The new Showmax to change the game for streaming in Africa
The new Showmax is here, featuring a refreshed brand and a massive content line-up, all delivered on a new streaming platform, ten months after MultiChoice, Comcast’s NBCUniversal, and Sky announced a joint streaming vision for Africa. The new Showmax app is available from 23 January and will officially be launched on 12 February.
MultiChoice in a recent statement said at the heart of the new offering is the world’s first standalone Premier League plan for mobile, with all 380 games offered live on Showmax Premier League for just N$69 a month. “In addition, there are two more Showmax plans available to customers in 44 African countries, Showmax Entertainment on mobile for an unbelievable N$39 a month at launch, as well as the Showmax Entertainment plan, where the monthly price falls from N$99 to N$89 per month,” they added.
Chief Executive of Showmax, Marc Jury said there are currently just over 450 million smartphones in the hands of individuals across Africa and more than 250 million avid football lovers on the continent. “Showmax Premier League is a game-changing product that gives individuals a ticket to the football they love, wherever they are, on the device they always have with them, at a price that is impossible not to love,” he added.
Chief Executive of the Premier League, Richard Masters said Africa is incredibly important to the Premier League and their clubs because 20% of TV audiences on any given match day come from Africa. “We are delighted with this Showmax initiative, which puts the Premier League in your pocket at a new price point so that millions more can enjoy our fantastic competition,” he added.
MultiChoice further explained that core to the success of Showmax’s streaming ambitions in Africa is the new technical platform, Peacock, which is robust and built to scale. “With the launch of Showmax, the Peacock streaming platform will be active in more than 70 countries and is continually enhanced by the combined expertise of thousands of engineers,” they emphasised.
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Direct-to-Consumer and International at NBCUniversal, Patrick Miceli said Peacock’s best-in-class technology platform will deliver a world-class streaming experience to Showmax audiences.”The Peacock platform was designed from day one to support both live and on-demand content, including the biggest live sporting events, so we look forward to extending that capability and reliability to the new Showmax,” he added.
Chief Executive of MultiChoice Group, Calvo Mawela said nobody understands Africa like they do. “Showmax is putting the continent first with a powerful steaming service that will revolutionize streaming in Africa in 2024,” he concluded.
