from. "I have people around me that constantly remind me who I am and where I come from. So for me, I feel safe because I've got those people that will always be there for me."

He wins a prize package of more than R800 000 which includes a recording contract with Universal Music Africa.

"For me it's a big moment. For me being the winner, it's going to sink in later. I didn't even believe I'm going to make it through the first audition."

"I came to Idols, I didn't necessarily have the confidence, but I had a plan in mind that I want to stay in the music industry. For me, from now on, I have to execute my plan. The plan that I have is to basically make good music. For me its music for the people, music that people enjoy," said Vincent Bones.

"The way that viewers are engaged with Idols, with the contestants, all the way through, is just unbelievable," said Victor Eckard, M-Net director. He said Idols kept breaking voting records week after week.

It happened because M-Net and Idols lowered the financial barriers for people to vote, enabling and allowing votes to be cast through new social media platforms as well as well as traditional methods.

It led to a massive voting surge which saw a dramatic spike of 236% in the total votes compared to the 9th season and which not only pleasantly surprised M-Net but also the TV industry.

Idols also did away with the mid-week elimination episode and combined it with the Sunday show which also returned to a live broadcast format. It elevated the dramatic tension and lifted viewership.

"It enhanced the engagement that viewers have with Idols and with the contestants. It's just been positive," said Victor Eckard.

"There's nothing wrong with the format - it's been working for the past 10 seasons. The fact that it's broken all the records is just another highlight. I don't think the format actually requires significant changes," said Victor Eckard.

Idols has been renewed for an 11th season and will start with nationwide auditions on 31 January 2015.

"We're always going to try and make it more exciting and add a few more surprises here and there," said veteran Idols producer Gavin Wratten.

BREAKING. M-Net: 'To put it bluntly: We are now faster than piracy,' says the South African pay-TV broadcaster.

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"To put it bluntly: We are now faster than piracy."

So said Victor Eckard, M-Net director, on Wednesday evening when he addressed a conference venue full of advertisers, TV critics and journalists.

Victor Eckard spoke about how the South African pay-TV broadcaster is bringing viewers more premium content, faster than ever before and on highly desirable TV channels like M-Net (DStv 101) and the just launched M-Net Edge and VUZU AMP.

" 'Express from the US' gives viewers in South Africa the opportunity to watch a show within 24 hours of broadcast in the United States and we've done it very successfully with Ray Donovan, and then we also did it now with Homeland and Gotham," said Victor Eckard.

"The good thing about 'Express from the US' is if you don't view or record that 4:00am episode, you can get it exclusively on DStv Catch Up on DStv the DStv Explora. So hopefully everyone's got the DStv Explora to catch up on that content."

" ' Express from the US' is probably one of the coolest brands now in South Africa."

"People are talking about Express from the US, and others are now trying to follow what M-Net has done here. It's first, exclusive and premium. We're taking it once again to another level with Express to the US'," said Victor Eckard.

"On Monday night we successfully launched M-Net Edge - the edge of entertainment on channel 102 on DStv. It's premium property. M-Net Edge has the best, critically acclaimed, award-winning content, iconic content."

"Basically M-Net (DStv 101) has very, very popular TV content from the United States - things like Two and a Half Men, Grey's Anatomy and The Fixer which viewers all across South Africa love to bits and pieces."

"So M-Net Edge basically gives us the opportunity to look after the people that used to stay up past half past 10 at night to watch Game of Thrones, which you'll now be able to get on M-Net Edge at 9 o' clock at night. So we're moving closer to the edge," said Victor Eckard.

"All of the content on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) will be significantly different than what is on M-Net (DStv 101) in the fact that it is award-winning, thought-provoking, and critically acclaimed content."

"The content is risque but once again, it is award-winning, critically acclaimed content. And we give viewers the opportunity not to wait until half past 10, but to actually get it on M-Net Edge at primetime," said Victor Eckard.

BREAKING. Idols renewed for an 11th season; new season will debut on M-Net and Mzansi Magic on DStv in 2015.

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Idols on M-Net (DStv 101) and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) has been renewed for an 11th season.

The South African pay-TV broadcaster made the announced on Wednesday evening to advertisers and journalists at the M-Net Showcase event held at Urban Tree in Johannesburg organised by M-Net and DStv Media Sales.

The reality singing competition with host ProVerb, currently in its 10th season, achieved new viewership highs and surpassed any previous voting records so far according to M-Net, prompting the early renewal for another season.

"Idols ratings and votes are up," says Victor Eckard, M-Net Director for M-Net and M-Net Edge.

"This 10th season of Idols has proven to be more successful than all of the other seasons in terms of voting. Just in terms of voting, last week we exceeded the total number of votes for the previous season. The votes are shooting through the roof."

"Idols continues to be an excellent partnership between M-Net and Mzansi Magic," said Victor Eckard.

Big Brother Mzansi, produced by Endemol South Africa, will also return in 2015 for another season with its own channels on MultiChoice's DStv, as well as highlight programmes on Mzansi Magic.

'M-Net is the channel that drives DStv Premium, it has done so in the past and will continue to do so in the future,' say M-Net boss.

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The best TV channel available in South Africa is M-Net (DStv 101) on MultiChoice's DStv says the Randburg-based pay-TV broadcaster which on Wednesday evening assured advertisers, TV critics, and journalists that it will remain that way.

"One thing is a fact - that since the launch of M-Net [on DStv] as channel 101 it has been the number one TV channel on DStv Premium," said Victor Eckard, M-Net director for M-Net and M-Net Edge.

He was speaking at the M-Net Showcase event, organised by M-Net and DStv Media Sales, which took place on Wednesday evening at Urban Tree in Johannesburg.

"It's the channel that drives DStv Premium, it puts the prime in premium - it has done so in the past and it will continue to do so in the future," said Victor Eckard.

"The reason why we get it right as M-Net is because we have all of the major Hollywood studios behind us in terms of the international content we acquire for this channel. First, and exclusive, nobody else got it, and only on M-Net on channel 101."

"It's also the big format shows, the reality shows that we produce in South Africa that has proven to be very successful."

"In terms of the international shows, we will continue to bring viewers the best of the best international shows like Grey's Anatomy, The Fixer, CSI, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men.

"To be honest with you, if it good, we've got it, and it's on M-Net channel 101," said Victor Eckard.

BREAKING. M-Net appoints Jan du Plessis as director: movies, Victor Eckard as director: general entertainment, closes content division.

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I can break the news: M-Net is appointing Jan du Plessis as director: movies and Victor Eckard as director: general entertainment from 1 August at the South African pay-TV broadcaster shutters its internal group content services division.

The appointments are the latest top executive shuffle continuing this year and which started with the appointment of Yolisa Phahle as M-Net's new CEO for South Africa in March and the shocking exit of the veteran Pierre Cloete in June who oversaw the M-Net, M-Net Series and M-Net Movies channels.

While veteran Jan du Plessis joined M-Net in 1994 from Sterk-Kinekor where he headed up the acquisition's division, Victor Eckard's appointment will raise eyebrows in South Africa's TV industry - he only joined M-Net in 2006.

Victor Eckard joined M-Net in 2006 as a radio DJ at Tuks FM and became a presenter for JIP on the cancelled MK channel, after which be became a content executive for the MK channel, and later the head of strategy and business development.

Now Victor Eckard will be in charge of a realignment of the set of M-Net Series channels which turn one year old on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform tomorrow (9 July) and which has been underperforming for months according to multiple sources, and which is set to be undergoing a dramatic change within months.

Jan du Plessis who previously was the head of the M-Net channel, was until now the director: group content services at M-Net but that division is being downsized.

As Jan du Plessis takes over M-Net's movies division, existing M-Net staff in the group content services division, which is being closing down, will be moved to both the M-Net Series and M-Net movies divisions within the Randburg-based pay-TV broadcaster.

Meanwhile Glen Marques' portfolio of studio content negotiation on behalf of M-Net was enlarged to also include the portfolio of channel acquisition.

There's been no public announcement on the appointment and division shutdown from M-Net yet.