Netflix is starting to get rid of its 30-day free trial period and also removed it for South Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

Netflixhas started to get rid of its 30 day trial period offer with the video streaming service that also cut the free month's browse-and-binge option for South African customers.

Netflix's content costs continue to soar while more global streaming service competition like Disney+, Apple TV+ and HBO Max are coming online as pressure increases to post growing quarterly subscriber numbers.

As a result Netflix, that is also cutting down on password-sharing, is changing tact in how much free window-shopping it is allowing to prospective new customers in certain parts of the world.

Netflix South Africa quietly removed the 30-day free trial period for users in the country. Customers who now sign up are immediately billed the R99 basic, R139 standard or R169 premium monthly fee according to the subscribed plan.

Netflix says free trials are currently not offered in South Africa.

Rival Showmax from MultiChoice's Connected Video division still offers a free 14-day trial - a week more than the 7-day free trial when it launched in August 2015.

Cell C's unsuccessful Cell C black that is shutting down at the end of December initially also offered a free 30-day trial which it cut down to 7 days in January 2019.

Potential customers in the United Kingdom are the next to see the free trial period disappear with the offer that has been removed from Netflix's website there.

M-Net's Mzansi Magic abruptly backtracks on promises to publicly release the Idols season 15 Top 10 voting results as it promised to do and did in the past.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net is abruptly backtracking on its decision to release the voting results for the just-completed 15th season of Idols on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) with the channel that suddenly no longer wants to release the voting statistics and percentages of the Top 10 contestants as it promised to do.

M-Net, Mzansi Magic and Idols previously released the Idols voting tallies for the Top 10 weeks after the conclusion of a season.

Over 186 million votes were cast during the 15th season, 36 million of which during the last week, which were both new series records.

Shirley Adonisi, acting Mzansi Magic channel head, as well as Gavin Wratten, Idols co-executive producer at [SIC] Entertainment producing the singing reality competition, again promised at the post-finale press conference of the 15th season that the Idols voting results will be released publicly after the conclusion of the season.

The 15th season, won by Luyolo Yiba, was once again mired in controversy with scandal that swirled over alleged "vote rigging" after the Top 10 Idols contestant Virginia Qwabe was eliminated for having the least number of votes.

The elimination of Virginia saw her twin Viggy Qwabe quit the show during the same episode amidst a behind-the-scenes physical fight and altercation with a Mzansi Magic publicist that saw police support called in.

Angry supporters of Viggy and Virginia Qwabe claimed that vote tampering was happening and demanded that independent auditors re-audit the votes.

At the post-finale press conference, Gavin Wratten was asked what Idols is going to do to improve the credibility of the voting process under the public.

"Mzansi Magic handles the voting with auditors and we've been doing it the same for every season and it's a really well-controlled, well-done process. All of the results will ultimately be made public," Gavin Wratten promised about Idols season 15's voting results at the press conference.

"I don't think there's a better way to do it. It's totally above board. What's interesting though is that generally everybody is very, very happy with the voting process until they get voted out. To put the authenticity of the voting process in question because you went out is unfair," Gavin Wratten said.

Shirley Adonisi and Gavin Wratten were asked during the press conference why Mzansi Magic and Idols don't release the specific weekly voting results publicly after episodes. They said they always do it after the conclusion of a season in order not to spoil or influence the voting process.

"The reason we don't put it out during the competion is because we don't want to disadvantage a contestant," Gavin Wratten said. "If we put it out and said 'This week so-and-so has got the least amount of votes', people might go "I won't vote' but maybe they had a good performance and could have gotten a lot of votes."

"Likewise if we say who's in the lead, people go 'Ag, I don't have to worry about them because they're in the lead'. That is why traditionally on Idols and worldwide they don't show the percentages during the production but then afterwards Mzansi Magic releases the audited results."

Since last week Thursday and for the past week Mzansi Magic was asked repeatedly in multiple media enquiries for the usual voting statistics breakout and percentages of the Idols Top 10 contestants that Mzansi Magic promised would be released and that was released afterwards in the past for previous seasons.

Philly Kubheka, Mzansi Magic spokesperson, suddenly backtracked on the release of the season 15 Idols voting results and told TVwithThinus on Thursday morning that "the voting results will not be issued to any media and no exceptions can be made".

She didn't respond when asked why Mzansi Magic and [SIC] Entertainment announced at the press conference that the voting results would be released and why the channel no longer wants to make it public as in previous years.

MultiChoice was also asked in a media enquiry on Thursday morning for comment from the pay-TV operator as to why the M-Net supplied channel is backtracking on the promised public release of the Top 10 Idols voting statistics. MultiChoice didn't respond at the time of publication but its response will be added when received.

Star Wars' The Mandalorian now the world’s top TV show as a petition starts for Disney to launch its Disney+ streaming service in South Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

The new top TV show in the world is one South Africans can't see but that thousands of people across Africa are now pirate viewing - with a petition that has been created for Disney to please make its Disney+ streaming service available in the country so that consumers can watch Star Wars' The Mandalorian.

Just three weeks after Disney+ launched as the new global streaming service of The Walt Disney Company, The Mandalorian - the first live-action Star Wars TV drama series - is the new top television series according to market research from Parrot Analytics. 

The new show is more buzzed-about and sought-after than Netflix's Stranger Things.

With a fascinating new story and new characters - including an utterly adorable "Baby Yoda" whose unknown origins is part of a new mystery - The Mandalorian quickly surged to become the most sought-after TV show in the United States as well as in the rest of the world. 

According to Parrot Analytics' tracking The Mandalorian is 31.9 times more in demand than the average of the other most popular series until now which include HBO's Game of Thrones and Chernobyl and Netflix's Stranger Things and The Crown. 

On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes The Mandalorian is rated 95% "fresh" on the average audience score. At a cost of $100 million that Disney sunk into the production it's the most expensive TV show made yet.

Meanwhile thousands of frantic consumers in South Africa and across Africa have resorted to illegal means of pirate viewing new Disney+ content like The Mandalorian, High School Musical - The Series and other shows since Disney+ decided not to make its streaming service available anywhere on the continent.

Disney+ launched with 500 films and 7 500 episodes of various TV series, including new original Disney+ content. Disney chose not to make any of its new content like The Mandalorian available through its international distribution network to any pay-TV operators like M-Net or MultiChoice's DStv.

After launching since 12 November in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany and Italy will get Disney+ by the end of March 2020.

While South African consumers and viewers in sub-Saharan Africa are missing out with no definite launch date, a Disney+ boss has now been appointed for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, which bodes well for a potential future launch.

While its content is being pirated across the continent The Walt Disney Company Africa has no possible launch date to share for South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa and says in a statement that "All Disney+ originals are exclusive to the Disney+ service. At this point, we have no news regarding this service launch in Africa".


Disney+ petition started
On Wednesday the South African Aidan Welman started a "Get Disney+ in South Africa" online petition, imploring Disney to bring it streaming service to the country and others, with the petition already amassing signatures.

"Imagine my disappointment when I saw and still see all over social media the 'memes', pictures and videos of people enjoying every bit of Disney+ and me not being able to download the streaming service, PAY for it and use it," says Aidan Welman.

"Spoilers are being posted everywhere and Baby Yoda is the most trending fictional character at the moment. There is a huge market in South Africa and in many other countries where Disney+ is not set to be released in more than two years if at all, for Disney, and I believe that there will be great benefit in releasing it to South Africa and many other countries."

"Netflix was a great success when it was first released in South Africa, there’s not a person I know that doesn’t have the streaming platform. I’m concentrating more on South Africa because I’m from there, we just really want Disney+ to be made available for your loyal South African fans."

"Believe it or not, there are thousands upon thousands of us here. Go have a look at box office sales for all the Marvel movies in South Africa, I’m pretty sure it should give an idea of how many Disney fans there really are," Aidan Welman writes in his petition.

Production set to resume on SABC2's Muvhango after embarrassing 3-day shutdown following the non-payment of its cast and crew that Word of Mouth Productions and the SABC blame on each other.

by Thinus Ferreira

Production will resume today on SABC2's Muvhango after an embarrassing 3-day shutdown in which the production company blamed the SABC for not paying it for two months and with the public broadcaster saying that its payments to Word of Mouth Productions has been up to date.

Production on Muvhango shut down on Friday afternoon after Duma Ndlovu'sWord of Mouth Productions told the prime time soap's crew, cast and writers who were not paid for two months in October and November that the "SABC did not have money to pay them".

In prime time the public broadcaster's Venda weekday soap lured 5.62 million viewers in October as SABC2's most-watched show and the 5th most-watched show overall on South African television.

Last week Muvhango told the SABC that it's shutting down production with no further work being done by the writers, cast and crew.

Leo Phiri, Muvhango's line manager, told the crew and cast in an email last week that "In the absence of a payment guarantee, we have sent correspondence to notify the broadcaster that we will be shutting down production at 14:00 this afternoon Friday 30 November 2019 and we will reopen when we have been paid. Sincere apologies for this unfortunate development".

In more emails Muvhango said that the production company has been "in constant communication with various players at the SABC responsible for our payment but have not received assurances that payment will be made on time to reflect in everyone’s accounts".

Muvhango told the cast and crew that the production "will be shutting down and will only re-open when we have been paid".

An insider told TVwithThinus that "the Muvhango writers have been waiting for payment for work delivered for 2 months already, and now it's going into a third month - over Christmas!" Writers were told they would be paid for September and November on Tuesday, 3 December after they got some payment in October.

Muvhango producers apparently met with SABC executives on Friday evening.

Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, told TVwithThinus that the Muvhango shutdown is not the SABC's fault, that the production had been paid and that the soap has in fact been renewed for another season already.

"The SABC can confirm that the corporation has met all its financial obligations for the current series of Muvhango which will be on air until 2 January 2020".

"In addition the SABC has concluded a new contract with Word of Mouth Productions for the new series of Muvhango which will broadcast from 3 January 2020. It is imperative to state that the SABC pays the production house, which has a responsibility to pay its cast and crew."

On Wednesday Word of Mouth Productions and Muvhango publicist Karabo Disethle-Mtshayelo was emailed questions in a media enquiry through the SABC about the week's production shutdown but there's been no response yet. The production's answers will be added when received.

Sky announces plan to create its own Sky Studios Elstree complex with 14 sound stages to open by 2022, will create 2 000 jobs.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Sky pay-TV operator in the United Kingdom on Tuesday announced that it's creating its own Sky Studios Elstree as a Hollywood-type film and TV studio that will create 2 000 jobs and that should open its lot doors by 2022.

Sky Studios Elstree northwest of London and besides the existing Elstree Studios will encompass 14 sound stages and will become the European production base for Sky and NBCUniversal.

Sky, the parent firm of Sky News (DStv 402), said that the hope is that Sky Studios Elstree would also be used by other broadcasters and producers and will result in £3 billion being spent on TV and film productions in its first 5 years.

MultiChoice in South Afica has created the MultiChoice Studios name but doesn't have a huge studio lot called MultiChoice Studios.

Sky in a statement said that "development is expected to open in 2022 and will be able to facilitate the production of several films and TV shows simultaneously, with each of the 14 sound stages covering over 20 000 square feet".

"Once complete, the site will include production offices, a set construction workshop, a screening cinema and state-of-the-art post-production and digital facilities. Sky is also committed to supporting the next generation of young and diverse creative talent and will use Sky Studios Elstree to build on its existing work."

Sky said that "the creation of Sky Studios Elstree will provide a new home for Britain's flourishing creative sector and much needed space for Europe’s brightest talent. It will provide significant capacity for Sky Studios to produce more original content in-house, while continuing to work with independent production companies across Europe".

"The new studio space will also play host to major film productions from Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Working Title, and television series from NBCUniversal Content Studios. It will also have capacity to host productions from third-party producers." 

Jeremy Darroch, Sky group CEO, says "Sky Studios Elstree will play a pivotal role in bringing the wealth of United Kingdom and European talent and creativity to the world."

"We know our customers love our award-winning Sky Originals like Chernobyl and our investment in Sky Studios Elstree will enable us to bring more unique stories to more viewers. We are proud to be working with our colleagues at NBCUniversal and Comcast".

Production shuts down on SABC2's Muvhango after crew and cast goes unpaid by the SABC for 2 months.

by Thinus Ferreira

The crew, writers and cast of SABC2's most-watched show, Muvhango, has stopped working after Word of Mouth Productions shut down production because the South African public broadcaster once again failed to pay Word of Mouth Productions.

SABC executives last had a meeting with Muvhango producers in a Friday evening meeting after the SABC failed to pay the production company for the past 2 months.

In prime time the public broadcaster's Venda weekday soap lured 5.62 million viewers in October as SABC2's most-watched show and the 5th most-watched show overall on South African television.

Muvhango told the SABC that it's shutting down production with no further work being done by the writers, cast and crew.

Leo Phiri, Muvhango's line manager, told the crew and cast in an email last week that TVwithThinus saw that "In the absence of a payment guarantee, we have sent correspondence to notify the broadcaster that we will be shutting down production at 14:00 this afternoon Friday 30 November 2019 and we will reopen when we have been paid. Sincere apologies for this unfortunate development".

In more emails Muvhango said that the production company has been "in constant communication with various players at the SABC responsible for our payment but have not received assurances that payment will be made on time to reflect in everyone’s accounts".

Muvhango told the SABC that the production "will be shutting down and will only re-open when we have been paid".

An insider said that "the Muvhango writers have been waiting for payment for work delivered for 2 months already, and now it's going into a third month - over Christmas!" Writers were told they would be paid for September and November on Tuesday, 3 December after they got some payment in October.

TVwithThinus was told that Muvhango producers met with SABC executives on Friday evening.

Muvhango publicist Karabo Disethle Mtshayelo said the payment and shutdown chaos is the fault of the South African public broadcaster and said the SABC has to comment.

TVwithThinus asked the SABC for comment on Tuesday evening with the response that will be added here when or if received.


UPDATE Wednesday 4 December 2019 14:20: 

Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, says: "The SABC can confirm that the corporation has met all its financial obligations, for the current series of Muvhango which will be on air until 2 January 2020".

"In addition the SABC has concluded a new contract with Word of Mouth Productions for the new series of Muvhango, which will broadcast from 3 January 2020. It is imperative to state that the SABC pays the production house, which has a responsibility to pay its cast and crew."

MultiChoice appoints Reggy Moalusi as new executive boss of corporate affairs in South Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice has appointed Reggy Moalusi in the position of executive head of corporate affairs for MultiChoice Africa.

Reggy Moalusi previously worked as a journalist at publications like Mail & Guardian and Sunday World after which he became editor-in-chief of both Sunday Sun and Daily Sun.

Reggy Moalusi also held roles at other companies in roles ranging from content director to media adviser at companies like Standard Bank and Exxaro.

Recently he served in the position of secretary-general Gauteng Convener at the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) and was also a council member of the press organisation.

Reggy Moalusi has a BA Hons in Journalism and Media Studies from Wits University and other certificate courses from Stellenbosch University and the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark.

MultiChoice and M-Net rebrand its Magic in Motion film academy in South Africa to MultiChoice Talent Factory ZA to fit in with MultiChoice Africa's film school initiative.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net and MultiChoice are rebranding M-Net's Magic in Motion film academy under the new name of the MultiChoice Talent Factory ZA to fit in and align with MultiChoice's MultiChoice Talent Factory film academy run by the pay-TV operator in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.

M-Net launched the Magic in Motion Academy in 2014 with Bobby Heaney as academy director.

Copying M-Net's very successful film academy blueprint, MultiChoice launched the MultiChoice Talent Factory as a similar programme for the rest of Africa outside of South Africa in 2018.

MultiChoice Africa runs The MultiChoice Talent Factory with three different academy hubs in West, Southern and East Africa in Lagos, Nigeria; Lusaka, Zambia; and in Nairobi, Kenya.

After 5 years the South African Magic in Motion Academy is rebranding to now take on the name of the film academy is spawned for the rest of Africa, although it will still remain a separate localised film school for South African film students and interns only.

Bobby Heaney remains MultiChoice Talent Factory South Africa academy director, while Cheryl Uys-Allie remains MultiChoice Talent Factory director for sub-Saharan Africa.

Femi Odugmebi is the MultiChoice Talent Factory director for West Africa, Njoki Muhoho is the MultiChoice Talent Factory East Africa director, and Berry Lwando is the MultiChoice Talent Factory Southern Africa director.

Neither MultiChoice nor M-Net issued a press release regarding the name change and rebranding, or gave a reason for Magic in Motion academy name change.

M-Net on its corporate website says that "After a very successful 5 years of empowering the next generation of storytellers through on-the-job training and the opportunity to work with experienced producers for hands-on experience, M-Net's Magic in Motion now starts a new chapter as MultiChoice Talent Factory ZA".

The Magic in Motion and MultiChoice Talent Factory has been helping aspiring young filmmakers with one year internships in the form of a bursary programme that includes academic study as well as practical experience on various productions across the multitude of M-Net channels and SuperSport in South Africa as well as across the African continent.

Students get the opportunity to gain experience in directing, cinematography, content commissioning, art direction and various other practical TV and film production skills, and go on to produce student films as well which are broadcast on M-Net's set of channels on DStv.

MultiChoice Kenya takes financial TV channels CNBC Africa and Bloomberg away from DStv Compact subscribers.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice Kenya has taken away the business news TV channels CNBC Africa (DStv 410) and Bloomberg (DStv 411) from DStv Compact subscribers as part of what the pay-TV operator calls a "refresh" of the DStv Compact package in the East African country.

MultiChoice gave no explanation for removing CNBC Africa and Bloomberg from DStv Compact. Since December the two news channels are now only available on the DStv Compact Plus and DStv Premium packages in Kenya.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our customers' television viewing experience and delight them with content that resonates with them, MultiChoice did a content refresh to its DStv and GOtv offerings on 13 November 2019," MultiChoice says in a statement.