Development Alert (Rumour): CineMagic To Get A Duplicate Channel On The DStv Platform

During the month, Novela Magic was ripped away from more consumers across Africa with consumers wondering why they're paying more money if they're getting less channels and this comes almost 4 months after its exit from the South African market.

As seen in selected territories, MultiChoice allocated the general entertainment channel Magic Showcase and film channel CineMagic to low tiered consumers who weren't able to access or view the local content seen on M-Net and Mzansi Wethu.

In short, MultiChoice is done adding channels like Discovery Family or at least to top tier consumers who could already view the shows on Discovery Channel, Food Network, Investigation Discovery and HGTV.

As seen for the past couple of weeks, MultiChoice might be from what appears to be rolling out a duplicate CineMagic of course details on it's capacity remains very much a mystery.

From what is seen on the duplicate very similar to CineMagic is Trevor Noah: Nationwild, The Kandasamyms: Wedding, Stand Up Africa 2016 basically repeats of content already viewed across M-Net platforms and also an alternate lineup from the original.

There's chances that this may be a seperate feed the pay-tv platform wants to introduce to selected territories as the schedule looks somewhat drafted as most of the films that appear when this test card was put up appear in its post production stage.

With that in mind, maybe this is MultiChoice's way of making up for Novela Magic in the affected regions but as seen in regions where the channel already exists only selected consumers particularly those without M-Net or any of the Magic channels can view them.

Its eMovies And eMovies Extra Vs. TNT And CineMagic: Another Openview Vs. DStv Saga

Openview has been dominating the South African market for several years giving companies like MultiChoice a run for their money particularly for those residing on lower bouquets such as DStv Easyview as the once underachieving platform is about to go through some changes.

MultiChoice will be adding two new entertainment channels to the bouquet in the month of November, Magic Showcase and CineMagic which just helps build onto the number of alternatives in South Africa.

Openview offers less channels but they have managed to win a lot of audiences with the selection of sports, local dramas, international series, kids shows and movies. Now it appears as if MultiChoice has begun catching up to the free-to-view platform.

DStv Easyview only offered 1 movie channel TNT which has been having a bit of its ups and downs with the likes of Blade, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Final Destination, Anaconda and so forth. If it was for TNT Original Movies and All Elite Wrestling I don't how far the channel could have gotten.

Point is, TNT was at a disadvantage as Openview provided two movie channels eMovies and eMovies Extra which were able to juggle around a mix of emotions. eMovies had Pokémon, Mama Jack and Oh Schuks while eMovies Extra had Fast And Furious, Transporter and Rush Hour.

With the inclusion of CineMagic, I'm not expecting them to read each other's mind or become the sibling duo as these two fall under different grounds so the only thing that anyone should be excited about is the number of options available.

CineMagic is set to feature a mix of local and international films 18 hours a day leaving TNT to the remaining 6 hours. Although, a schedule hasn't been provided my guess would be the content is based from M-Net Movies and Mzansi Bioskop.

Over to the winners which there's none, you got to look at the benefits to the above brands to reach your conclusion. eMovies is very selective I guess that's what made them favourable on DStv, TNT has got All Elite Wrestling and CineMagic by my hunch has the local productions.

Homegrown Entertainment: Another Openview Vs. DStv Saga

SABC 1-3 and e.tv were basically the only channels you could view the bulk of local content. As they are the first channels you spot when purchasing at a TV outlet and the same to could be said when purchasing a digital terrestrial television platform or in this case, Openview.

Now in 3 million households, Openview continues to further boost their entertainment with the likes of Zee One, France24, eXposed and The Home Channel+ with plans to kind of add more channels on top rolling out a new pay-tv service, Openview+.

But if you look over this above-mentioned list of channels you'd notice that there's not much local content in store not that I watch anything from that field but if you had to look the amount of views SABC 1 gets on a monthly basis you know local is power.

I mean a series like Doodsondes can only pull less than 2 million viewers on e.tv while as a show like Scandal can almost triple that. Not saying one show is better than another but when you reside in a particular region these things are common but it's nice to have alternatives.

Point being made here is that if you didn't have a DStv you basically lose as you don't have anything that can replicate Skeem Saam, 7de Laan or The Estate but what some may not was that MultiChoice had been excluding some of their audiences.

In this case, DStv Easyview a package which some may consider as dead weight for the lake of premium entertainment channels and if we had to compare with Openview you could literally write a book. If there was one thing that these two excel at it was definitely local content.

Just like most of South Africa they were missing out on shows like Being Bonang, My Kitchen Rules SA, Battleground, Isibaya alongside another never ending list of local content. As seen these past years, the bulk of entertainment on Openview had led customers to flee the package.

Also resulting in MultiChoice to drop the fee for Easyview from R39 to R29 on a monthly basis and for years we hadn't got much update and consumers weren't given a lot of new or rather watchable content aside from TNT and Real Time.

Last month, MultiChoice announced plans to prep two entertainment channels particularly for those consumers as they plan to use the platform as an outlet to analogue following similar endeavours to eMedia's Openview.

The first already launched Magic Showcase will offer the above-mentioned shows and the latter CineMagic will offer a mixture of local and international movies 18 hours a day.

Sure it may be a bummer viewers ain't getting 24 hour screening but it's better than nothing and on the bright side eMedia is very much padded with 16-18 hour channels ranging from People's Weather, ePlesier, eToonz, eReality and eXposed.

In some way, there's a reason to get Openview mostly for third party content and finally after so many years Easyview can be used for something other than SABC 1.

New Channel Alert: Magic Showcase And CineMagic Coming Soon To DStv, Novela Magic To Stop Airing In South Africa

M-Net is adding two brand new channels to its roster, Magic Showcase and CineMagic, an exciting win for subscribers on the DStv EasyView package in South Africa. For only R29 a month, subscribers get a taste of the best high-quality content, in line with MultiChoice’s core promise to bring top-tier local entertainment – made by Africans to Africans – at the lowest price.

With analogue on its way out, now’s the perfect time to switch to digital – and DStv continues to make it even easier for consumers to do so.

Magic Showcase launches on Monday 31 October and is an 18-hour channel with content showing the best of MultiChoice’s locally-produced series, specials, and documentaries – all new to EasyView subscribers. Now it will be easier than ever for viewers to enjoy the group’s award-winning content, tiered down from DStv premium channels.

Content will be in various languages and hardcoded subtitles for content not in English. Magic Showcase features shows across different genres: subscribers can expect an artful mix of drama, lifestyle, reality, kids’ programmes, music specials, and stand-up comedy.

Some of the shows on the channel include the viewer favourite Our Perfect Wedding, reality TV's modern classic Being Bonang, and the award-winning telenovela Legacy.

The 12-hour movie channel CineMagic launches on Monday 14 November. Exclusive to DStv EasyView subscribers, it showcases the best in locally made African films as well as international independent titles. CineMagic is a celebration of storytelling and the common narrative threads that bind us from all parts of the world.

Similarly to Magic Showcase, content on CineMagic will be in various languages (and hardcoded subtitles for films not in English) and across several genres. The channel’s viewing is family-friendly, offering uninterrupted top-notch entertainment for households. All featured films are new to the EasyView package.

The two new channels will be available exclusively on the DStv EasyView package in South Africa and on the DStv Access and Lite packages in the SADC regions.

“As MultiChoice Group, we are committed to giving our subscribers on varying packages the best content there is to offer. We are proud to grow the EasyView content slate, allowing our subscribers on this package to enjoy award-winning and top-tier local shows and movies from across the continent. It’s all about giving our audience the best value for their money, and we are committed to continuously increasing what each DStv package has on show,” says Nomsa Philiso, CEO: General Entertainment.

Director of M-Net Channels, Jan Du Plessis, adds: “The addition of two new M-Net channels to the EasyView package only further enhances the subscriber viewing experience. We’ve used the M-Net model in conceptualising and branding the channels – the look and feel are inspired by the "mother brand", Novela Magic. We trust that viewers will be pleased with the channels and their offerings once they go live.”

In order to make way for these two brand-new exciting channels, Novela Magic will be closing as of 27 November in South Africa but will remain in the rest of Africa.

To borrow from Magic Showcase’s tagline, the content slate on DStv EasyView continues to be "every bit of magic".