DreamWorks Animation Rumoured To Be "Undergoing Further Restructure" As It Closes TV Division

DreamWorks Animation Television is a American based production company operated by NBCUniversal that distributes various animated titles. It is home to award winning productions such as Shrek, The Croods, How To Train Your Dragon and Boss Baby.

Accompanied by this, DreamWorks Animation Television operated several 24 hour channels across the world including Universal Kids (US), Sky Kids (UK) and DreamWorks Channel (Europe, Asia and Africa).

Following last year's dismal performance at the global box-office, it was announced that the brand would "no longer be producing films independently". By 2025, two upcoming films are said to headed by Imagework known for Hotel Transylvania and Spiderverse.

At the time fear lurked around the move away from in-house production with mass layoffs likely on the cards and downsizing of new content in the coming years.

In an interview with Kung Fu Panda co-director, it was revealed that most if not all TV divisons headed by DreamWorks Animation Television had been dissolved with the company reportedly wrapping up some "final projects" likely The Wild Robot.

It is currently unknown what fate may await short form projects like Megamind Rules and Jurassic World: Chaos Theory. Considering that the latter was based on existing IPs its likely that these will remain operational for the time being if not scrapped.

But considering the current state of DreamWorks Animation Television, we may be seeing less content of this stature going forward. Of course, the company had produced various content outside existing IPs such as Fright Krewe, Curses! and The Mighty Ones.

This had been more noticeable mainly through their preschool counterpart DreamWorks Jr., home to shows like Gabby's Dollhouse, Pinecone & Pony, Doug Unplugs and Rhyme Time Town.

Development Alert: Paramount+ And Peacock Are Reportedly In Discussion For A Potential Merger

Paramount+ and Peacock have reportedly started talks to merge into a single streaming according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

According to that report, Comcast and Paramount recently met to look at options to possibly merge their streaming services into a single streaming service, among other options. This would bring Paramount’s and NBCUniversal’s content under a single streaming app.

Details are still thin. No pricing, naming, or other details have been decided at this time. At this time, neither company has made any formal announcement about the talks.

Paramount+ had 63 million subscribers at the end of the 3rd quarter of 2023. Peacock recently announced that it hit 31 million subscribers paying for the service. Some subscribers pay for both but merging together will help the services compete with larger services like Max and Disney+.

Both services are still struggling to turn a profit. Paramount+ is expected to become profitable by the end of 2025. No timeline is known for when Peacock will become profitable. Merging the services could also help them reach profitability sooner.

New Channel Alert (Rumour): NBC HD Reportedly In Development On The DStv Platform

Yesterday, MultiChoice had begun work on yet another TV channel for the DStv platform with the initials NBC. Taking to account that there is already Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) residing within Africa this could as well be a potential high definition (HD) feed.

It's also possible that this could be a seperate TV channel and not one based on the Namibian broadcaster. Notice how the channel is currently residing on channel 111 where MultiChoice often rolled out various pop-up channels by M-Net Movies.

Another would be the distribution quality, as seen above this NBC is currently being tested in HD and while the one in Namibia is still in standard definition (SD). If this were the Namibian NBC, MultiChoice would have placed it in test channel section and not a prestigious channel number.

Could it be that NBCUniversal is looking to introduce a new (pop-up) channel to DStv customers?

MultiChoice revamped the Showmax streaming service during the month which is now in partnership with NBCUniversal. This has led to the addition of content from their studios including Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation and Telemundo Studios.

It wouldn't seem as far fetched of a coincidence that the NBC test card would launch around the time all this content came up on Showmax. I mean MultiChoice has numerous projects with NBCUniversal including Universal+ on DStv Stream and soon DStv Glass.

Some guesses for this possible new channel is that they'll start airing shows like Parks And Recreation and The Office which served as the highlight of the new Showmax. Unlike the American version, this one will probably be a watered down/repeat filtered version of the channel.

MultiChoice was scheduled to axe both Me and 1Magic from the DStv platform earlier in the month. NBC had been supplying several content to these channels including The Real Housewives, The Voice, Chicago Med, Law And Order and Young Rock.

1Magic had since then become a Showmax repeats channel with shows like Outlaws and Adulting. It had been long speculated that there could some behind the scenes going on within the company about the closures and if anything it could have something to do with channel 111.

Perhaps the idea of keeping 1Magic had to do with the rollout of the new Showmax. Perhaps they're treating more as a pop-up channel and as for Me that was slated to go off air as well and if anything maybe MultiChoice was looking to make NBC their predecessor.

I say this particularly because there's been various rumours going around that Me's viewership is low as opposed to M-Net City. Me was only catering to Compact and Family while as M-Net City was adored by even on premium as M-Net invested in fresher content unlike Me.

NBC despite housing a number of shows to M-Net and Universal TV could help expand the line-up. I believe there's various content people would love to see again aside from The Office and Parks And Recreation there is also Days Of Our Lives and Parenthood.

Recap To Last Month: Could MultiChoice Be Looking To Replace M-Net's Me With Universal TV?

Last month, it was reported that M-Net's Me and 1Magic would exit MultiChoice's DStv by early February. This was after several consumers had recieved a notification from MultiChoice about the closures with the pay-tv company that had since then gone rogue.

The termination would have come a few weeks before MultiChoice officially launched the rebranded Showmax service. It would form as part of a joint venture with Comcast's NBCUniversal which would bring Peacock's best in class technology and content to the streamer.

NBCUniversal also supplies linear channels such as Universal TV, Studio Universal, E! Entertainment, DreamWorks and Telemundo on DStv. As seen last month, MultiChoice wasn't looking to replace Me leaving viewers to wonder what fate awaited shows like Survivor and The Good Doctor.

M-Net is currently exclusive to premium subscribers and Me was the only means of accessing the content. This lead to further speculation that MultiChoice was looking to prioritise on Universal TV basically another streamlined attempt with select content from Me on there.

The idea didn't seem far fetched as NBCUniversal has minority stake in Showmax and another having to do with the rollout of DStv Glass in partnership with MultiChoice.

Unlike 1Magic, MultiChoice in an ongoing conversation was only able to confirm the closure of Me through their SA department. MultiChoice Africa was able to confirm both closures and highlighting that a replacement "specifically for 1Magic" was in development.

There was no guarantee at this point if content from 1Magic or Me would surface on this channel. But considering that the closures affected consumers of Me it was expected that MultiChoice will make this brand accessible to consumers on the Compact and Family bouquet.

As of right now, both channels continue to operate on the DStv platform with Showmax repeats like Adulting and Outlaws dominating 1Magic and Me airing remaining shows in the form of weekday marathons with other primetime shows airing as double bills.

Reminder: Revamped Showmax Streamer Launches This February And Is Cheaper

Ten months after MultiChoice, Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky announced a joint streaming vision for Africa, the new Showmax is here, featuring a refreshed brand and a massive content lineup, all delivered on a powerful new streaming platform.

At the heart of the new offering is the world’s first standalone Premier League plan for mobile, with all 380 games offered live on Showmax Premier League for just R69 a month.

In addition, there are two more Showmax plans available to customers in 44 African countries: Showmax Entertainment on mobile for an unbelievable R39 a month at launch, as well as the Showmax Entertainment plan, where the monthly price falls from R99 to R89 per month.

“There are currently just over 450 million smartphones in the hands of individuals across Africa … and more than 250 million avid football lovers on the continent,” says Marc Jury, CEO of Showmax. “Showmax Premier League is a game-changing product that gives individuals a ticket to the football they love, wherever they are, on the device they always have with them, at a price that’s impossible not to love.”

“Africa is incredibly important to the Premier League and our clubs; 20% of TV audiences on any given matchday come from Africa,” says Richard Masters, Premier League CEO. “We are delighted with this Showmax initiative, which puts the Premier League in your pocket at a new price point so that millions more can enjoy our fantastic competition.”

Core to the success of Showmax’s streaming ambitions in Africa is a new technical platform that is robust and built to scale. With the launch of Showmax, the Peacock streaming platform will be active in more than 70 countries and is continually enhanced by the combined expertise of thousands of engineers. The world-class platform has brought millions of viewers popular events such as Super Bowl LVI, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final, the Olympics and WrestleMania 39. On 13 January, Peacock’s exclusive AFC Wild Card Game became the biggest live-streamed event in US history, reaching 27.6 million viewers and a record 16.3 million concurrent devices. In 2023, Comcast won a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for its sports viewing experiences across Peacock, Sky and Xfinity.

“Peacock’s best-in-class technology platform will deliver a world-class streaming experience to Showmax audiences,” said Patrick Miceli, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Direct-to-Consumer & International, NBCUniversal. “The Peacock platform was designed from day one to support both live and on-demand content, including the biggest live sporting events, so we look forward to extending that capability and reliability to the new Showmax.”

Alongside the Premier League, the new Showmax also opens the door to a thrilling entertainment universe spanning a wide range of stars and stories across multiple genres. With no fewer than 21 new Showmax Originals launching in February alone, there will be more than 1 300 hours of Showmax Originals produced in the coming year, representing a significant 150% increase in production output compared to the year before.

Complementing this powerful African content slate is an international offering that will give viewers cause for celebration. As a result of MultiChoice’s partnership with Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky, Showmax is guaranteed an ongoing supply of the world’s most popular titles from the media giant’s renowned brands, including Universal Pictures, Focus Features, NBC, Peacock, DreamWorks Animation and Telemundo. The stellar content lineup includes films like the latest instalment in the hit Fast franchise, Fast X, and Wes Anderson’s comedy-drama Asteroid City; procedural drama series such as NBC’s The Irrational starring Jesse L. Martin; and Peacock original comedy series Killing It, from the creative team behind Brooklyn Nine-Nine, starring Craig Robinson.

Showmax will also continue to draw from the likes of Paramount, including Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning and Halo S2 in February, and HBO, with new seasons of House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, True Detective, and The White Lotus on the way.

Showmax’s content offering is further boosted by its focus on the African market and strengthened by the vast creative and commercial presence already established by MultiChoice. “Nobody understands Africa like we do. Showmax is putting the continent first with a powerful streaming service that will revolutionise streaming in Africa in 2024,” says Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO.

With the content and platform providing strong foundations for the new Showmax, ease of access for customers is another key business priority. As the first streaming service in Africa to make mobile downloads possible for offline viewing and the first to launch a mobile-only plan, Showmax has now delivered incredibly competitive new price points, with a growing network of payment options available to customers.

This payment ecosystem is facilitated by Moment, another MultiChoice joint venture partner. Working with more than 200 payment partners such as banks, mobile money providers, retailers and payment schemes, Moment is building the broadest pan-African payments network. In addition, DStv customers will continue to have the option of adding Showmax to their DStv bill each month and benefitting from significant discounts. Showmax will be announcing additional partnerships soon that will offer even more value to customers.

The new Showmax app will become available in app stores from 23 January 2024 onward, as part of a staggered migration process across 44 markets. This is an ongoing process that starts next week and will be completed in February this year. Existing Showmax customers will begin receiving communication with information on how to access the new app this week and by 12 February 2024 the new Showmax will be live in all markets.

Could E! Entertainment Also Be Shutting Down On DStv And The Rest Of Africa??? Here's Why

NBCUniversal International has been slowly phasing out the E! brand across European countries. After Comcast had made some budget cuts to the programming, E! Entertainment had to sought out shows like Vanderpump Rules and Below Deck Mediterranean from Bravo.

During the week, both M-Net Movies and E! Entertainment were set to broadcast The Golden Globes but to consumer's dismay E! Entertainment had opted to not broadcast the red carpet. It was viewed as one of the signature looks for the channel alongside The Kardashians.

As mentioned above, E! Entertainment had shuttered in parts of Europe with the UK that closed by 31 December 2023 after 20 years with Germany a year prior on the same date. It lead to growing fear from several DStv consumers that the same fate could await the whole of Africa.

Similar to the likes of 1Magic and Lifetime, most channels to have exited the platform would often distance themselves from their primetime lineup and E! has been falling inline with these former DStv channels.

Besides that, E! Entertainment in the UK had also lost out on the red carpet and various other programs before closing down. Now consumers in Africa are witnessing the same outcome seen in Africa so it's only a matter of time till the channel closes down.

In other developments, MultiChoice is set to lose 3 more channels later in the month: 1Magic, Me and Emmanuel TV. This comes amidst their annual price adjustment and most consumers will wonder why they're paying more if they can't minimise the bloodbath of channels.

DStv Without E! Entertainment??? As NBCUniversal Looks To Close The Channel In The UK

During the week, it was reported that Peacock would be closing down in the UK by the end of 2023. But that's not the only thing NBCUniversal plans to scrap of their bucket list as E! Entertainment is also slated to go dark on Sky and Virgin Media with further content on Hayu.

Hayu serves as the digital counterpart of both E! Entertainment and Bravo which is also operated by NBCUniversal. From 2024, consumers wanting to watch shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Below Deck Mediterranean would need to view it on the streamer.

The news of its demise doesn't come as much of a shock following its closure in Germany by 2022. At the time, it was outlined that the feeds in the UK and Eastern Europe were anticipated to continue but from what we can see that was short lived.

If we had to guess why E! Entertainment was getting culled its probably similar to Disney's reasons for the terminating the FOX/Star general entertainment brand in parts of the world. The latter are putting more focus toward their direct to consumer business which has been making waves for a while now.

NBCUniversal has been cutting back on the original content slate for E! Entertainment which resulted in content from Bravo being added to the lineup. The idea of E! Entertainment becoming a thing of the past wouldn't seem far fetched or at least in regions where Hayu exists.

Hayu is available in United Kingdom, Ireland, Albania, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Philippines, Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Poland. Although Hayu is not available in South Africa or anywhere in Africa the latter would form part of Showmax's existing offering.

Development Alert: Peacock To Cease Transmission In The UK By Next Year, Content To Launch Elsewhere

Peacock is an international streaming service operated by Comcast which features first run series and leverages a vast library of films and series from NBCUniversal. Similar to Showmax, it also featured third party content from the likes of UK's BBC and  ITV brands.

Since it's inception, Peacock has been able to add roughly 30 million paid subscribers which is little compared to Netflix and Disney+ which we fortunate to accumulate over 100 million subscribers. It took over a year for NBCUniversal to just duplicate this in other regions.

Due to some economic factors, Peacock never got a standalone service internationally or at least not by name. In parts of Europe, it is known as SkyShowtime which forms part of a joint venture with Paramount Global which also grants consumers access to Paramount+.

In the UK, that's where things only worsened for the streamer as Peacock was "bundled' in a manner that Disney+ would bundle FX and National Geographic. With that in mind, Peacock didn't have much variety or better yet not all the content was accessible altogether as seen in the United States.

Forming a union on Sky made no sense at all, Comcast owns Sky which is basically the European counterpart of NBCUniversal. It would have seemed logical to get these two together instead of marketing it as standalone now the brand is dying down in the region.

On January 9, 2024, Peacock will officially conclude its services in the UK: the “app” on Sky’s devices will be shut down, and most of its shows on NOW are currently marked as scheduled to be removed by that date.

Some of Peacock’s programming will be redistributed across Sky’s various channels, and some shows will transition to the Hayu app.

In February 2024, MultiChoice and NBCUniversal will unveil a revamped Showmax streaming service which would feature content from Comcast's Sky and NBCUniversal and also leverage Peacock's technology in an attempt to compete with existing streamers like Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

MultiChoice Renews Several Studio Deals Including NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney And More

Every year, MultiChoice would usually host a content showcase where they'd display various attractions currently or yet to be seen across their platforms. 2023 was one of those years were for some reason none of this occurred so another option would be the interim results.

Interim results are usually the one way MultiChoice is able to engage with consumers about the performance on their platforms and also a downsized version to the content showcase which reflect mostly toward their assets than 3rd parties.

It is through this report hidden way in a page is the renewal agreement with NBCUniversal, MGM, Amazon, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Disney for their content distributed to M-Net and linear channels. Of course, MultiChoice doesn't provide a duration or terms to these new agreements as seen with Disney back in 2021.

It was also highlighted that they had reduced 3rd parties cost which could mean a number of things: First with Showmax 2.0. set to rollout in the first quarter of 2024 MultiChoice would have to reduce their portfolio so that NBCUniversal can use their 30% stake in the platform.

M-Net had undergone a similar route following the rollout of Disney+ and had since then (co-)produced a number of shows like Devil's Peak, Reyka, Recipe For Love And Murder, and Blood Psalms.

Another would have to pertain to their linear offering, most companies highlighted provide a selection of factual, lifestyle, general entertainment and children's channels. It's likely that one of these channels are going dark soon if not building the lineup for another channel.

National Geographic possibly becoming a member of A+E Networks could mean the end of National Geographic Wild as A+E Networks sustains one channel. Nickelodeon possibly being sold to Warner Bros. Discovery would signal the end of Nicktoons and Nick Jr. as linear channels.

Warner Bros. Discovery Looking To Acquire Assets Of Companies Flirting With Or For Filing For Bankruptcy, Hints At The Demise Of Paramount Global And NBCUniversal

Chief Executive David Zaslav and board member John Malone both made comments this week suggesting the company is paying down debt and building up free cash flow to set up acquisitions in the next two years of media businesses suffering from diminished valuations.

The targets could be companies flirting with or filing for bankruptcy, Malone said in an exclusive interview with CNBC on Thursday. While U.S. regulators may frown at large media companies coming together because of overlaps with studio, cable or broadcasting assets, they'll be much more forgiving if the companies are struggling to survive, Malone told David Faber.

"I think we're going to see very serious distress in our industry," Malone said. "There is an exemption to the antitrust laws on a failing business. At some point of distress, right, then some of the restrictions, they look the other way."

Media company valuations have been plummeting amid streaming video losses, traditional TV subscriber defections, and a down advertising market. This has affected Warner Bros. Discovery as much as its peers. The company's market valuation recently fell below $23 billion, its lowest point since WarnerMedia and Discovery merged last year. The company ended the third quarter with about $43 billion in net debt.

Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to position itself to be an acquirer, rather than a distressed asset, itself, by paying down debt and increasing cash flow, Zaslav said during his company's earnings conference call this week. Warner Bros. Discovery has paid down $12 billion and expects to generate at least $5 billion in free cash flow this year, the company said.

"We're surrounded by a lot of companies that are – don't have the geographic diversity that we have, aren't generating real free cash flow, have debt that are presenting issues," Zaslav said Thursday. "We're de-levering at a time when our peers are levering up, at a time when our peers are unstable, and there is a lot of excess competitive – excess players in the market. So, this will give us a chance not only to fight to grow in the next year, but to have the kind of balance sheet and the kind of stability ... that we could be really opportunistic over the next 12 to 24 months."

Still, Warner Bros. Discovery also acknowledged it will miss its own year-end leverage target of 2.5 to 3 times adjusted earnings as the TV ad market struggles and linear TV subscription revenue declines.

Buying from distress

Malone has some experience with profiting from times of distress.

His Liberty Media acquired a 40% stake in Sirius XM over several years more than a decade ago, saving it from bankruptcy. Since then, the equity value of the satellite radio company has bounced back from nearly zero to about $5 per share. Sirius XM currently has a market capitalization of about $18 billion.

"It made us a lot of money with Sirius," Malone told Faber.

While Malone didn't name a specific company as a target for Warner Bros. Discovery, he discussed Paramount Global as an example of a company whose prospects seem shaky. Paramount Global's market valuation has slumped below $8 billion while carrying about $16 billion in debt.

Malone noted that Paramount's debt was recently downgraded. "I think that they're running probably negative free cash flow," he said.

Paramount Global's third-quarter cash flow was $377 million, and the company has forecast a return to positive free cash flow in 2024.

While Paramount Global shares have fallen precipitously since Viacom and CBS merged in 2019, there are signs the company is shoring up its balance sheet. CEO Bob Bakish said earlier this month Paramount Global's streaming losses will be lower in 2023 than 2022, and the company expects further improvement to losses in 2024. The company closed a sale for book publisher Simon & Schuster for $1.6 billion and will use the proceeds to pay down debt.

Paramount Global is one of the few assets that logically fits Malone's vision of a media asset that would have regulatory issues as an acquisition with potential distress concerns. Comcast's NBCUniversal, another potential merger partner, will lose more than $2 billion this year on its streaming service, Peacock, but the media giant is shielded by its parent company, the largest U.S. broadband provider.

"Warner Bros. [Discovery] now is making money. Not a lot, but they're making money," Malone said. "Peacock is losing a lot of money. Paramount is losing a ton of money that they can't afford. At least [Comcast CEO] Brian [Roberts] can afford to lose the money."

Paramount Global's controlling shareholder Shari Redstone is open to a transformative transaction, CNBC reported last month. Puck's Dylan Byers recently reported that industry insiders have speculated Warner Bros. Discovery might pursue an acquisition of Paramount Global after the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

A combination of NBCUniversal and Paramount Global also has strategic logic, but the combination of two national broadcast networks — Comcast's NBC and Paramount Global's CBS — would present a significant regulatory hurdle. Warner Bros. Discovery doesn't own a broadcast network, making an acquisition of CBS easier.

Spokespeople for Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment.

While Malone said all legacy media companies should be talking to each other about merger synergies, he acknowledged valuations may have to fall farther to get regulators on board with further consolidation. Malone predicted that could happen in the same timeline Zaslav gave — within the next two years.

"Eventually maybe there'll be regulatory relief," Malone said. "Out of distress usually comes the reduction in competition, increased pricing power, and the opportunity to buy assets at a deep discount."

Development Alert: Showmax Pro To Go Dark Across Africa Ahead Of Peacock's Rollout Under The Streamer

MultiChoice Group has announced that it will phase out Showmax Pro ahead of the planned relaunch of the Showmax platform by the end of the year.

In a notice to subscribers posted on the Showmax website, MultiChoice explained that with the upcoming relaunch of Showmax, its sports offering will focus exclusively on Premier League football, which it described as the most-watched football league in Africa.

“Showmax Pro in its current form will be phased out by 30 November. More details around the refreshed pricing and the product will be shared soon,” MultiChoice said.

Showmax Pro offers the basic Showmax entertainment tier coupled with various sports matches provided by sister company SuperSport. Until now, Showmax Pro has carried not only Premier League football but also the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, Serie A, the FA Cup and more. It has also shown athletics, running and boxing events.

“We want to make sure that our Showmax Pro customers are still able to access the sport they love. As part of this product change, existing Showmax Pro customers in South Africa will be offered a DStv Compact Plus Stream package at the same price as Showmax Pro.”

DStv Stream Compact Plus is currently priced at R549/month, while Showmax Pro costs R349/month, meaning Showmax Pro customers will save R200/month and get access to more sports, including selected Rugby World Cup 2023 games.

Showmax Pro

“Customers will be able to stream 115 live channels, access the full catalogue of the DStv video-on-demand library and continue to have full access to Showmax’s entertainment catalogue,” the group said. The deal is exclusively available to existing Showmax Pro customers, who will receive communication from MultiChoice about how to sign up. The offer is not available to Showmax Pro mobile-only subscribers.

From 1 October, Showmax Pro will no longer be available for subscription.

The changes come as MultiChoice prepares for a significant overhaul of Showmax, expected by year-end.

Speaking to the media in June, MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela said “version 2” of Showmax will include strategic and technical input from new partner and co-investor NBCUniversal.

MultiChoice announced in March that NBCUniversal would acquire a 30% stake in Showmax as part of a plan to build the leading internet video streaming platform in Africa.

The agreement, which includes NBCUniversal sister company Sky – both firms are owned by Nasdaq-listed media giant Comcast — includes the supply of technology as well as new content to Showmax subscribers. MultiChoice has retained a 70% stake in the business.

“Powered by Peacock’s leading, globally scaled technology, Showmax subscribers will have access to an extensive premium content portfolio, bringing African audiences the best of local and international programming,” MultiChoice said in March. Peacock is NBCUniversal’s streaming platform.

“The service will combine MultiChoice’s accelerating investment in local content with a pipeline of award-winning and critically acclaimed international content licensed from NBCUniversal and Sky, third-party content from HBO, Warner Brothers International, Sony and others, as well as live English Premier League football,” it said.

Said Mawela: “Showmax version 2 will launch in the fourth quarter with a broader line-up of content, a better product offering, better user interface and more streams on live sport, and will be underpinned by the English Premier League.”

Showmax will remain a separate offering, distinct from DStv and “appealing to a streaming population that continues to grow” and who “might want sport as part of that offering”. 

Could NBCU's Universal Kids Or Sky UK's Sky Kids Expand To Africa??? Perhaps As A Future Replacement To Disney Channel On DStv

Sky Kids is a children's channel operated by Sky Group a subsidiary of Comcast which features live-action shows like My Friend Misty, The Brilliant World Of Tom Gates and Dino Club alongside animation like Where's Wally?, Clifford and Trollstopia.

Internationally, it is known as DreamWorks Channel and a local variation known as Universal Kids residing in the United States both of which are operated by NBCUniversal also a subsidiary of Comcast.

Disney is looking to consolidate their content to streaming as linear TV is no longer viewed as the core of their business as mentioned earlier. This has led to the cancellation of several Disney Channels in the United Kingdom, Asia, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.

In Africa, these channels had extended through 2024 on DStv and are expected to go dark at some point. Thereafter, MultiChoice would need to sought replacement channels in order to keep viewers onboard their platforms and fill the void left by Disney.

With the lack of children channels across the world, MultiChoice would most likely need to curate a customary channel similar to AMC International and Paramount Global's CBS Justice and JimJam or Ngwato Nkosi Group Movie Room and Play Room channels.

Sky Kids wouldn't seem like a far fetched brand to incorporate within the DStv platform despite the pay-tv platform already packaging DreamWorks. Some content is very much viewed on Showmax prior to the announcement that NBCUniversal had acquired a 30% stake to streamer.

NBCUniversal also supply Universal, E! Entertainment, Studio Universal and Telemundo to DStv.

This kids channel likely titled Universal Kids would see MultiChoice and NBCUniversal join forces supplying content that is not only viewable on Sky Kids in the UK but also shows streaming on Showmax or in other words a follow-up to the defunct K-TV kids brand.

Development Alertl: E! Entertainment Is Now Available To DStv Family And Access Customers

During the week, several DStv consumers particularly those on the Family and and Access bouquet spotted E! Entertainment (channel 124) on their bouquet with consumers asking Insidus for answers on this recent development seeing as customer care were of no use.

Through a video on Universal+ Africa YouTube page, it had been confirmed that E! Entertainment which was currently exclusive to DStv Premium, Compact+ and Compact has now been made added to Family and Access consumers.

E! Entertainment is a general entertainment channel operated by NBCUniversal which is home to shows like House Of Villains, Celebrity Game Night, Million Dollar Listing: New York, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Botched all of which is now viewable on Access as from yesterday.

The addition of E! Entertainment on DStv Access comes at the same time MultiChoice and BBC Studios extended their partnership which saw DStv Compact consumers get the general entertainment brand BBC UKTV with Family consumers viewing British cuisine on BBC Lifestyle. 

In other developments, MultiChoice and Ngwato Nkosi Group will be adding their third TV channel to the platform, Play Room. It is the country's first ever multilingual children's channel offering original content like Play Room Live alongside other shows like CoComelon and Game Shakers.

What Happened To The Hallmark Channel On DStv?

Hallmark Channel was a family based entertainment channel featuring a set of miniseries such as McBride and Mystery Woman, movies alongside reality and acquired series like Walker Texas Ranger, Home Improvement and The Brady Bunch.

The channel hadn't been profitable during the time it was managed by Crown Media Holdings as they made several losses during 1998 to 1999. They recorded a $35.5 million in 1998 on revenue of $23.7 million, and in 1999 it lost $56.7 million on revenue of $31.9 million.

After several years of struggle, the channel made a breakthrough in 2005 recording their highest peak in viewership. It was also the year Hallmark's international operations was put up for sale receiving so many weak offerings they were fortunate to find a buyer.

Out of all the weak offers, Sparrowhawk Media purchased the brand for a total of $242 million which too was weak but the most they've gotten amongst bids. Around that time, NBCUniversal assisted in channel distribution.

In 2007, Sparrowhawk Media was later purchased by NBCUniversal had plans to launch a further set of channels including Universal TV, KidsCo, Diva, Syfy, Studio Universal and 13th Street Universal while as operating 18 Hallmark channels.

In 2011, Universal Networks International's rights to the Hallmark Channel brand ended; the networks were either shut down, or rebranded as one of the channels mentioned above.

Hallmark Channel can only be found in the United States and despite not having much power over the brand. They do own the space once reserved for the brand so Hallmark Channel can't do much globally without NBCUniversal's authorisation.

Development Alert: Telemundo Africa To Halt Production Of New Content In The Coming Months For More Rebroadcasts

Telemundo is a general entertainment channel that is currently distributed by NBCUniversal and home to Spanish language entertainment dubbed in English. The channel has garnered popularity for shows like My Heart Beats For Lola, Lord Of The Skies and Nurses.

It's popularity is what led to additions of Zee World and Star Life which boast a selection of Bollywood films and series and several years down the line an alternative/rival brand based in Mexico boasting a similar offering to the channel, TLNovelas.

For almost a decade, Telemundo has been going through several hurdles with their primetime schedule. At launch, they featured 4 shows and later could expand to include 2 shows. Fast forward to 2023, Telemundo doesn't have enough content to fill up their schedule.

Nurses is scheduled to end sometime in July while as other platforms such as their Passionistas Group on Facebook plans to broadcast the classic Land Of Passions. Those using DStv and GOtv are expected to embrace for the worst in the coming weeks.

According to sources, Telemundo will be airing rebroadcasts of False Identity, Operation Pacific and The End Of Paradise later in July in place of For Love And Justice, Queen Of The South and Nurses which will join the current rebroadcast of Lord Of The Skies.

This is probably the worst thing to see from the channel especially with their 10th year anniversary in August. But this might have something to do with the writer's strike in the United States if not a much bigger reason for the channel to become another rewind channel.

As mentioned, this has been a tradition for the channel so much that consumers wouldn't really be shocked if the brand were discontinued. On the basis of new content, Telemundo is awaiting on new seasons of Lord Of The Skies and Queen Of The South.

As for new content, the channel is rumoured to be rolling out Game Of Lies alongside another show which is awaiting confirmation.

MultiChoice And NBCUniversal Unveil First Official Logo For New Joint Venture Showmax Powered By Peacock

This emerged when the company today announced its financial results for the year ended 31 March (FY23).

According to the firm, the number of users of the group’s DStv app and Showmax services continues to grow, as online consumption increases, supported by rising broadband connectivity and more affordable pricing.

The group’s overall online user base increased by 12% year-on-year (YOY), with the growth rate for paying Showmax subscribers at a "strong" 26%.

Showmax Pro, which includes live sport, enjoyed strong growth and doubled its subscriber base in FY23.

In a statement, the video entertainment group says MultiChoice’s partnership with Comcast (owner of NBCUniversal, Sky and Peacock), announced in March, represents a significant step-up for the group’s future over-the-top ambitions.

“The new Showmax business will bring the world’s best local and international content to Africa and will be supported by Peacock’s scalable and feature-rich technology platform,” says MultiChoice.

The transaction successfully closed on 4 April, with MultiChoice Group now owning 70% of the new Showmax group, and NBCUniversal owning the remaining 30%.

New products and launch dates will be announced in due course, with the platform expected to go live in the second half of FY24.

On the product front, the group launched the DStv Streama, a device which allows for the streaming of DStv and other partner applications through a normal television in a connected environment.

To further expand its aggregation strategy, the group says it added Disney+ to its portfolio of products available for customers to add to their bill, while Universal+ increased the overall content offering available to premium subscribers.

During the year, the group also announced its partnership with Sky UK, to bring its Glass products and services to local customers in the coming years.

Universal TV Vs. BBC Brit: The Home Of Premium Entertainment

Universal and BBC Brit are international general entertainment channel respectively owned by US based company NBCUniversal and UK based company BBC Studios. These happen to be one of the few premium entertainment channels left globally as streaming has taken a toll with how content is viewed.

Universal is an action, adventure and crime based channel which is home to cop dramas such as Chicago PD and NCIS: Los Angeles, medical shows like Transplant and Chicago Med and finally mystery and supernatural dramas like Departure and Fantasy Island.

BBC Brit adapts to a similar form as Universal as they too offer dramas such as EastEnders and William Shakespeare. But the channel doesn't consider itself Universal exclusive as there's other content like The Graham Norton Show, Total Wipeout and Top Gear.

One of the things I think most people won't like about Universal is the amount of rehashed content that various local providers air first-hand. I mean I don't mind a little nostalgia every now and then I mean they got Bones and Rizzoli And Isles but these rebroadcasts get a bit annoying.

When it comes to BBC Brit, I'd say a lot of channels need to be done. I mean it's more like Universal on the repetitive side but imagine watching the same season of Top Gear repeatedly on top of that having 3 shows take up most of the schedule.

Not long ago, BBC First was shelved with BBC Brit having to pull the muscle I mean come on 2 hours of primetime with 2 hours of repeats during the day but Top Gear gets more than that on a daily basis.

If you're looking for top notch entertainment head on down to Universal sure you won't get Graham Norton or Planet Earth but you sure won't have a lineup that is as repetitive as a certain kids brand I prefer leaving unnamed.

BBC Brit is a waste but the channel has its own perks that some have to grasp for the time being I mean there's BritBox or BBC iPlayer but to those without these services have to view the bulk of content on this channel which appears as an absolute disaster.

CNBC To Relaunch In Turkey As CNBC Turkiye By The End Of 2023

According to the statement made by İlbak Holding, CNBC Turkiye will evaluate the global developments in the business world from the perspective of Turkey with its objective and accurate news content. The channel, which will convey the developments in the global financial markets with comprehensive reports and exclusive interviews, will convey the local perspective to the global as well as how global events affect local markets.

CNBC Turkiye, headquartered in Istanbul, will include finance, economy and business news with live broadcast content of at least 10 hours a day. The channel's broadcast content will be supported by international broadcasts from CNBC offices around the world, including Abu Dhabi, London, New York and Singapore.

CNBC Turkiye, which is scheduled to be launched in October 2023, will offer widespread and easy access to viewers across the country through platforms that offer satellite, cable, terrestrial broadcasting networks, internet broadcasting platforms and broadband services.

John Casey, President and General Manager of CNBC International, who included his assessments on the subject in the statement, stated that as a global brand, they are aware of the importance of delivering business news, insights and analysis at the local level.

"We are very excited to herald CNBC Turkiye together with Ilbak Holding and to bring CNBC's unique and dynamic content back to the audience in Turkey," Casey said.

Murat İlbak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of İlbak Holding, stated that they are happy to bring CNBC back to Turkiye with its Turkish content and made the following evaluations:

"CNBC Turkiye will undoubtedly break new ground in the business markets in our country with the complete, impartial, accurate information and news content we have committed to. Turkey has a vibrant and versatile economy with a population of 85 million and a growing investor base. Our aim is to provide an advanced information flow that will facilitate decision-making processes and to reveal the full potential of the business world and markets in Turkey. CNBC Turkey will help its audience make informed decisions and seize opportunities in an ever-changing global business environment.”

Noting that the TV channel will also play an important role in the development of Turkey, which is among the top 20 economies in the world, İlbak emphasized that this strong partnership with CNBC International will also show the strength and dynamism of the Turkish economy.

Could A K-TV Type Channel Be Heading To MultiChoice's DStv Once Disney Channel Exits The African Market?

In 2021, The Walt Disney Company ripped the general entertainment channel FOX away from African countries alongside several other European territories. Amidst that time, MultiChoice renewed the agreement for their remaining channels through 2024.

The Walt Disney Company supplies factual and wildlife brands National Geographic and National Geographic Wild, kids brands Disney Channel and Disney Junior and sports channels ESPN 1 & 2.

As seen after the closure of FOX, several programs viewed on the brand were folded under the streaming service, Disney+ with National Geographic and Disney Channel anticipated to suffer a similar fate in the coming future - still no word on ESPN.

Disney Channel serves as one of the few brands on DStv to offer content for a mature audience with shows like Bunk'd, Raven's Home and Hannah Montana alongside animation like Phineas And Ferb, The Ghost And Molly McGee and The Owl House.

As mentioned, all of this will be put on a tile through Disney+ and unlike FOX in which MultiChoice turn to brands like M-Net, BBC Brit and Universal for similar content. Disney Channel just like these brands is basically premium tier of the kids section.

Meaning consumers are going to expect MultiChoice to source out an alternative brand as it's not like Nicktoons were most content can be viewed on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. as this is a brand with content consumers are expected to miss.

Over to replacements, considering the impact Disney Channel had offer tweens and older kids. The channel would likely have to do the same in order to keep the masses at bay and as seen in most international outlets this brand would come with its own programming.

The only thing that came to mind was K-TV, a defunct kids brand from M-Net serving up a lot of licenced material from NBCUniversal, BBC, Mattel Creations, Cookie Jar Group, The Walt Disney Company before being supplemented by Nickelodeon.

Although M-Net and MultiChoice expressed no interest in returning the K-TV brand. A few months ago, Sky (a division of Comcast) rolled out their children's division through Sky Kids featuring original content alongside content from DreamWorks Animation.

Would it be shocking if MultiChoice launched their own version of Sky Kids probably in partnership with NBCUniversal despite the existence of DreamWorks as the company already retains a 30% stake in Showmax alongside various other partnerships.

This channel could take up the format once seen on Universal Kids with live-action shows like Hank Zipzer, Bajillionaires, The Next Step alongside animation like She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power, Voltron Legendary Defenders and Dennis: Gnasher Unleashed.

Showmax rolled out their first original animated series Jay Jay: The Chosen One with plans to do more if successful. Maybe this could be one of the new offerings for the supposed channel.

Why Oxygen's True Crime Channel Would Make The Perfect Replacement To CBS Justice Should It Exit The DStv Platform?

In 2022, AMC International and Paramount Global announced the halting of CBS tier in the UK within that year as they were reviewing their offering for viewers of that region and opted to retain CBS Reality while the others well don't wrap their finger around CBS.

Most if not all the entertainment remained the same from what we've all seen the only difference is there's less brands involved to manage the never ending lineup of repeats and old programming.

If you're reading this you're wondering how the news of CBS's demise within the UK affects the Middle East and Africa and it's very simple. AMC International UK handles the feeds for the affected regions and even arrange the content for these brands.

Another reason why this change also has an affect on us is that AMC International in some regions particularly the ones outside of the UK's jurisdiction have all had their offering reviewed I'm more curious as to why they couldn't use AMC but perhaps has to do with the Paramount side of things so CBS made sense.

As advised, CBS Reality is the only brand within their portfolio to retain the CBS branding alongside factual content viewed on the African feed of CBS Justice. Although, there hasn't been much said about its future I hear the channel was phased out of the Portuguese market.

No indicator on whether this will have an affect on the other CBS Reality channels I wouldn't be shocked if they kept it but opted to have the last remaining feed of CBS Justice removed.

CBS Justice launched in Africa by 2019 (it's more of a comeback considering it was CBS Action) and happens to be very popular with consumers. Some of the shows which are seen on CBS Reality in the remaining feeds include Forensic Files, Murder Couples and Finding A Serial Killer.

One of the reasons I feel CBS Justice could be removed has to do with the launches of Paramount+ and AMC+. As we know it, companies are starting to invest more time in these services than they are with their current offering on DStv.

All I'm saying is don't be surprised if most of the channels you see aren't around in the near future. That's why you have The Home Channel, Ignition, HONEY and Movie Room.

Besides that, there's not much variety on either CBS Reality and CBS Justice both are just hovered with repeats and scraping the barrel for whatever content is available. In other regions, despite the nonstop episodes of Judge Judy the repeats are at a minimum.

CBS Justice's demise would be the most tragic yes especially after that whole fiasco MultiChoice had with A+E Networks in 2019 when almost all their channels would have been removed from the platform and replacements found prior to the time.

There's no certainty on if a replacement would be available as if sources are accurate would have merged with CBS Reality. Now I know we have Investigation Discovery, Curiosity and it's not like CBS Justice is gone entirely but one is limited and the others completely opposite.

MultiChoice has been battling transponder constraints and if CBS Justice weren't replaced then the space could be used for yet another channel and should it be replaced I have one channel in mind not sure if they'd go for it but anyways here it is.

Oxygen (often referred to as Oxygen True Crime) is a factual entertainment owned by NBCUniversal since 2016 is home to real life stories after being mainly crime based content. It has become a strong competitor to Warner Bros. Discovery's Investigation Discovery.

In 2022, Investigation Discovery lost 12% of its audiences with Oxygen coming to the lead as the channel gained a further 10%.

Oxygen supplies several content part have been viewed on CBS Justice including Snapped, Cold Justice, Catching a Serial Killer: Sam Little, Kim Kardashian: The Justice Project and Aaron Hernandez Uncovered. Making them the ideal candidate for the brand.