Insidus: DStv

Showing posts with label DStv. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

NEW CHANNEL ALERT: Ziric Media Coming Soon To DStv?

Ziric Media is a communication and marketing firm that specializes in advertising, event management, branding and design, Public Relations, publishing and web development . Our aim is to create an experience that goes beyond expectations. We are a onestop-shop fully equipped to produce a range of marketing and communication tools from conception to completion. It might be located in the North West province in South Africa.

According to their Facebook page, they'll be launching a channel on DStv very soon with the same name. Not much details is given about the channel as yet.

Through their promo, they mention providing epic action movies, great content and children's programming. All of which is movies perhaps the channel will revolve around that or it could be some business, media or marketing channel which is the whole point of the brand.

Update: The channel will come with motivational, educational, kids shows, talk shows and many more. It's supposedly set to be available early 2021 on DStv.

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Here's What To Expect On DStv New Turkish Entertainment Channel, TDC

Timeless Drama Channel (TDC) is scheduled to launch 1st November as a pop-up channel on DStv channel 123 if it does alright there won't be a need to throw it away and according to sources it will be made available on DStv Family in South Africa and likely Compact in the rest of Africa. The availability is likely to change in the end the channel's launch date won't change.

TDC is currently available on StarTimes and for a short time on Starsat. The channel will be available in Turkish with English subtitles provided. If you were able to watch Turkish shows in Afrikaans on e.tv you're bound to watch this channel.

The following shows listed are currently available on TDC through StarTimes and will surface on DStv at launch:

RED SCARF
Beautiful Asiye, a rebel spirit in a small town, meets the mischevious and handsome İlyas, when he has an accident at the motocross tracks. Their love-at-first-sight grows fast in just a few days – but brings along its own problems.

KARADAYI
Istanbul, 1970s. The Kara family is highly respected in the working class area where they live and Mahir’s father Nazif is looked upon as ‘Karadayi’– the benign godfather of the area, who people turn to for advice and help in time of need. Unfortunately, the family’s life turns upside down because of a wrongful accusation that results in the imprisonment of Nazif Kara for a murder he didn’t commit.

MOMS AND MOTHERS
Set in 1970s Turkey, Moms and Mothers tells the story of two young women whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined. Kader lives in a small village in Anatolia and longs for nothing more than a happy life with Mustafa, but following a tragic accident, she is left alone in Istanbul. Zeliha is a smart, educated woman whose passionate relationship with the activist Murat leaves her in danger and ultimately widowed and pregnant. 9 months on, the two women’s paths cross…

WINGS OF LOVE
Alper Eren is a famous cook and has his own restaurant, he is married with Berna and they have a daughter, Çiçek. They want to separate because they are always fighting and Berna secretly has an affair with Alper’s best friend, Onur.

KURT SEYIT & SHURA
Kurt Seyit & Shura is about the adventures of two people in love who broke away from their magnificent lives in Russia and were dragged to Istanbul.
The journey of Kurt Seyit, a lieutenant from Crimea, and Shura, the beautiful daughter of a noble Russian family, from the days of magnificence to the Carpathian front line, from the riots to revolution, from Alushta to occupied Istanbul, to Pera in the 1920’s, is in a sense the journey of their love.

OTHER PROGRAMMING THAT HAS OR WILL LIKELY FOLLOW ON THE CHANNEL

BLACK MONEY LOVE (aired on FOX Life and eExtra)
Ömer is a police officer who wants to unveil the truth about the possible murder of his fiancée, who committed suicide. He signs a deal with the state: He will find the stolen diamonds and in return, will learn the identity of his fiancée's murderer. Elif finds out that her late father was actually a money-laundering mobster. Now, she has to maintain her family and pay for the 2 billion dollar debt for diamonds. Besides, her sister is in the hands of villains.

20 MINUTES
20 Minutes tells the story of the mild-mannered history teacher Ali, who is thrown into a world of action and intrigue when his beloved wife Melek is arrested for the attempted murder of a young man – Kerim. Ali must abandon his books and find inner strength and courage that he did not know he had, in order to free his wife and reclaim his family life.

DARK LOVE
Kemal is a young man who lives in a working-class neighbourhood in Istanbul. His father Hüseyin is a barber, and his mother Fehime a housewife. He has two siblings: an older brother Tarik, who is jealous of Kemal; and a younger sister Zeynep. Nihan is a rich young woman. She has a twin brother Ozan and lives with her parents Vildan and Önder. Emir Kozcuoglu is an arrogant businessman who holds a great love for Nihan.
Önder's business is slowly coming to an end. Vildan, unable to give up her rich life, wants Nihan to marry Emir to save the family business, but Nihan refuses as she dislikes Emir's arrogance and protectiveness of her. Nihan and Kemal first meet on a bus. A month later, Kemal saves Nihan's life, and their friendship starts and slowly turns into love.

THE END
Aylin is a woman who has everything. She is deeply in love with her husband, Selim, a doting mother to their handsome son Ömer. She drops Selim off at the airport one morning and everything changes. His plane crashes.
There are no survivors. After days of overwhelming grief, comes a glimmer of hope: The airline realizes his name was not on the passenger list. Wherever he is, he is not dead – he never boarded the plane
The End. Would you go all the way to find the truth?

THE 8TH DAY
Bahar is a clever and cheerful college student. She has grown in wealth and lived a happy life... Until one day when everything turns upside down. Her mother Şehnaz, who was a software engineer at the Lotus company, is killed. Bahar steps aways from her safe life, into a dark world. People who killed her mother are after Bahar now. She tries to survive her enemies while working to solve the mystery behind her mother’s death.

FIVE BROTHERS
Could any two men be alike? No. Neither are these five brothers; not at all in fact. There is one thing that binds these five unique characters and it is their unshakable family bond.
That is until one day, when Sait, the older brother who is the father figure of the five, decides it is time to focus on his own life. Though his wishes are for a responsible, adult life, he soon finds himself in even more chaos, locked in a love triangle. With his concerns lying elsewhere, his brothers too start developing their own independence - with mixed results!

These are the list of movies that aired on the channel as advertised in their brochure:
- Yildizar Da Kayar
- Umudun Kiyisinda
- Sürgün Inek
- SÜPÜRRR!
- Senarist
- OT
- Ogrenci Isleri
- N'apcaz Sindi
- Meleknerin Mucizesi
- MC Dandik
- Golge
- Gerí Döndü
- Celceken Bir Ciin
- Figuran
- Bìzìm Küçük Günahlarmiz
- Bezm I Ezel
- Beni De Götür

Saturday, October 10, 2020

SABC, e.tv And DStv Ratings For The Month Of September

SABC 1:
Uzalo 8 941 556
Generations the Legacy Soap 7 501 221
Skeem Saam 6 728 015
Sgudi Snaysi 4 680 778
Xhosa News 4 449 139
Zulu News 4 204 420
Sgud'snaysi 3 993 416
Nyan Nyan Real 3 372 564
Live Amp 3 227 790
Family Secrets 3 175 493
Selimathunzi 3 167 525
Women Year 3 028 545
Moshidi`s Child 2 991 247
Throwback Thursday 2 866 948
Uzalo - Repeat 2 762 727
Soccer Build-up 2 684 518
Nedbank Cup Final:Bloemfontein Celtic Vs Spor 2 680 785
Skeem Saam - Repeat 2 669 535
Ngomusa 2 667 907
Grey Matter 2 593 860

SABC 2:
Muvhango 3 885 070
President Ramaphosa's Address to the Nat 2 267 624
Lithapo 1 677 056
7De Laan 1 605 770
Fokus 1 374 772
Vutha 1 279 776
Nuus News 3.51 1 262 813 11.5
Mokgonyana Mmatswale 1 215 544
Ses/Tsw/Sep News 1 192 756
Ngwanaka Ngwanaka O Kae 1 053 594
Muvhango - 1 028 429
Nllllgwanaka O Kae? 1 027 302
Lithapo - Repeat Dram 812 736
Touched by An Angel Dram 709 424
Venda/Tsonga News News 687 678
Skeem Saam - Repeat 686 196
Morning Live 672 423
Melody 666 403
Live Lotto Draw 645 323
Excuse Me for Living 626 908

SABC 3:
Absa Premiership Polokwane City vs Mamel 810 424
March of the Elephants 801 162
Dynasties: Making of 764 203
Blood River Crossing 749 398 Wildebeeste: Born to Run 707 602
The Great Dancer 534 875
The Abc`s Mountain Biking 515 649
Travis Pastrana 478 687
The Greatest Dancer 475 359
Knight Rider 453 661
The A-Team 442 069
Top Billing 421 813
Mela 403 223
Ama Knows Best 393 620
Music 384 595
Generations the Legacy - Repeat 373 974
My Super Ex-Girlfriend 368 151
News 365 957
Celebrated Love 345 859
Soccer Wrap Spor 337 063

e.tv:
e.tv Scandal 4 718 764
Rhythm City 3 890 600
Imbewu 3 688 674
Mechanic II 2 996 757
The Fate of the Furious Movi 2 821 913
Leon Schuster Schucks Tshabalala's Survi 2 805 694
Xxx Return of Xander Cage 2 729 983
The Boss Baby 2 253 548
The Mechanic 2 234 446
The Angry Birds Movie 1 864 411
Family Feud South Africa 1 748 439
The Emoji Movie 1 744 999
Just for Laughs Gags Filler 1 727 042
Imbewu - Repeat 1 600 733
e.tv Scandal - Repeat 1 456 505
Checkpoint 1 441 452
Rhythm City - Repeat 1 399 047
Spartan Race: Ultimate Team Challenge 1 282 568
Imbewu: Omnibus 1 282 729
Deur Dik En Dun 1 281 636

DStv:
Gomora (Mzansi) 1 145 095 & 1 515 452
The Queen (Mzansi) 1 108 051 & 1 429 055
The Powerball Draw (Mzansi) 938 456 & 1 158 581
Idols SA (Mzansi) 900 614 & 1 145 558
You Promise to Marry Me (Moja) 887 726 & 1 027 753
Our Perfect Wedding (Wethu) 840 146 & 1 113 641
The River (Mzansi) 784 497 & 969 593
Isibaya 726 847 & 926 714
Uthando Nesthembu 619 011 & 738 219
Losing Lerato 609 047 & 755 371
The Throne - Repeat 553 221 & 664 160
The Queen (Wethu) 552 571 & 727 635
The Queen - O (Wethu) 541 926 & 699 805
The Real Housewives of Johannesburg (Wethu) 536 826 & 675 042
Joko Ya Hao (Mzansi) 495 727 & 586 302
The Queen - Repeat (Wethu) Dram 483 760 & 582 227
Isibaya - Repeat (Wethu) 481 164 & 560 025
Loving Thokoza (Mzansi) 476 250 & 591 794
Ngithande (Bioskop) 447 834 & 540 972 One Night with My Ex SA (Wethu) 444 327 & 566 511
Ifour Room (Bioskop) 432 667 & 541 233 Housekeepers (Mzansi) 432 444 & 564 969
Please Step in (Mzansi) 430 519 & 553 948
A Mother's Gift (Bioskop) 423 967 & 506 801
Isithembiso (Wethu) 421 945 & 482 746
Unmarried (Mzansi) 410 326 & 521 770
Ngithande Wena (Bioskop) 407 682 & 489 538
Umapendane (Bioskop) 404 576 & 489 306
Mamazala (Moja) 403 069 & 520 189
Amagugu (Wethu) 402 338 & 424 567

Friday, October 9, 2020

MultiChoice CEO On Content And Channel Collection

Aletta Alberts: It's not the one or the other, it's more a hybrid. There will always be linear channels because there is content that people want to see live, and things that we see that people still prefer to watch on a linear channel more so than on-demand.

People show much more tolerance for shorter, "event-like" series on-demand because the experience is like binge-watching, compared to say sitting through a 22-episode anything, unless you're very committed or you watch it in intervals.

Yes, the world has changed but the channels is still very, very strong and on a daily basis, we still get pitched hundreds of new TV channels every week. But the world is shifting in the sense that there are other genres coming to the foreground.

Also, as the base of viewers grows, the mix of the base is changing, so you are looking for different content. So we know that the top-end for instance in South Africa where it's not a homogenous market here and they've got a lot of access to Wifi, they're more moving towards streaming services and over-the-top services and watching content that is maybe slightly more discerning or niche genres that are more about personal taste than watching things in groups.

Then when you get to the middle market and lower, those viewers still want to see content that they can watch together and they also don't have hours and hours and gigabytes of data to view with.

Having said that, there are still genres that people want to watch live. People want to watch reality TV live because if they don't watch it live, they can't take part in the social conversation. You don't, for instance, want to watch MasterChef on OTT or something like Our Perfect Wedding or My Kitchen Rules or those types of shows because everybody wants to comment on the dress or what people are doing wrong. People do still want to watch that live because of social media. I think the reason why we are taking channels off-we're taking content off that we believe can go sit on OTT because audiences are so small now on those channels that it doesn't warrant it to have actual linear channels anymore; and only look at those channels that are really mass-market channels over time, as the base keeps on changing.

In Africa, the channels business is still very, very, very big and will be for the foreseeable future. I don't think that's something that's going to change overnight.

Update: Mindset Pop On DStv And DBE Learning On OpenView

Earlier in the year, Covid19 hit South African shores forcing schools and businesses to shut down. During that time, service providers were trying to source out content that was educating and entertaining to viewers.

MultiChoice and Mindset teamed up to launch a spinoff pop-up channel catered to Grade 4-9 with a mix of Grade 1-3 called Mindset Pop (also known as Mindset's Pop Primary) in South Africa and the rest of Africa on channel 317.

eMedia Investments teamed up with the Department of Education to launch DBE Learning which caters Grade 10-12 with additional subjects to help out the current Mindset channel. It is currently occupies channel 122.

Both channels were available from 1st April. Through media outlets, DBE Learning as stated would be available until the end of September while Mindset Pop would be available until 10 December according to MultiChoice Africa earlier in the year.

Now DBE Learning is still running on the OpenView despite reaching its cutoff date so it's possible that there are no plans to do away with the channel. It first launched as a channel for Grade 10-12 now they added material for Grade 1-3 meaning it's no different to Mindset.

Mindset Pop has been dominating the DStv platform and is highly recommended through schools and educational forums across Africa. Several outlets still list it as a pop-up channel but no cutoff date was actually confirmed for South Africa (only ROA) and through an enquiry their customer care listed it as a permanent channel for customers and this very likely includes the rest of Africa.

Schools are now reopened under several conditions and children in most schools get time off meaning they won't able to wrapup their academics but with these channels put in place they'll help them catch-up.

Friday, October 2, 2020

Limpopo TV Might Launch On OpenView Really Soon, No News On Whether DStv Or Starsat Will Be Adding It Soon

Limpopo's first ever TV channel launched in the beginning of October offering quality programming from shows that are created, delivered and produced by talent from the province.

There's been a lot of hype about the channel's presence on DStv, Starsat and OpenView in the beginning of the year through other people and the channel themselves. Even viewers with Starsat where able to view the channel without changing settings before the channel disappeared.

After the launch of Limpopo TV you could only access if you unlock the public channels on your decoder. The channel's media handler did mention that they are in negotiations with several service providers.

So far it looks like OpenView is one of the confirmed service providers. The channel founder mentioned that:
We are at the Final Stages of our Negotiations with the Provider and we will wait for them to Release the News first then we will also Share.

The channel might pop up on Starsat and DStv but viewers will likely get it later as both providers are still rolling out more channels in the coming months maybe they'll be able to squeeze this one in as an added bonus like they were suppose to do with the long awaited channel, SABC Education.

Netflix And DStv Are The Monopoly Of Africa

MultiChoice's DStv and Netflix have been the top players in cable and streaming respectively for over a decade. Before they were like cats and dogs now they've seemingly become besties so here's how the pair are similar.

MultiChoice's DStv has provided funding for several channels like Moja Love and Newsroom Afrika while Netflix has provided funding for several businesses like DreamWorks Animation (which spawned the DreamWorks Channel) so if there such case where these platforms shut down these brands would likely shutdown or downsize if possible.

Dependency - Through a briefing with ICASA, Cape Town TV revealed that they're reliant on DStv in order alongside several other channels like the SABC while Nickelodeon, Disney and NBCUniversal provided distributed several old and exclusive programming through Netflix.

Quantity - Netflix provided over a hundred new content a year while DStv provided over 120 TV channels. Quality - they're both not perfect, Netflix is mass producing making it hard to actually find something worth watching while DStv provides 1000 hours of new content in 12 years when Netflix can actually do that in 4 months.

Superiority - DStv has the sports, local dramas and news to keep viewers onboard while Netflix has their large catalogue and doesn't have much knowledge of the African heritage to back them meaning bigger is better.

Competition - DStv's only competitor charges almost half of Compact subscription (Starsat), what turns people off about their rival is the lack of premium entertainment and sports. Netflix has Amazon Prime which is barely hyped about in Africa and least talked about it.

Costs - DStv and Netflix monitor the subscription based on the programming and the economy. If Netflix doesn't hike their subscription yearly it's only due to the fact that they supply content not channels.

Repeats: You can repeatedly stream the same season of Umbrella Academy on Netflix and still get charged for all those times you were binging the show (that answers your question on DStv).

CONCLUSION: Netflix and DStv are overrated it's up to you on which platform you invest your money onto. My advice don't invest in Netflix only because they offer a lot of content unless you plan to follow those shows and don't invest your money onto DStv if you'll only watch 1 channel.

Friday, September 25, 2020

The SIC Channels Reportedly Being The Next Channels To Get Pulled Off From DStv In Angola And More Likely The Rest Of Africa

"DStv informs that SIC International Africa and SIC News will leave our platform from October 15th", reads the message sent to all customers by the South African company MultiChoice's satellite television service. Contacted by Lusa, SIC's official source, confirmed the information, by email, but without further details. Another source from Carnaxide said only that the withdrawal was due to "contractual issues", excluding editorial reasons.

In MultiChoice's press release, to which Lusa had access, the operator says that the cancellation of SIC Internacional and SIC Notícias, as of October 15, is part of their "ongoing efforts to update" the content grid and "optimize the set of channels available. MultiChoice justifies the decision with a "greater focus on investment and local content offering" and ensures that it "will not give up" on "offering the best content available" to its customers.

"As a business born and raised in Africa, we have made significant investments in the development of original African programming to deliver the best African content on the continent," stresses the South African company, which operates in sub-Saharan Africa through the DStv platform.

MultiChoice said it will create "a platform to share Angolan stories," while recognizing that investment in local content faces constraints such as "market size" and "ability to fund these initiatives. SIC channels had previously been suspended by DStv on June 5, 2017, but at the time the company did not explain the decision, regretting only the "inconvenience caused".

At that time, DStv joined the decision taken earlier by satellite television operator Zap, of businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, who, on March 14, 2017, had interrupted the broadcasting of SIC Internacional and SIC Notícias channels in the Angolan and Mozambican markets, after the Portuguese channel had released critical reports of the regime of former President José Eduardo dos Santos.

At the time, the decision was justified by the costs of acquiring the rights of the two Portuguese channels.

In September 2018, after more than a year without broadcasting in Angola, the Carnaxide station announced its return to DStv.

SIC K, SIC Mulher, SIC Caras and SIC Radical are still available on the Zap grid, and have never been suspended.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

BBC Upfront + Other Rumored Developments For DStv

BBC held a virtual upfront today to discuss details relating to the new agreement they had with MultiChoice and also unveil a bunch of programming for their channels. Here's the scoop (part of it mentioned earlier):
- MultiChoice made the decision to remove BBC First (they didn't mention it but it gave it away) and BBC is trying to get viewers hooked onto BBC Brit which will be the new hub for content that was available on First.
- BBC Brit will broadcast the new anthology miniseries, Small Axe this summer in South Africa. The 5-episode Small Axe drama series revolves around stories focused on the experience of black people in Britain, with the cast that includes John Boyega.
- Production of the latest 6th season of Come Dine with Me South Africa produced by Rapid Blue TV on BBC Lifestyle shut down because of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic but will restart soon for the last few episodes of the season that will then be shown.
- BBC Earth will broadcast Perfect Planet, with Sir David Attenborough as the narrator. Two new series filmed in Africa, will be Work On the Wild Side, and Waterhole: Africa's Animal Oasis. Other upcoming series include: Age of Nature and Ades Climate Pioneers.
- CBeebies which was available only on Premium and Compact+ will now be available on DStv Compact, Family and Access presumably around the time Disney XD stops airing on the platform.
- BBC Lifestyle will be available in high definition.

Rumored developments that have nothing to do with BBC:
- More channels are rumored to get pulled off these include regional channels.
- Nickelodeon will be open for a limited time to celebrate the launch of Danger Force.
Packages: Access, Family and Compact
- fliekNET will be available for 3 days in October.
Packages: Compact+
- M-Net Movies 2 will be open from 6:00-18:00
Packages: All packages
- EVA and National Geographic will be opened for a limited time
Packages: Access
- Telemundo will be added onto DStv Easyview from 19 October (with the deduction of new telenovelas it wouldn't shock me if it dropped from three to just two current telenovelas)
- SABC Education will be added soon you just need to wait on SABC to provide those details.
Packages: All packages
- There's been rumours that MultiChoice changed the availability for the 4 remaining channels before you'd need Compact to watch all 5 new channels now that's been adjusted in some markets. There's also been talks of expanding current channels.

Friday, September 18, 2020

Court TV Expands Into UK, Will Africa Follow Soon(Including DStv And StarTimes)

The real-life dramas of criminal trials in the US now have an international audience as Court TV launches in the UK.

Court TV is now available on Sky channel 179, with more distribution agreements expected to be announced soon.

Building on its popularity with US audiences and advertisers, Court TV’s UK channel provides viewers access to, and expert analysis of true-life courtroom dramas taking place in the US today, from opening proceedings, gavel-to-gavel, all the way through to the verdict. Daytime trial coverage in the US will air in primetime in the UK given the time difference.

“There’s been nothing like Court TV in the United Kingdom until now,” said Jonathan Katz, president and CEO of Katz Networks, part of The EW Scripps Company, which owns Court TV. “American crime dramas have long been a staple on television worldwide, including the U.K., while global consumer interest in the real-life drama of true-crime programming has skyrocketed, with American reality crime content as the most-watched. Court TV is the only network covering these cases and these events live, as they happen, from start to finish. We anticipate viewers in the UK will embrace having a front-row seat to American criminal justice.”

The UK launch of Court TV coincides with the 25th anniversary of the O.J. Simpson murder trial verdict, which saw the former American football star and popular celebrity found not guilty of double murder. On October 3rd and 4th, Court TV will present a marathon of its 25-episode original docuseries OJ25, which looks back at the infamous case, encapsulating the courtroom action in chronological order.

Court TV launched July 1st 1991 and ran until the end of 2007. Katz Broadcasting, LLC (E.W. Scripps Company) revived the channel back in 2018 before it's demise WarnerMedia owned the brand for a short period of time.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

KIX, The Ultimate Destination For Action Movies On DStv

Please note I'm typing most of the info from the video below:

KIX, the ultimate destination for action movies bringing you the latest, the biggest and the most popular action movies from the East and West.

Turn up the heat with never seen before movies (which doesn't imply that it's the latest) from up and coming action stars.

Blockbusters from Asia and Hollywood all in one place.

KIX, the ultimate destination in action movies showcasing the best in Chinese martial arts and the legendary Kung Fu masters (Jet Li and Jackie Chan). The channel is not used for Chinese movies only if you look at the promo below robocop is interested in the lineup.

Experience all the action at its very best presented all in English.

KIX will be available to DStv Premium, Compact+ and Compact customers from 1st October at 18:00 CAT

Monday, September 14, 2020

TLNovelas Comes To DStv

DStv customers, get ready for some thrilling entertainment as Televisa Networks and MultiChoice Group launch a brand new pop-up channel on DStv.

tlnovelas, launching Monday 14 September at 17:40 on DStv 133, hosts the most successful telenovelas from the Televisa Group’s more than 800 titles. Available until August 2021, the channel is open to all DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact and Family customers.

Telenovela paradise
tlnovelas aims to delight DStv customers with stories that will captivate them through compelling plots that will certainly drive unique emotional connections with viewers. From young adults, women, men and even children, there is a story for everyone to enjoy. The channel explores various genres, from romantic comedies, epic dramas and binge-worthy stories for the young and old. Programming of tlnovelas include great stories such as “Teresa”, “My Heart is Yours” (Mi Corazón es Tuyo), “Passion and Power” (Pasión y Poder) and “Fooled into Love” (Amores con Trampa), not forgetting the flagship show “Love Spell” (Sortilegio) which will premiere on the day of launch.

“As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, we are unwavering in our commitment to ensure that we continue to find the best available content and stories to delight our customers, both now and into the future. We endeavour to deliver both world-class international content as well as the very best in local content, giving our loyal customers a never-ending selection of outstanding entertainment,” says Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO for General Entertainment and Connected Video.

This channel launch showcases the growing value of tlnovelas brand worldwide, with the English version of tlnovelas, Televisa continues its position as a leader in the Pay-TV market by offering content with the best quality” said Fernando Muñiz, General Director of Televisa Networks and Televisa International. And added: “We continue to experience rapid growth all over the world due to partnerships with outstanding media players, such as Multichoice, and we are excited to take the next step of this expansion around the world.”

Your new favourite shows await

1. Fooled into Love
The Carmonas live a simple and peaceful rural life at a village in Mexico’s inland and they own one of the biggest mines of the region. They are forced to move to the city after the government pays them good money for their huge land. On arriving at the city, they must deal with several situations inherent to the adaptation process in the metropolis and at the same time, family conflicts when some of its members want to go back to the quiet rural life in which they grew up.

2. Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart is a remake of the 1994 Mexican telenovela, Marimar. Viewers are introduced to Maricruz Olivares, who lives with Ramiro, her maternal grandfather, and Solita, who is unable to hear and who was found abandoned, by her mom and her grandpapa when she was a baby. She lives in an informal settlement located in the middle of nature, near the Narvaéz's ranch property line owned by siblings Miguel and Octavio. Octavio is a pilot and arrives in the ranch in need of money since he has lost his job and wants the lands to be sold. He doesn't imagine that soon he will forget this purpose and will discover that the earth, the sowing and sharing with the workmen become a source of passion for him.

3. Love Spell
Victoria had an affair with her husband Samuel's, friend, Antonio Lombardo, resulting in the birth of twins, Bruno and Raquel. Antonio also had a son, Alejandro, with his wife Adriana. After their respective spouses passed away, they reunited and got married. However, they didn't tell their children that they are half-siblings, as that would reveal their infidelities. Instead they raised their children to recognize each other as step-siblings.

Years pass, and Bruno comes to be an irresponsible man who does not respect laws. Alejandro, on the other hand, is very responsible. Antonio prefers Alejandro over Bruno and decides that Alejandro should inherit his money when he passes away. Antonio and Victoria have a meeting at Bruno's high school about Bruno's behavior and are told that he is expelled. While leaving the school, Antonio is run over and killed. Thus begins a story of intrigue, sibling hatred and rivalry, two sons in love with and fighting for the love of the same women, corporate espionage, and twin sisters torn apart by circumstance.

4. A Beloved Man
Odorico Cienfuegos (Jesús Ochoa) is a politician who wins the elections for the prefecture of a small municipality called Loreto, under the promise of building a new cemetery. To obtain this position, he counts on the help of three sisters: Justina (Chantal Andere), Dulcina (Nora Salinas), Santina (Irán Castillo), with whom he maintains a secret relationship.

But in spite of this conflict, Odorico's greatest problem is his daughter Valeria (Mariluz Bermúdez), who returns to the town and falls madly in love with Leon Serrano (Mark Tacher), the new doctor of the region. Valeria and Leon met in Mexico City after Valeria had an overdose from alcohol. Leon quickly becomes Odorico's enemy. Odorico, obsessed with the famous cemetery, quickly needs someone to die. However, no case of death has been recorded in recent times, causing Odorico to use every chance he has to tell a depressed citizen, such as Liborio, who is abandoned by his wife several times, that there a funeral is coming.

Friday, September 11, 2020

With Less Kids Entertainment On Cable, Here's A List Of Possible Kids Channels That Might Occupy Disney XD Spot On DStv

In less than 21 days, Disney XD will shut down on DStv and since MultiChoice won't be looking at alternatives for 304 yet I complied a list of possible candidates. There's not much kids entertainment left in the world that viewers haven't already seen but these channels are the only ones left that cater to the same audience as XD and I can see part of them die like XD at some point. In the end, MultiChoice managed to package a total of 15 kids channels and not a lot of countries can do that.

NBCUNIVERSAL:
DreamWorks Channel, a kids channel owned by NBCUniversal (since 2016) which is home to archived and current DreamWorks animation including Dawn Of The Croods, All Hail King Julien and DreamWorks Dragons. The channel was available exclusively through Kwesé TV (till it got liquidated) and a year later on StarTimes.

Universal Kids also owned by NBCUniversal targeting a youth audience, including DreamWorks Animation content, unscripted programming (including game shows, and youth spin-offs of reality series from its sister networks, such as American Ninja Warrior and Top Chef), and imported series from other countries.

WARNERMEDIA:
Toonami owned by WarnerMedia is the home of superheroes particularly from DC Comics. Exciting, action-packed comics-based cartoon shows for fanboys-and-girls including Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Young Justice. The channel was available exclusively through Kwesé TV (liquidated), a few months later on Cell C's Black (defunct) and a year later as a pop-up channel on DStv and became a permanent channel on StarTimes.

Boing also owned by WarnerMedia is a reruns channel for past programming seen on Cartoon Network including Puffy Amiyumi, Ed Edd'n Eddy, Dexter's Laboratory and Courage The Cowardly Dog alongside some acquired programming such as The Garfield Show and Sonic Boom. The channel is available in some parts of Africa.

Genius Brands:
Kartoon Channel (formerly Kid Genius and Baby Genius) is the home of the very best in kids and familiy entertainment across major cable/satellite providers and OTT platforms. Their shows have no violence, no negative stereotypes, and no inappropriate language. The lineup includes Minecraft’s Journey to the End, Angry Birds Toons, Mighty7, Rainbow Rangers and Llama Llama. GNUS described it as Netflix for kids.

Stats:
- DreamWorks content is accessible on many platforms while Universal Kids can supply that content on a limited basis due to the other programming seen on the channel.
- Universal Kids is the least watched channel in the U.S. and the only channel here that's not gaining traction.
- Kartoon Channel is the brand with several platforms to view.
- Toonami and Boing are pure repeats channels meaning if there's a time where streaming dominates the market these channels can be obsolete.
- Most of DreamWorks Animation is coming from Netflix meaning if the platform feels like not investing in the brand then the channel could become obsolete. On the bright side more platforms are working with this brand for more programming guarantee longevity.

- Discovery EMEA streamlining channels

- Zoomoo kiddies lineup
- Scrapped channels on DStv - their status is still unknown

Sunday, September 6, 2020

As Expected, Disney XD And FOX Life Stop Airing On DStv By The End Of September

This news came from another African market and not South Africa but I'm certain that it includes every other market considering the state of both channels.

At the beginning of September, Disney Channel started airing shows from Disney XD so they kind of gave it away at that point while FOX Life is replacing the remaining telenovelas with repeats of past reality shows.

MultiChoice will be adding TLNovelas and from what I remember FOX Life supplied content from there so that should make a fine replacement for the FOX Life channel while Disney XD doesn't need replacing since Disney Channel will now supply content from that channel.

Disney XD launched in the early 2010s on DStv and kind of outshined Disney Channel in a way since most children prefer animation as opposed to sitcoms. I wasn't a fan of XD because it made it easier for Disney Channel to cancel programs. Now that XD will be off the market Disney Channel will have to work extra hard to please viewers.

FOX Life launched in 2016 in the place of FOX Crime and FX. The channel started out as a general entertainment channel carrying all the realistic programs with FOX handling the niche, crime and paranormal stuff then FOX Life dedicated themselves to unfinished Turkish shows and boring reality shows. This channel is definitely getting canned from StarSat/StarTimes I'm confident about that now.

MultiChoice in that mysterious market had this to say to the individual:
MultiChoice Group (MCG) has confirmed that as of September 30th at 23:59 CAT, Disney XD (channel 304) and FOX Life (channel 126) will stop airing on the DStv platform. The change is a result of ongoing review of channels by content providers and platform partners.

Update:

As per your query, I wanted to close the loop with this update:

We can now confirm that the Disney XD and FoxLife channels will close at midnight on Wednesday 30 September.

As the television landscape and viewer consumption evolves, we continue to develop and review our products and services - including with our platform partners - to ensure we are offering the best possible experience for consumers.

Whilst Disney XD will no longer air, some of the channels most popular and iconic animated and live action series will be brought to Disney Channel, expanding the channel’s programming offer to viewers. Whilst FoxLife will no longer air, we are excited to continue to entertain DStv viewers with world-class series and programming from Fox Channel.

We are excited to continue to bring our viewers popular and iconic programming from our extensive media networks channels.

You may quote “Disney Africa spokesperson”, should you require.

Update: 5 New Channels Coming To DStv

MultiChoice had a showcase were these 5 channels were unveiled which can explain their staff's cluelessness over its existence. More details on the channels have surfaced, please note that the availability of these channels are not definite as they're likely to change.

tlnovelas
Channel: 133
Broadcast dates: 14 September 2020 to August 2021
Package: DStv Family, Compact, Compact+ and Premium
English-dubbed Mexican telenovelas, not made by Telemundo.

ZooMoo
Channel: 314
Package: DStv Family, Compact, Compact+ and Premium
Broadcast dates: 1 November 2020 to 31 March 2021
Canadian interactive pre-school channel featuring a mix of live action combined with animation and puppets. Aimed at kids aged 2-7.

KIX
Channel: 114
Package: Compact, Compact+ and Premium
Broadcast dates: Permanent channel, starting on 1 October.
Asian action movies. KIX features martial arts, action and thriller movies from the East and West, all presented in English.

Timeless Drama Channel
Channel: 123
Package: DStv Family, Compact, Compact+ and Premium
Broadcast dates: 1 November 2020 to 31 March 2021
Turkish telenovelas and costume dramas dubbed into English.

TVN
Channel: 134
Package: DStv Family, Compact, Compact+ and Premium
Broadcast dates: From 1 November to 31 March
2021
South Korean dramas, also presented in English.

IMPORTANT: These 4 channels can be permanent channels depending on the impact it has with viewers. If they don't close on their specified date that means it's permanent.

Summary:
- All five will be available on Premium, Compact Plus and Compact.
- DStv Family customers get 4 channels
- DStv Access customers and others might have none of these channels, it's still unconfirmed at this point for all except KIX. If MultiChoice does advertise it for these packages as mentioned above you might get another outcome. If you visit their website Da Vinci was announced for Family customers with WWE being Compact when in fact it was Da Vinci on Access and WWE on Family.

The Next Channel Which Might Get Booted On DStv Is EVA

EVA owned by AMC International, is the home of the very best contemporary telenovelas from Latin America and around the world, starring the "newest" and most brilliant actresses and actors form Latin America tv. A potent mix of love, jealousy and betrayal. The channel launched 5 years ago on DStv channel 141 with shows from Azteca TV, Venevision and Caracol Television.

In 2017, MultiChoice Africa (not South Africa) decided to add a second EVA channel (EVA+) for those without EVA kind of like what ViacomCBS had with the two BET channels on DStv. At the time that plus channel had 90% repeats.

AMC International is seemingly neglecting the EVA channels for starters the main channel mostly has double bill of Bold for fresh entertainment other than that it's repeats while EVA+ is a just a catch-up channel. If EVA is still breathing it's more likely for Bold and the Beautiful.

MultiChoice had plenty of channels in EVA's position like Sony Channel and Sony MAX that channel was still relevant for The Amazing Race then there was AMC for Fear The Walking Dead with its successor (Sundance TV) adding some documentaries.

If a company wants to guarantee themselves longevity they should be milking off on a variety of products instead of one e.g. E! with The Kardashians, Zee TV with KumKum Bhagya and CNN with Trump.

Discovery is pulling through despite the changes they had over the years. They manage about 9 channels in South Africa and only 3 are used for repeats. Then there's Nicktoons which was a reruns channel for past animation on Nickelodeon until ViacomCBS decided to give it some exclusive programming it may offer more than the main channel thanks to acquisitions and a block but Nickelodeon is still dominating.

In short if you're going have a +1 channel make sure you have enough programs in your vault like at least 5 years worth of programming and EVA was around since 2015 and only got a second channel after two years. If you're going to expand after a shorter period you must have achieved a lot within that period what did EVA achieve after two years in general.

MultiChoice is adding 2 telenovela channels and 1 Korean channel what are the chances people pay attention to EVA once it's available. The likelihood is that they'll lure viewers away from EVA and a portion from Telemundo. Even FOX Life is hanging around these three channels the likelihood is EVA and FOX Life get canned from the platform with these three new channels keeping viewers occupied.

Friday, September 4, 2020

Fashion One Stops Airing On DStv And StarTimes In General

Fashion One (DStv 178) that has been running outdated and old content on a loop, abruptly stopped broadcasting without warning a few days ago. MultiChoice that tried to engage the Fashion One owners has removed Fashion One with immediate effect from the DStv line-up. Even StarSat and StarTimes scrapped the Fashion channels as well but does anyone really care.

At the moment, DStv subscribers are still trying to digest the changes made with M-Net Movies and SuperSport while StarTimes subscribers act as if nothing happened on top of StarTimes scrapping all the channels from SPI International.

A dead source suggested that a replacement was being considered for DStv and StarTimes but it doesn't look like neither platform care about replacing it.

MultiChoice redirects viewers to Spice TV, TLC and E! while StarTimes remains unresponsive as usual.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

(Updated: 04/09/2020)TLNovelas Has A Premiere Date On DStv Alongside Package

A month ago, MultiChoice unveiled 5 new "pop-up channels" at the DStv Showcase. These channels were just sneak peeks which would answer your question on why customer care was clueless about its existence on the platform.

Each channel rollouts within a 3 month period. The first channel set to roll out on viewer's screens will be Televisa.

tlnovelas (currently available on StarTimes/Starsat) offers a huge array of English-dubbed Mexican telenovelas from Latin America's second-largest producer, Televisa.

MultiChoice and StarTimes have the awful and overrated channel FOX Life supplying content from Televisa. To make it worse FOX Life hits the repeat button after the current telenovelas so there's no need to have that useless FOX channel if tlnovelas exists.

Unlike StarTimes, tlnovelas will be available from the 14th of September 2020 until August 2021 on DStv channel 133. This pop-up format might apply to South Africa and a few other African markets as MultiChoice in some markets have a history of advertising permanent channels as popups e.g. Da Vinci, WWE Channel, PBS Kids, ESPN and AfricaNews.

There won't be a Portuguese version of the channel maybe in future they'll have one but for now it's just the English version which will be added.

TLNovelas will be available on DStv Premium, Compact+ and Compact in South Africa. Please note that the availability differs in each market so please consult MultiChoice in your country for further information.

Update: TLNovelas might launch 1st October on DStv channel 133 if not on the specified date mentioned a while back and it will be on Family in the end there's a lot of inaccuracies on their stable.

You can find the lineup here

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

These Channels Were Speculated To Be On DStv But Didn't Materialize

Over the years, there's been reports of several channels making their way to the platform some of them was supposedly confirmed by them and likely scrapped it's still unknown till this day so here's a roundup of some channels.

EWTN, offers family-oriented, spiritually-enriching programming from a Catholic point of view. The Networks’ diverse programs include live talk shows, news programs, original series and documentaries, teaching series with noted theologians, children’s shows, live coverage of the Pope, a live daily Mass, and much more. According to a representative, the channel was too expensive to get in South Africa so they were exploring ways to get it on board but till then it hit a dead end.

BabyTV is a multilingual international television channel for babies, toddlers, and parents, owned by Fox Networks Group, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, ultimately owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was originally suppose to be available around the time TopTV launched and this was long before it became Starsat and since the only update regarding the channel was the proposed channel numbers which were 307, 309 and 312.

France 24 is a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris. Its channels broadcast in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish and are aimed at the overseas market, similar to BBC World News, DW and RT.

Syfy is an American basic cable channel that is owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The channel features science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural, paranormal, drama, and reality programming. MultiChoice Africa was set to relaunch the channel but deemed it expensive while MultiChoice SA wasn't interested and deemed it niche.

eReality, yes this South African beauty was rumored to be a placeholder for the defunct eBella operated by eMedia Investments. MultiChoice even put the channel up in their test channel section. Who knows exactly why it was scrapped perhaps MultiChoice realised this channel has too much programs available on other channels on DStv.

OutTV is a Canadian English language specialty channel which broadcasts general entertainment and lifestyle programming aimed at the LGBT community. So far the brand has returned through Showmax but if you visit the media pages they never mentioned returning with local programs as well so maybe this deal they have with that platform is the start of something new.

Sonlife Broadcasting Network,

Insidus

Featured Posts

eMedia's 4 Channels Recieve Another Extension On MultiChoice's DStv, Might Go Dark By August 2024