In eMedia’s annual report for the 2024 financial year, published on Monday, the group said some 1.13 million users have registered to watch the service since its introduction in August 2021.
Although the group hasn’t disclosed how many active users eVOD has, it claimed a 19% increase in watch time over the 2023 financial year, reaching 1.3 billion minutes.
Plans for the current financial year include expanding the available applications for smart TVs
The service, which has both free and subscription components, was launched in response to other streaming services available in South Africa, including Showmax and Netflix. It includes a range of local programming, including original eMedia series and movies.
eMedia disclosed the most popular content available on eVOD. These programmes are:
• Local series: House of Z Wide; Smoke & Mirrors; and Isitha: The Enemy – Blood and Betrayal
• International series: Elif, Annekan die Swa Kry and Doodsondes
• eVOD originals: The Umbrella Men: Escape from Robben Island; Yolanda is Swanger and Piet’s Sake
Growth plans
The broadcasting group said its plans for the current financial year – to March 2025 – include expanding the available eVOD applications for smart TVs, offering new content via Openview’s new set-top box (which can connect to the internet), and offering new advertising “innovations” that include the introduction of live-stream advertising and display banner ads in programming.
In the annual report, eMedia described eVOD as the “Netflix of South Africa” – MultiChoice-owned Showmax and Netflix itself might beg to differ – and offers a platform “primarily filled with e.tv’s local content in a video-on-demand format”.
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