Viu chooses Kagiso Media's Mediamark as its new sales partner

by Thinus Ferreira

The Viu video streaming service has chosen Kagiso Media's Mediamark as its new sales partner in South Africa.

The Mediamark sales house will now drive sales across Viu's advertising-video-on-demand (AVOD) offering.

Elouise Kelly, Viu South Africa country manager, says the partnership with Mediamark marks an exciting new chapter for both parties.

"Mediamark is a well-established business with an impeccable reputation, consistently demonstrating its ability to partner with brands and businesses alike to grow them profitably. Mediamark holds strong relationships with media agencies, which trust in its ability to bring exciting and effective avenues to reach new audiences to the table."

"This collaboration will combine their expertise with Viu's deep understanding of our market, granting advertisers an exciting opportunity to connect with diverse South African audiences in ways that resonate."

"This partnership with Mediamark signals a strategic step forward for us. Their optimism in the media industry's growth potential aligns perfectly with our confidence in the landscape, and we're excited about the opportunity to deliver even more value and real results to the brands we serve,” concludes Kelly. 

Wayne Bischoff, Mediamark CEO, says "We are thrilled to partner with Viu, which is fast gaining a reputation as one of the most innovative streamers in the global over-the-top (OTT) landscape, offering viewers the golden trifecta of premium content, flexibility and affordability."

"Together, we aim to create new opportunities for brands to engage with audiences in meaningful and impactful ways."

TopTV says its still ''on track'' to add new TV channels; doesn't want to commit to a timeframe or date.

On Digital Media (ODM) says its still ''on track'' to add new TV channels to its TopTV pay TV service but refuses to discuss a timeframe or date by when this will happen and declines to give an indication or number of how many TV channels its looking to add.

''We're still on track to add new TV channels. That is all I can tell you right now, Elouise Kelly, ODM's chief marketing officer tells TV with Thinus. ''I cannot give you timing. Negotiations are happening. Money is being discussed. Until those things are agreed upon its impossible to give any timeframes.''

Asked if there's an indication from TopTV on how many channels will be added for subscribers to the current bouquet when it happens, Elouise Kelly says, ''No I can't give you that either.'' At the launch of its commercial operations in May 2010 TopTV promised the addition of around 10 new TV channels six months later but that didn't materialize. TopTV added 2 non-premium channels in November - MUTV (TopTV 205) and Al Mizan (TopTV 355) - and also added a Top Star bouquet as an Indian television genre in November that costs an additional R60 per month.

ALSO READ: Analysis - Why DStv and TopTV are struggling to add new TV channels in 2011.
ALSO READ: Why TopTV has to push back the launch of a possible sports channel to the latter part of 2011.
ALSO READ: TopTV to launch HD TV channels and a PVR only by early 2012.
ALSO READ: 6 ways in which TopTV has been changed South African television.
ALSO READ: TopTV is restructuring in 2011; no staff restrenched or fired so far.
ALSO READ: TopTV has active subscribers as part of its 200 000 who are behind on payments but are getting an unscrambled signal.

TopTV is no longer going to commission local content now; postpones commissioning of local TV shows indefinitely.

TopTV that originally planned to start commissioning local South African programming for some of its own self-compiled Top-branded channels on the pay TV platform by the end of 2010, has decided to postpone the process of commissioning local TV productions indefinitely.

''Local programming is a difficult one,'' says Elouise Kelly, On Digital Media's (ODM) chief marketing officer when I asked hat is happening with TopTV's local content plans for the pay TV entrant that is now nine months into its commercial operations. ''We can't start making and commissioning local programming until we are actually a profitable business,'' she says. ''It takes a while for any business to become profitable and local TV content are expensive.''

''Now, we had hoped that during the first half of this year we would have been able to start putting out a few commissioning briefs for local content but that is not going to happen. When at TopTV we are ready to go into that area, we will make the necessary announcements.''

ALSO READ: TopTV's restructuring; employees are getting options, nobody's been retrenched or fired.
ALSO READ: TopTV has active subscribers who are behind on their payments but getting an unscrambled signal.

BREAKING. TopTV admits the pay TV operator has active subscribers who are getting an unscrambled signal but are behind on payments.

You're reading it here first.

I can give the facts and reveal that TopTV's announced 200 000 TopTV subscriber number includes some active subscribers who are continuing to receive an unblocked signal, although they're behind on payments.

Normally pay TV subscribers' signal is blocked and scrambled immediately after non-payment and only reactivated once full payment of the arrears amount is made, but On Digital Media (ODM) tells me there are indeed subscribers that have not been cut and that the company is making a dedicated effort to recoup payment from these subscribers.

Speculation started swirling days ago in the TV industry - but not yet reported on anywhere - that TopTV is blatantly driving subscriber numbers although signed-up subscribers who default on their monthly payments are kept on the active TV signal system. According to the rumour, TopTV is reluctant to ''cut off subscribers'' when they're in payment default, in arrears or simply not paying, ''just so they can make numbers''. I asked TopTV whether this is indeed the case and if yes, why this is happening.

''Like any business we have customers who are not paying and we have been trying to recoup this money from them without resorting to switching off the service,'' says Elouise Kelly, ODM's chief marketing officer. ''As everyone is aware we had issues at launch, one of those being our call centre being inundated with calls. During this period certain details were entered into our system incorrectly which resulted in some of our subscribers not knowing how or where to pay, and in certain instances us not having the correct details for TopTV subscribers,'' says Elouise Kelly. ''This was of course no fault of our subscribers and we do not want to unfairly penalise them.''

TopTV isn't saying how many subscribers are behind on their monthly payments.

ALSO READ: TopTV hits 200 000 subscribers and 800 000 viewers.
ALSO READ: What TopTV's astounding subscriber number of 200 000 actually means.

On Digital Media (ODM) passes the level of 200 000 TopTV decoders, growing in a ''highly competitive environment''.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively reveal that On Digital Media's (ODM) TopTV pay television service that launched in May with big fanfare in South Africa is continuing to move forward with strong sales and new subscribers and has now surpassed the number of 200 000 TopTV decoders.

That means that there's 200 000 TopTV decoders installed since May as well as in shops. The company still refuses to give an actual TopTV subscriber number (which would be lower than 200 000 once store stock is subtracted), or a churn indication (subscribers who are signed up for a service but unsubscribe). Despite this, the 200 000 TopTV decoders are however a major indicator of the favourable response from South African consumers to the option of choice for the first time regarding pay television in South Africa, TopTV's very successful free installation marketing initiative and the immediate brand success that ODM has created with TopTV.

I can tell you that although TopTV doesn't want to release specific subscriber numbers now, the company does plan to do so in the future - hopefully the first quarter of next year. That's when specific viewership numbers for TopTV will start to appear when the pay platform's channels become part of the TAMS measuring system that track South African TV viewership. ''Subscriber numbers will not be released until we are represented on the TAMS base but we are looking at this happening during the first quarter of next year,'' Elouise Kelly, ODM chief marketing officer tells me.

''Currently our [churn] numbers are quite low,'' says Elouise Kelly when I asked about an indication of how TopTV is combatting subscribers who signed up but no longer want TopTV after a few months since they've had the chance to trial the new pay TV operator. ''It's less than 2%,'' she says. ''I think it would be naïve of us not to expect any churn. Right now we are dealing with subscribers on a one-on-one basis so we properly understand what the reasons are [why subscribers cancel] and how we can rectify these going forward. This also means we are able to retain certain subscribers depending on what their complaints are.''

''We find ourselves in a highly competitive environment. We really don't want to release any information until plans are finalized and contracts are in place,'' I'm told, when I asked about what else TopTV is busy with and subscribers can expect. In May TopTV promised the addition of more channels by October - six months after its launch date.

ALSO READ: TopTV to add the Afrikaans TV channel ASTV from 1 October as one of its new channels.

BREAKING. TopTV on the building viewer backlash and the growing number of complaints about repeats: ''That's how pay TV works.''

You're reading it here first.

It's started. The number of TopTV subscribers are growing who are increasingly becoming disillusioned and upset with the amount of repeat TV programming on the channels of On Digital Media's (ODM) new pay TV platform. TopTV's answer is that repeat blocks of programming is simply how pay television works.

Similar to what MultiChoice's DStv has now endured for years, viewers who've signed up to ODM's TopTV are starting to get more vocal about the increasing number of repeats, reruns and rebroadcasts on various TopTV channels, especially the Fox channels such as Fox Retro (TopTV 181), Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) and Top Crime (TopTV 301). Of course it's now three months since ODM launched TopTV in May which is in pay TV terms approximately the duration of the first repeat window cycle (there's usually another one at six months and again at a year).

''TopTV subscribers are saying 'but I've seen this already', but that's how pay TV works,'' Elouise Kelly, ODM chief marketing officer tells me. ''Repeats over a period of time is how pay TV is structured. It's impossible for any TV channel to be repeats free. Repeats are structured and scheduled so as to make the repeating convenient for you as the viewer. In terms of the Top Movies channels [Top Movies (TopTV 100), Top Movies +2 (TopTV 101) and Top Movies +24 (TopTV 102)] that is why we're repeating the movies to give viewers the opportunity to watch it at their convenience and it works,'' she says.

About TopTV's electronic programme guide (EPG) that started out disastrously at its May launch and is slowly getting better, Elouise Kelly says ''people are saying 'We don't have a physical magazine TV guide. Why can't you send me a monthly magazine with a TV guide?' but we're saying the EPG is your TV guide. And now it works really well. Many people who are now TopTV subscribers did not have pay TV before, so they don't really now yet how informative an on-screen EPG can be,'' she says. ''We're planning on doing a lot of communication in regard to TopTV's EPG and the use of the EPG soon.''

ALSO READ: TopTV plans to add between 5 and 10 new TV channels in October.

BREAKING. TopTV on its relationship with new channel suppliers: ''They're very excited about being on the TopTV platform.''

You're reading it here first.

How is the relationship going between On Digital Media (ODM) after TopTV has been in commercial operation for three months and the various TV channels on South Africa's new pay TV platform? ''There's been very, very few hiccups,'' TopTV tells me.

''A lot of our content people that TopTV employed come from an existing broadcasting environment where they already had established relationships with some of the channels in their previous jobs where they acquired TV content,'' Elouise Kelly, ODM chief marketing officer tells me. ''This is all about relationships and that has helped a lot,'' she says.

''Where relationships with channel providers were completely new, we're guided by the SLA's (service level agreements) that we've signed with the various channel providers. There's been very, very few hiccups. The content providers are in fact very excited about being on the TopTV platform as well as there now being an alternative pay TV platform available for their content in South Africa, rather than always just one,'' says Elouise Kelly. ''They've been very accomodating, very available, and are constantly coming with ideas, suggestions and information.''

BREAKING. On Digital Media now has over 120 000 TopTV decoders in South Africa; ''not at all ashamed of where we are right now.''

You're reading it here first.

On Digital Media (ODM) now has more than 120 000 TopTV decoders in the market since it launched in May, are still selling and signing up new TopTV subscribers at a brisk pace and growing the company.

''We're sitting at 120 000 TopTV decoders,'' Elouise Kelly, ODM chief marketing officer tells me, who promised ''more communications with existing subscribers soon''. The TopTV call centre which now runs from 07:00 to 20:00 daily still deals with a huge number of enquiries, but according to Elouise Kelly ''the business is now a lot more geared towards being able to deal with huge numbers.''

On passing the level of 120 000 TopTV decoders in South Africa, Elouise Kelly says ''its definitely as we projected. There's always room for improvement but we're happy. We're selling, selling, selling. We're definitely not ashamed of where we are right now as South Africa's new pay TV business. Our staff base is growing every day. Our executive level of ODM management is basically bedded down.''

Regarding TopTV's launch promises of high definition (HD) channels and personal video recorder (PVR) functionality being introduced later, Elouise Kelly says ''of course TopTV wants to service our subscribers and our market with the latest technology. However, we feel that for the stage where our business is right now, we're still just starting and focusing on selling the normal TopTV set top box (STB). Next year we will look at introducing other products and offerings.''

BREAKING. TopTV looking into newer content for its Top One and Top Movies channels.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively reveal that TopTV is working on newer movies and better content for its premium Top One (TopTV 150) and Top Movies (TopTV 100) channels since some viewers and some of the new pay TV platform's subscribers are not very impressed.

I can be first to tell you that TopTV's favourite channels at the moment are Natura (TopTV 310), Discovery Science (DStv 302), GOD TV (TopTV 351), Top Junior (TopTV 250) and Top Explore (TopTV 300) and Top History (TopTV 301).

Regarding feedback from viewers on TopTV's premium entertainment channel, Top One, TopTV tells me is ''has been mixed''. ''People who have not had pay TV before like it quite a lot, and people who have been exposed to pay TV before have seen some of the programming so they feel the content is a bit dated,'' Elouise Kelly, On Digital Media (ODM) chief marketing officer tells me. She says TopTV is working hard on content improvements for both Top One as well as Top Movies.

''Top Junior, Top Explore and Top History are receiving favourable feedback,'' she says. ''Our Top Movie channels not as much due to the older movies. However, newer movies will be seen on Top Movies in the coming months. Other compliments we have however received are that people understand the concept of Top Movies, Top Movies +2 (TopTV 101) and Top Movies +24 (TopTV 102). They understand the repeat schedule and can therefore plan around it.''

ALSO READ: The Top One schedule is tops!

BREAKING. TopTV leaves thousands of new subscribers with no reliable TV guide; has no plans yet for a TopTV monthly magazine.

You're reading it here first.

A TopTV subscriber magazine is months away. Bad news since I broke the story about TopTV's atrociously bad, incorrect, empty, out-of-sync and gibberish on-screen electronic programme guide (EPG) RIGHT HERE on Friday, and which has still not been rectified.

TopTV's unreliable, incorrect and messed-up EPG leaves TopTV's thousands of new subscribers with no other way to get accurate - or make that ANY - TV guide information for the bulk of its TV channels. Besides TopTV's on-screen EPG through the TopTV decoder, there is simply no other way for TopTV subscribers to get any TV guide information, since TopTV did not roll out a TopTV subscriber magazine from this month as DStv does on a monthly basis. Neither does the TopTV website carry any online TV guide for TopTV's channels. No TopTV channels are published by any print media in South Africa in newspapers or magazines or have so far been included in any daily newspaper TV listings or magazine guides because none have been pro-actively approached.

And I can reveal exclusively that TopTV will only start discussing the possibility of a TopTV magazine for the first time during June next month. I asked TopTV about a magazine as not only a back-up for subscribers to get their TopTV schedules, but also as a value-added service like what DStv does. ''We don't have a magazine as yet,'' Elouise Kelly, TopTV chief marketing officer tells me. ''As an interim measure we will be using a function on our website which should launch this week. This will allow subscribers to see all programming info for the channels as well as plan their viewing.''

INTERVIEW. On Digital Media (ODM) on TopTV: ''We want to launch something that will resonate with our subscribers.''

You're reading it here first.

On Digital Media (ODM) officially unveiled their name of TopTV for the pay TV platform earlier today as well as the complete TV channels that TopTV will carry (RIGHT HERE). I can exclusively publish the first interview with Elouise Kelly, ODM's chief marketing officer after this morning's TopTV unveiling.

See what she says when I asked about ODM's plans for high definition channels and a PVR, customer care, where TopTV wants to be in terms of the number of subscribers and more on what subscribers will get to see.

For the full interview, click on READ MORE below.