- MultiChoice will launch its revamped Showmax platform in February 2024.
- Dubbed Showmax 2.0, it will replace the standard and Pro subscriptions with three new plans: Showmax Entertainment, Showmax Entertainment Mobile, and Showmax Premier League.
- This news comes after NBCUniversal, an American media giant, acquired a 30% stake in Showmax. MultiChoice partnered with NBCUniversal and the British media company Sky Group to form Earth UK Holdings Limited (EarthCo), acting as Showmax”s parent company.
Showmax Entertainment Mobile is only available on mobile devices, restricts video resolution to standard definition, and allows only one simultaneous stream per subscription.
Smart TVs, laptops, mobile devices, and media streaming devices can all stream Showmax Entertainment. Customers can simultaneously watch two streams and high-definition content.
However, neither of the two entertainment plans gives you access to additional content from the competition or to all live Premier League matches.
Showmax SuperSport-powered Premier League is the first Premier League standalone mobile streaming service to be launched in Africa. It will broadcast every Premier League match to every corner of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Exclusive to mobile devices, Showmax Premier League offers live coverage of every Premier League match and additional content. However, it does not grant access to general entertainment such as series, movies, kids’ shows, news, or documentaries.
Meanwhile, Showmax will plan for the relaunch by expanding its content lineup throughout the continent in December. It will include a mix of MultiChoice’s locally produced stations, like Africa Magic, Mzansi Magic, and Maisha Magic, and international content from Sky, NBCUniversal, HBO, Warner Brothers, and Sony.
This news follows the August 2023 report by research firm Omdia stating that Netflix has lost market share to Showmax in Africa’s streaming market. In 2021, the former held over 40% of the market.
By the end of 2021, Netflix had an estimated 2.6 million subscribers in Africa. However, 861,000 used MultiChoice’s Showmax in Africa. In the same year, Netflix held a 40% share of the African streaming market.
However, by 2022, that share had dropped to 35%, with Showmax now holding the top spot at 40%. The market is becoming more competitive, and Showmax and Amazon Prime are the main drivers of this shift.
In 2015, MultiChoice introduced Showmax, its streaming product, and is available in over 40 African markets. Besides, the company announced that starting December 1, 2023, Showmax will no longer be accessible outside Africa.
