More news about the shift in strategy by MultiChoice has come out, now, according to reports, the popular subscription on-demand video streaming service, Showmax, will no longer be available outside Africa starting December 1, 2023.
The news comes days after the company announced that the streaming platform, Showmax Pro, will be phased out by November 30, 2023, as part of a larger effort to revamp Showmax. Showmax Pro stopped being available for new subscribers as of October 1.
Transition to DSTV Stream
Existing Showmax Pro subscribers have for now been transitioned to the far more expensive DSTV Stream, MultiChoice’s new online streaming platform that does not require a dish or decoder.
In a statement sent to customers, Showmax stated, “For the moment, we will be focused specifically on the African market and on meeting the needs of our growing customer communities across the dynamic continent”.
Partnerships and Future Plans
MultiChoice has partnered with American entertainment conglomerate, NBCUniversal, and British media house, Sky Group, to become Africa’s leading streaming service. NBCUniversal currently holds a 30% stake in Showmax.
As part of its partnership with NBCUniversal and Sky Group, Showmax was supposed to debut a new and improved version of its service, Showmax 2.0, later in the year but this has yet to happen so we can speculate an early 2024 release.
Showmax 2.0 will contain a blend of Showmax originals, international content from Sky, NBCUniversal, HBO, Warner Brothers, and Sony, and MultiChoice’s locally produced stations such as Africa Magic, Mzansi Magic, and Maisha Magic.
Subscribers will also have access to more live sports such as the English Premier League. The platform’s live sports streaming service will also be improved following the relaunch.
