In 2023, eMedia Investments' unveiled plans to rival with MultiChoice's DStv with the launch of Ultraview. It served as an add-on to the current Openview offering and comprised of two packages the first package EDGE offered youth based content with the other Spice TV offering Bollywood stories.
Spice TV comprised of just two channels Star Select and Zee Family served as the remainder of eMedia Investments' pay-tv venture. It managed to outlive EDGE which was discontinued last year with its offering folded under the Pride tile through eVOD.
During the week, eMedia Investments and MultiChoice added Star Khanya, a new Zulu dubbed Bollywood channel from Jiostar who also distribute Star Life in Africa. Unbeknownst to viewers was the sudden removal of Star Select and Zee Family on Openview.
eMedia Investments has killed that part of its business as it wasn't financially stable and the channels in question couldn't be probably monetised. Spice TV was the only popular addition to Ultraview and this stemmed from the fact that Openview already offered Star Life and Zee One.
Fact of the matter is linear TV has been in decline in favour of streaming in South Africa compared to the rest of Africa and MultiChoice has been losing consumers from all areas of its DStv offering. Ultraview couldn't compete in an already competitive landscape.
e.tv is proud to announce the debut of Ithemba Alibulali, a gripping Zulu-dubbed drama that promises to capture hearts and inspire viewers across South Africa. Starting on Tuesday 19 August and airing weekdays at 4PM, the series is a powerful tale of determination, sacrifice, and the unwavering belief that hope is unstoppable.
The story follows Rani, a young woman with a lifelong dream of becoming a doctor, as she navigates the complexities of her marriage to an emotionally distant surgeon, motherhood, and the weight of societal expectations.
With its universal themes and culturally rooted storytelling, Ithemba Alibulali is set to resonate deeply with South African audiences. The show's relatable characters, engaging plot twists, and emotional depth will keep viewers hooked from Mondays to Fridays.
“Ithemba Alibulali is more than just a series it’s a story that mirrors the struggles and triumphs many of our viewers face every day,” says Helga Palmer, Manager of Local Productions at e.tv, “By bringing it to life in isiZulu, we’re ensuring that the message of perseverance and hope connects directly to the hearts of our audience. We believe viewers will see themselves in Rani’s journey and feel empowered to chase their own dreams.”
Don’t miss the debut of Ithemba Alibulali weekdays at 4PM on e.tv.
DStv, in collaboration with JioStar, is launching Star Khanya — a general entertainment channel with a lineup of Indian telenovelas and soapies dubbed in isiZulu and subtitled in English. It starts on 18th August 2025 on DStv Channel 160, Star Khanya will be available to Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, and Access customers.
Tunte - Mon - Sun 6 pm CAT
Tunte’s extraordinary journey of becoming a fashion designer
Tunte is the inspiring story of a small-town girl with big dreams. Coming from a rural weaving family, Tunte moves to the city to become a fashion designer but ends up working as a house help in a wealthy household. Her resilience and determination help her fight social barriers and chase her dreams.
Uthando Lweqiniso - Mon- Sun 6:30 pm CAT
Anandi escapes an abusive marriage to reclaim her life
Follow Anandi’s journey, a woman determined to rebuild her life after escaping a difficult marriage. Despite the stigma of being divorced, she faces society’s judgments with courage and hope.
Titli - Mon - Sun 7 pm CAT
Titli, a hearing-impaired girl, aspires to fly
Titli follows the inspiring journey of a young, ambitious girl who loses her hearing in a childhood accident but refuses to give up on her dreams. Determined to become a pilot, she moves cities, where she finds an ally in Sunny, the son of her father’s friend—together, they strive to overcome every obstacle to make her dream take flight
Elinye Ithuba Mon -Sun 7:30 pm CAT
Pallavi, a young widow, gives life a second chance
The show revolves around Pallavi, a young widow who bravely navigates familial responsibilities, and Raghav, a guarded business tycoon. Their paths cross, igniting a complex and emotional union
Isivumelwano Mon - Sun 8 pm CAT
Two young lives sealed in a contract marriage
A story about a spirited young woman raised in an orphanage, as she crosses paths with a respected criminal lawyer. United by a contract marriage, they help clear an innocent man’s name while navigating deception, family secrets, and unexpected love
Ithemba Alibulali Mon - Sun 8:30 pm CAT
Career Or Motherhood, Follow Rani's Inspiring Journey.
A determined young woman who dreams of becoming a doctor. After marrying the emotionally distant surgeon, Rani discovers she’s pregnant—but refuses to give up her aspirations. The show blends personal struggles with societal expectations, celebrating resilience, ambition, and the balance between motherhood and career.
Unami na? Mon-Sun 9 pm CAT
After his wife’s death, a movie star is guarded by her ghostly presence
This show blends horror and romance in a gripping tale of love, loss, and the supernatural. After his beloved wife tragically dies, superstar Swaraj Joshi is haunted by her memory—until her soul returns to uncover hidden evils and guide him toward a new soulmate.
Inhliziyo Ayiphakelwa Mon-Sun 9:30 pm CAT
Two contrasting lives united by twist of fate
A strong-willed woman who resists marriage clashes with a feared local gangster. Their intense confrontations gradually spark unexpected chemistry and love. Set in the culturally rich town, the series blends drama, romance, and societal themes.
Update: The channel will be available on Openview channel 144.
MultiChoice is set to announce that it will be adding it's second Zulu dubbed Bollywood channel called Star Khanya to the DStv platform soon. This comes two years after the rollout of Zee Zonke with the channel proving to be a popular addition and with Star Khanya set to bolster this lineup.
Star Khanya comes from Disney Star who are responsible for brands like Star Life, Vijay TV and StarPlus on DStv. The channel is set to rollout with 8 new series: IThemba Alibulali, Inhliziyo Ayiphakelwa: Blind Love, Titli, Unami Na?, Tunte, Elinye Ithuba, Uthando Lweqiniso and Isivumelwano.
Titli
Titli follows the journey of a girl who aspires to become a pilot despite suffering from hearing impairment overcoming all the hurdles she faces. The story starts with Titli's childhood, her choice was to listen to variety of sounds. One day, a plane crashes near her and a dangerous sound of that plane damages her eardrums.
One day, she goes to the crashed plane and takes oath that she will be a pilot. However to achieve her dream she ended up in Kolkata in her father's rich friend Aparesh Bose's house. She will also have to win the heart of every person in the Bose house.
She befriends Sunny, a YouTuber and a food blogger, and the youngest son of Aparesh Bose, who also befriends Titli. But the Bose family doesn't approve of their friendship. However, with Rekha (sunny's mother), Sunny and Kinni by her side, Titli has nothing to fear.
It stars Madhupriya Chowdhury as Titli Sanyal Bose – Pilot and Aryann Bhowmik as Sunny Bose – YouTuber, food vlogger and businessman.
Tunte
The story of the serial Tunte revolves around a skilled artisan and weaver, who embarks on a quest to fulfill her dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
Tunte will take the viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as we witness Tunte's relentless pursuit of her passion amidst the twists and turns of fate. Raised in a village, Tunte dreams of making her mark in the fashion world in a bustling city. However, destiny takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself working as a househelp in the influential Business family of Lahiri’s, renowned for their chain of retail stores. Tunte's dreams of becoming a fashion designer appear to shatter, but her indomitable spirit refuses to be crushed.
Through the narrative, the show unravels the challenges Tunte encounters on her path to becoming a fashion designer. The show delves into the often unseen struggles faced by Tunte being a househelp, shedding light on the importance of fighting for her rights and aspirations. Tunte's tale becomes a powerful symbol of empowerment and resilience, inspiring viewers to stand up against societal barriers and never give up on their dreams.
Dipanwita Rakhshit will essay the character of Tunte, capturing her strength, determination, and unwavering spirit with remarkable finesse. Syed Arefin will be seen as Rongon, the youngest son of the Lahiri family, who will become an unexpected ally in Tunte's journey, providing support and encouragement during her quest.
Elinye Ithuba
Elinye Ithuba (Mehndi Hai Rachne Waali) centres around Pallavi Deshmukh, a widowed daughter-in-law of the Deshmukh family. Despite being loved as a daughter by most of the family members, she faces challenges, especially from Sulochana and Amruta. Pallavi manages the Deshmukh Saree Emporium for her father-in-law, Vijay Deshmukh. The plot takes a turn when Raghav Rao, a business tycoon with an arrogant and reckless demeanour, enters Pallavi's life, leading to misunderstandings based on their different personalities.
The series stars Shivangi Khedkar as Pallavi Deshmukh Rao, Caretaker of Deshmukh Saree Emporium and Sai Ketan Rao as Raghav Rao – Don of Hyderabad; Jewellery Designer and owner of Jayati Jewels.
Uthando Lweqiniso
Uthando Lweqiniso (Poongatru Thirumbuma) promises a gripping narrative and a talented cast, including Shobanaa Uthaman, Eshan Shyam, and Sameer in pivotal roles.
Uthando Lweqiniso will centre around a woman trapped in a complex and distressing marriage with a psychologically unstable husband. The storyline is expected to delve into intense emotions, drama, and the protagonist’s journey of resilience, making it a compelling watch for audiences.
Shobanaa Uthaman will play the titular role, bringing her depth and experience to the character. Having made a mark in Tamil television, she is best known for her portrayal of Muthazhagu in the popular serial Muthazhagu. Her strong screen presence and ability to portray complex emotions have earned her a loyal fan following. With Uthando Lweqiniso, she is set to take on another powerful role that is expected to resonate with viewers.
Joining Shobanaa Uthaman in this intense drama are actors Eshan Shyam and Sameer, who will play key roles in the narrative. Their performances are expected to add layers to the storytelling, creating an engaging on-screen dynamic.
Isivumelwano
Isivumelwano (Tharala Tar Mag!) tells the story of an optimistic girl who was raised in an orphanage. She meets her biological father Raviraj, but they are unaware of each other's identities. Sayali alias Tanvi, is grown in orphanage and has a sweet, kind disposition. Arjun, humble despite his wealth, is a leading criminal lawyer. Sayali is looking for a lawyer to argue in a case related to Madhubhau, who was falsely accused and arrested for Vilas' murder which was done by Sakshi with Priya by her side.
Arjun's family had planned his engagement with Priya (masquerading as "Fake Tanvi"). But Arjun loathed love and marriage because of his traumatic past, including Sakshi's betrayal of Arjun's friend's death. In particular, he had no desire to marry Priya. So, Arjun agrees to take up Sayali's case on the condition that she would agree to one-year contract marriage with him.
After she agrees, the two go to the temple on Arjun's engagement day. After registering the marriage, Arjun and Sayali reach the engagement venue, and Arjun announces his marriage to Sayali to his family, thereby stopping the engagement. Sayali goes to Arjun's house and they pretend to be husband and wife in front of the family. Meanwhile, Priya, Sakshi Shikhare, her father Mahipat and Raviraj's brother Nagraj plot against Sayali and Arjun to make them cease the Madhubhau case.
It is based on an official remake of Tamil TV series Roja, Jui Gadkari as Sayali Madhukar Patil / Tanvi Killedar / Sayali Subhedar and Amit Bhanushali as Arjun Subhedar.
IThemba Alibulali
IThemba Alibulali (Tomader Rani) follows the story of Rani, a young, independent woman who dreams of leading a better life, overcoming societal barriers and personal struggles. The show revolves around her journey of self-discovery, as she battles the expectations of her family, her society, and the pressures of tradition.
Rani hails from a poor family, and her world revolves around her loved ones. She is known for her intelligence, perseverance, and nurturing nature. Despite facing numerous challenges, Rani is determined to rise above her circumstances. Her life takes a major turn when she gets involved with Arjun, a young and successful businessman who hails from a wealthy family. Their contrasting worlds—her humble roots and his privileged lifestyle—form the crux of the drama.
Rani is played by Madhumita Sarkar, the protagonist of the show. Rani is depicted as a girl full of dreams and aspirations. Madhumita's performance in this role is highly appreciated, as she brings a sense of vulnerability, strength, and authenticity to the character.
Arjun is played by Soham Chakraborty, a wealthy businessman with a good heart. He is shown to have a modern and progressive outlook, but his journey involves a lot of emotional growth as he navigates his relationship with Rani and his family. Arjun’s character is a mixture of confidence and vulnerability, and Soham's portrayal has earned praise for making him a relatable yet charismatic figure.
Unami Na?
Unami Na? (Sang Tu Aahes Ka?) follows Swaraj Joshi, a renowned superstar, makes a comeback to the film industry after a three-year hiatus, burdened by a mysterious past. Dr. Vaibhavi longs to meet him, finds herself drawn into a web of enigmatic events. She delivers a cake to Anandwan on Swaraj's birthday, an encounter that exposes her to a ghostly apparition marked with a symbol. Her encounter takes a terrifying turn as Kabir rescues her, leaving her haunted by the symbol etched on the ghost's foot. Abhay and Krutika plot against Swaraj. Sulakshana, determined to secure Swaraj's wealth, promises Krutika marriage to him as a will clause requires his wife's signature. The vengeful ghost injures Sulakshana after she gives her word. Dr. Vaibhavi crosses paths with Swaraj at the market, unaware of his true identity. Swaraj reluctantly agrees to marry Krutika after the anniversary of Dr. Vaibhavi's tragic demise.
It stars Siddharth Chandekar as Swaraj Shashikant Joshi: Dr. Vaibhavi's husband and Ghost Vaibhavi's widower, Saaniya Chaudhari as Vaibhavi "Taisaheb" Joshi (Ghost): Swaraj's first and late wife and Shivani Rangole-Kulkarni as Dr. Vaibhavi "Sona" Joshi: Swaraj's second wife.
Inhliziyo Ayiphakelwa: Blind Love
Inhliziyo Ayiphakelwa: Blind Love (Yed Lagla Premacha) revolves around Manjiri, a resilient woman who can face the world alone but fears marriage. Her life takes an unexpected turn with the entry of Raaya, a local thug. The show explores their relationship and the challenges they face, including threats, revenge plots, and family conflicts. One key plot point involves Raaya's true identity being revealed as Manjiri's brother.
Manjiri is portrayed by Pooja Birari as a strong and independent woman who is initially hesitant about marriage. Raaya portrayed by Vishhal Nikam, a local thug, enters Manjiri's life, and their relationship becomes a central focus of the show. The story involves various twists, including Shashikala's vengeful actions against Manjiri and the revelation of Raaya and Jay being brothers.
Update: the channel will be available on Openview channel 144.
Due to some restructuring that we had discussed in 2024, we opted to make some minor adjustments on how content is maintained on the website. Below we have summarised events that occurred in 2024 and trust me when I say that it was one of gruesome years for publishers such as myself but we strive to continue operating at minimum capacity.
Openview
Following the rollout of Ultraview, the pay-tv extension of Openview had lost two channels in under a year, OUTtv and FUSE. These were youth oriented channels priced at R75p/m that eMedia Investments had since integrated with the rest of eVOD's offering leaving the Bollywood channels.
As we've stated in 2024, eMedia Investments hadn't disclosed how many subscribers Ultraview accumulated but it is believed to low and also what prompted the closure of EDGE. Also to note was the lack of additions in this financial period with Sporty TV being the first new channel in over two years.
Other developments to have occured involved one of their existing offerings People's Weather that was axed from DStv and since became People's Planet.
StarSat
After operating illegally for over a year, StarSat was forcibly shuttered in South Africa following a raid by ICASA and law enforcement which affected several channels in other African countries. On Digital Media which held the broadcasting license has since been liquidated with no further action by both parties.
Consumers who were owed money were encouraged to contact On Digital Media if they wished to collect their bounty.
Similar to Openview, the financial period hasn't been the most productive of years with the rise in streaming. The only addition for the company during its lifespan at the time was ST Movies which if I can recall was ousted from the platform for unknown reasons and revived following the removal of TNT.
DStv
2024 has proven to be treacherous year for DStv amidst it's takeover by Canal+ had ousted 11 channels including People's Weather, Ginx TV, B4U Movies, Africa Magic Urban, One Freestate Televisual, DW, NWTV, PBS Kids, Emmanuel TV, Me and 1Max (formerly 1Magic).
As for additions, there was Arise News after being made exclusive to DStv consumers in the West and Eastern parts of Africa expanded to Southern Africa.
Other developments included the expansions of services SuperSport Action (Compact), CBS Justice (Compact), Comedy Central (Family), HGTV (Family), Nicktoons (Access) and WildEarth (Easyview). Readers are advised to view the summary below for the full list of channels.
eMedia Investments will be rolling out it's first new channel for Openview consumers in over 2 years. After promising to allocate more content since the previous financial year, the broadcaster will be allocating a football based channel Sporty TV to rival with the current SABC Sport.
Residing in West Africa, SportyTV is a free-to-air sports channel established as the home of premium football with English Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, UEFA EURO 2024. It also hosts major sporting events such as The Olympic Games, PFL/Bellator, EuroLeague, NFL Super Bowl, among others.
The channel will sit alongside SABC Sport when it goes live this weekend on channel 125 and weirdly enough eMedia Investments allocated it before SABC Sport on the Openview website.
As some are aware, StarSat got liquidated after going quite for the past 4 months and Sporty TV was distributed on the platform in other African countries. On Digital Media which served as the license holder didn't pick up the channel for consumers in South Africa so this will be the first time it broadcasts.
With MultiChoice looking to likely inflate DStv prices by the end of March, more consumers will definitely flee their platforms and likely get an Openview seeing as it is the only rival in South Africa. Another with a bolstered sports offering can convince Easyview consumers that rely on Blitz for sporting updates to migrate.
eVOD is a South African based streaming service operated by eMedia Investments that distributes locally produced and international content. It is currently rivalling with MultiChoice's Showmax, Netflix, VIU and Amazon Prime Video who offer an alternative and expansive lineup.
eMedia Investments hadn't stated why these channels were offloaded from Openview but if we had to guess the fault may have fallen on current market conditions. As it stands, their competitors DStv has seen a dip in subscriptions and Ultraview is struggling to find it's flock with those consumers.
At this stage, we wouldn't be shocked if the remaining lineup of Ultraview which comprise of Zee Family and Star Select were to join OUTtv on eVOD if not shut down. Bollywood programming has resonated with Openview viewers and eVOD was built on consumer's preferences.
Of course, what's interesting about OUTtv's integration with streaming is that all the content has been locked away from Openview consumers. It comes on eVOD at no additional charge but to date none of the content has yet to make entry on eMedia's linear platforms.
This is what consumers had already seen with local dramas Stout, uMbali and Splintered Pieces so I can only assume similar to Showmax, eMedia Investments is trying to give eVOD some independence. They don't want consumers to regard it as a repeats or catch-up service like SABC+ so they're banking on new content.
eMedia Investments had boasted about turning eVOD into the Netflix of South Africa and that could as well mean curating content specifically for the platform.
This trend had been seen with Disney+ and ABC, Max and HBO even Showmax and M-Net so it would only seem logical for eMedia Investments to follow soon. They do operate 8 channels (4 of which are on DStv) each with their own offering so again it's not shocking that eVOD would gain some independence.
With the government looking to turn off analogue signals in the coming future, eMedia Investments is expected to see a dip in ad revenue. I can only imagine similar to Showmax, they're looking to make eVOD profitable even if that means taking a chunk of content away from Openview.
With Comcast looking to offload its cable networks we turn our sites to both MultiChoice and eMedia Investments whose 2024 was somewhat dismal or dramatic at least for one of the two. MultiChoice ousted 11 channels while undergoing a takeover by Canal+ which is awaiting approval from South African regulators.
eMedia Investments has rounded another year with no additions despite promises to add a few more channels as Ultraview's future is being questioned after OUTtv and FUSE reverted to eVOD.
Let's face it, consumers don't prioritise TV as much in recent years as Netflix has become the hangout spot for shows like Squid Games and Wednesday. MultiChoice has been focused on everything from streaming, insurance and cybersecurity but saving the once dominant DStv platform.
Even the financially challenged SABC's top rated soaps are grasping through straws as their viewership continues to plummet. Uzalo that serves as the dominant player amongst the foe stood at 4.8 million in October 2024 which is a 21% drop from 6.1 million in October 2023.
This is the reason MultiChoice has been selective when it comes to sourcing content take for instance Zee Zonke. The only reason this channel was able to stay afloat is due to Zee TV's existing footprint in the market same goes for SuperSport Schools that established it's presence on YouTube as School Sports Live.
If anything things haven't been greener for eMedia's Ultraview offering as part of its offering had been merged with eVOD, consumers are curious on what's next for the brand. Since it's rollout, it was met with heavy criticism for its pricing and content offering while being compared to DStv so a majority are expecting for it to be dismantled.
When it was introduced, Eskom was going full force with power cuts although that withered DStv hasn't recovered and as for Ultraview it never had a fighting chance. Remember eMedia Investments hadn't disclosed consumer numbers for Ultraview but it's assumed to have under 500 subscribers.
In general, adding new channels has been more riskier in recent years MultiChoice had done that with One Freestate Televisual and NWTV which lasted for about 3 months. Even if the plan were to restructure, SABC has done that numerous times with SABC 3 and it still hasn't saved its fallen viewership.
Sentech's Freevision which serves as one of the various rivals for eMedia Investments' Openview platform alongside PremiumFree TV started its services back in 2015. Similar to DStv's Easyview package, it mainly consisted of religious and provincial stations alongside various SABC and e.tv channels.
According to several consumers, e.tv channels had been ousted from the platform and this would include eExtra, eMovies and eToonz which serve as the initial offering on the platform. This would only leave mainly SABC channels particularly SABC 1-3, SABC Sport, SABC Education, SABC Lehae and SABC Variety.
eMedia Investments is already running through a similar hurdle with MultiChoice after they made the decision to exclude these services from DStv by 2022. Unlike Sentech's Freevision, these channels have a lot more viewers there of course with its pending demise one could say eMedia Investments is under siege.
With MultiChoice betting their odds on Showmax, Sentech had made similar pursuits with Freevision Play featuring a range of local content from various provincial stations some of which like Cape Town TV were exclusive to DStv.
Freevision Play taps into the same market as SABC+ and eVOD which is free and if we had to compare the three they're all winners in some way. Freevision Play has a catalogue of local content and TV channels, SABC+ is good for sports and local news and eVOD offers a mixture local and international content.
But the reality to all this only one out of three favour eMedia Investments and it's sort of this scenario of them being less reachable by fans. Right now, they're fighting to prevent analogue signals from going off the deep end as there's still households dependant on them for content and contribute to their ad revenue.
As some of you may remember, SABC and eMedia Investments held hands to announce a new partnership that would see SABC Sport alongside SABC's 19 radio stations on Openview. This would join the existing SABC 1-3 channels with more expansion plans said to be underway with the inclusion two new channels.
These channels were non-exclusive brands meaning it could as well be distributed on SABC's DTT or MultiChoice's DStv platform with plans to spread the existing lineup from SABC 1-3 on these channels. At the time, the SABC had stated that when these channels would get enough exposure that new content could be curated specifically for them.
Similar to what we've seen with SABC's DTT channels, this content will likely be allocated on SABC 1-3 cause with more exposure means more advertising income. Although Ouma Sarie was able to pull 1.8 million viewers on e.tv that's not the case with eExtra as it's estimated to be under 500000.
These new channels had been in development hell for 3 years which means they could have been working on some ideas and that's where it's stands. Often when something is in development hell it's likely to get the axe look what happened to BBC UKTV's launch on Openview that went to DStv and consumers are reliant on SABC 3 for their offering.
Let's remember, SABC had continued adding further channels SABC Lehae and SABC Variety maybe one or both of those could be something they were looking to include on Openview. Then something behind the scenes happened with either eMedia Investments or the SABC which led to its cancellation or delay.
They are technically insolvent and need funding in order for these channels to survive. At this stage, they wouldn't really launch channels without knowing they'd be compensated in some capacity.
Another possible outcome would be structure of this deal, when SABC Encore was distributed on MultiChoice's DStv what happened there was that SABC had a deadline (missed it) but eventually launched with the money coming from MultiChoice. Could the same have been outlined with eMedia Investments agreement with SABC?
This is a non exclusive deal unlike that of SABC Encore so SABC could have benefitted from this as there was no given timeframe by eMedia Investments on when these channels would go live. Probably because the payments eMedia Investments had given to SABC Sport matched that of SABC 1-3.
This means that SABC would be the one covering most of the costs for these channels cause with the financial constraints of eMedia Investments there's no way they could fund all 19 radio stations. This is the reason you don't get SABC News much less eNCA on those platforms due to constraints in livelihood.
Despite MultiChoice attempts to lure consumers to their most cheapest package this has proven to challenging as Openview has over 20 channels which incorporate telenovelas, movies, reality shows and drama series. Easyview is still reliant on provincial and news brands despite the inclusion of TNT and Real Time.
One of the main factors that drive people away from Easyview would be sports as eMedia Investments distribute SABC Sport on Openview and all Easyview has got is Blitz their news channel. One could as well establish that Blitz is superior for its news coverage for which SABC Sport lacks but from a consumers perspective live sports is a necessity.
Openview draws over 3 million households of course when it comes to viewership particularly sports it is estimated to reach 50000-100000 viewers and although MultiChoice hasn't mentioned Easyview consumer numbers their lower mass market which include Access and Family amount to 4 million.
When it comes to sports, MultiChoice injects a lot of funding there which is the main factor to the inflation rates on the Premium to Access packages. If or when MultiChoice decides to offer sports on the Easyview package full-time they'd be various challenges awaiting them one would be keeping the rates intact.
DStv Easyview was R39 per month before it dropped to R29 as MultiChoice was struggling to retain consumers and part of the blame went to Openview. As mentioned, despite the package seeing an increase in content is under threat and although being the most affordable it isn't the most attractive of packages.
One way Easyview is able to give a channel like SABC Sport a run for their money would be provincial stations. Despite being the reliant on when it comes to premium entertainment has seen a number of events under their wing including DStv Diski Challenge, World Wrestling Professionals RPT and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
During certain sporting events, SuperSport either launches a dedicated TV channel or temporarily opens up an existing channel to their consumers.
Heck even the movie channel TNT had opted to offer sports with the inclusion of wrestling promotion, All Elite Wrestling. If anything, I think the only other way MultiChoice can help Easyview compete even further with SABC Sport is by licensing some of its content from SuperSport to Magic Showcase.
Magic Showcase broadcasts 16-18 hours a day and one way they could help extend those hours would be the inclusion of sporting event like Betway Premiership and compliment this with Jambo WWE. The content would broadcast on Magic Showcase weekly and could as well help them minimize costs.
As some people may have already seen, DStv has lost over 400000 in the last financial year leaving their consumer base to plunge from 8 million to 7.6 million. This is due to the current economic climate which has the average consumer having to wind down on expenses which has becoming an epidemic in other parts of the world.
Netflix would release an entire season of Wednesday or He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe and consumers would try to stream as much of it within a short pan of time. This has even splashed onto DStv when consumers would resubscribe when a major sporting event is on or Big Brother Naija.
Even with Canal+ having to acquire DStv's parent company MultiChoice this wouldn't necessarily improve these numbers but rather lead MultiChoice to rationalize on things like TV channels. These numbers are anticipated to decline which could lead other competitors such as Openview to edge out DStv numbers.
Openview is operated by e.tv's parent company eMedia Investments and has since seen a lot of growth in recent years with its activations reaching over 3.5 million homes almost half of DStv's consumer base. This does lead some to wonder if Openview could eventually have an advantage over DStv with numbers.
Free-to-air broadcasters already dominate the viewership spectrum I mean e.tv pulls over 5 million households and MultiChoice had already been accustomed to not having these figures on any of their brands but DStv was one way to exercise their dominance. So with Openview having close to half these figures could this edge out DStv.
Free viewing hasn't really slowed down in most parts of the world of course that doesn't mean its dependency remains under siege as Netflix continues to be a money grabber. In the UK, Freeview which serves as a free tier has its services in over 18 million homes while Sky the pay-tv counterpart has only 12 million.
Content wise you find that Sky continues to be a dominant player if you're used to getting the freshest content but if you're more prone to a selection of this lineup then Freeview is the best option.
A few years ago, SuperSport which serves as one of the largest sports broadcasters in Africa offering a wide range of sports ranging from football, rugby, tennis, boxing and wrestling formalised an agreement with the SABC for Betway Premiership. Initially, these games could have been viewed on rival broadcasters like Openview alongside SABC:s DTT.
In recent years, SuperSport decided to add some restrictions to these agreements when licensing them to the SABC that included blocking transmission from being received to Openview consumers. This benefited the SABC as they would be paying much less for these rights and it prompted eMedia Investments to take legal action.
Several punches were thrown during this time with eMedia Investments accusing SuperSport of an abuse in power while they accused them of "free riding". eMedia Investments' didn't need to pay for these games as they were being broadcast on SABC 1 so this was basically burdened to the SABC at the time eMedia Investments lost this battle.
They built up another case this time pertaining to the restrictions put up by SuperSport and they took this matter to the Competition Tribunal who deemed such agreement "unlawful" or "unethical" and requested both SABC and SuperSport make their games accessible to Openview. SuperSport did warn in advance that if this were to be the predicted outcome the whole agreement would be scrapped which is exactly what happened.
Several months later, both broadcasters are able to hold hands and announce a new agreement for PSL but what caught the media's attention is the number of games being offered on the table. When SuperSport would offer 240-260 PSL games SABC would offer almost half of that but that wasn't the case here as the offering was lessened to 51 games.
In short, when SuperSport and SABC were told to lift the veil from Openview these matches became expensive and following increased pressure by several governing bodies SuperSport couldn't just refuse to sell the matches to the SABC. So rather whatever amount SABC was willing to put on the table would determine how many games they'd get being 51.
In light of this one could say that SuperSport's free-to-air rights had been limited to the amount of games a broadcaster can carry of course they can't oppose who can or cannot use the exact platforms for the same offering.
MultiChoice remains a dominant player in the African landscape against the likes of Zuku TV, Azam TV and StarTimes with their DStv offering but in recent years this has been under threat against the likes of Disney+ and Netflix. They (or in particular MultiChoice Africa) is currently in the process of being acquired by the French broadcaster after serving as a competitor in the region.
SABC News, eNCA and Newzroom Afrika serve as those leading destinations for editorial news and throughout their existence hpas only been packaged within MultiChoice's offering. This is because the pay-tv company had been allocating funds for content and staff and unlike some brands like BBC News hadn't received much funding from a third party.
It is one of those reasons that SABC News had been removed from DTT platforms and replaced by SABC Lehae and why eNCA is not seen on eMedia Investment's Openview. There was a whole debate about tandrying to get these brands onto more platforms outside of MultiChoice's reach but the trail had since then been dried out of course there were multiple attempts at launching a competitive offering.
Sometime after StarTimes had acquired TopTV, they had explored the idea of launching a local news channel within the South African market but deemed it too expensive and abandoned those plans. eMedia Investments became the second broadcaster with OpenNews (before becoming News And Sports) and the channel wasn't financially sustainable which led to it's demise.
SABC became the third broadcaster with SABC Lehae the only problem was that the channel is accessibility as SABC had reported that DTT had only accumulated around 400,000 activations by 2020. Yet, eMedia Investments had accumulated over 2 million subscribers by then despite rolling out their STBs years after they were made available to the market.
The fact that SABC News is not on Openview doesn't mean the chances of acquiring it for the platform is unlikely. eMedia Investments could as well look into licensing SABC News but from what was speculated from some insiders the costs to acquire such a channel might not came in their favor cause eMedia. relies on advertising while MultiChoice offers a pay-tv service.
DStv is a pay-tv platform operated by MultiChoice that offers movies, series, sports, documentaries and kids shows. It is currently Africa's biggest entertainment provider operating in 50 countries which is currently in the process of being acquired by French broadcaster, Canal+.
Earlier in the year, MultiChoice had shuttered both M-Net's Me and 1Magic in an attempt to boost their streamlining endeavors which led to the inclusion of 1Max. Similar to 1Magic, this channel was only applicable to Compact+ and boasted a selection of local content.
The channel embraces and explores dynamic, authentic African stories with an edge, kicking off with titles such as Tracking Thabo Bester and Red Ink. It also features content from other parts of Africa and the world such as The Real Housewives Of Lagos, Ted and The Good Doctor.
This was also the channel set up to replace Me but MultiChoice has been reluctant to answer consumers with questions of such regard. Consumers have been moving like headless chickens wondering how they'll able to view The Block and America's Got Talent with the SABC struggling to stay afloat.
Outside of Showmax there's eReality which offers these series alongside other shows already viewed on DStv like Impractical Jokers, Catfish: The TV Show and MasterChef. With dramas like The Walking Dead and Blue Bloods and even sitcoms like The Goldbergs viewable on eSeries.
Although DStv already offers a competitive offering for eSeries with Universal TV and Comedy Central there's no Blue Bloods or The Goldbergs all of which were viewable on Me. While eReality shows some ounce of energy with DStv its mainly reruns to Judge Judy and Keeping Up With Kardashians.
With DStv consumers actually paying for their content you'd expect MultiChoice to make some effort but that's not the case here. Although MultiChoice can speak highly about this content on Showmax end result is that consumers on Openview are paying a once off fee.
eMedia presents a satisfactory financial performance for the 2024 financial year given its mitigation against continued loadshedding, which had a negative impact on overall viewership and saw a further decline in television advertising spend of approximately 1%.
The actors and writers’ strike in Hollywood at the beginning of the financial year also had a severe negative impact on one of the subsidiaries in the Group, Media Film Service, which made R31.5 million less in profit after tax when compared to the prior year. The Group also continued its legal battles against Multichoice during the current financial year spending R8.8 million more in the current year when compared to the prior year.
Notwithstanding all the negative impacts to business operations in the macro-economic environment in South Africa, the Group was able to return favourable results and further continues with the declaration of dividends to its shareholders with a dividend of 16 cents per share at the close of the financial year.
Revenue and market share
The Group’s revenue for the fiscal of R3.1 billion is only 2.1% less than the previous year which can be mainly attributed to the decreased revenue earned by Media Film Service as mentioned above. This was further underscored by television advertising revenue ending on R2.165 billion an increase of 3% despite the television advertising cake declining by 1%. This is the highest television advertising revenue earned by the Group in its history.
The Group once again outperformed the market in terms of advertising revenue in the television market. This benefit in advertising revenues can be attributed to the Group maintaining prime-time audience market share at 33.5% in March 2024 from 34.5% in March 2023, a slight decrease year on year.
Further analysis of the Group’s market share reveals an increase in both shoulder and prime time. The share ended at 33.0% and 33.5% respectively, making the Group the biggest broadcaster in audience share in prime time and second to DStv in shoulder time in South Africa.
e.tv
The prime-time market share for e.tv has shown a slight decrease of 0.7% to 20.7% audience share. Of interest, however, is that e.tv is now the biggest channel during both prime time and shoulder time surpassing SABC1. The continued loadshedding saw a change in viewer patterns and this saw an impact on some of the shows. Scandal (19:30 to 20:00) and House of Zwide (19:00 to 19:30) continues to have a demanding market share in their respective timeslots with Scandal, however, coming into some competition with SABC1 moving Skeem Saam from its 18:30 slot to the 19:30 slot.
During the year, e.tv launched new dramas, Smoke and Mirrors at 21:00 to 21:30 and Isitha at 21:30 to 22:00. Both these dramas command the number one position in their timeslots. The 18:30 drama, Nikiwe was withdrawn from the schedule as it was not commanding a satisfactory market share and was replaced by a new drama, Isipetho, which has more than doubled the market share.
e.tv now spends approximately R600 million annually on local drama series and again shows the dedication of the Group to grow the local television industry.
e.tv continues to face the impact of the uncertainty of the imminent analogue switch-off facing the country but the Group is confident that the audience share will be carefully managed. At present the Group is once again engaging with the Department of Communication in relation to the switch-off date regarding e.tv analogue transponders. The Group is firm in the belief that too many ordinary South Africans will remain without TV in a hard switch-off environment.
Openview and multichannel
The non-linear eMedia channels continue to improve their ratings with eExtra, eMovies Extra and eReality which rank in the top 15 of all satellite channels available in South Africa. A few more channels will be launched on the Openview platform in the new fiscal year.
The rest of the eMedia channels, available on multiple platforms accounted for 26.9% of the advertising revenue amounting to R610.6 million which is up from R501.3 million in the previous year. Profitability in this unit has been maintained with content costs for the fiscal year being pegged at R325.6 million.
The distribution of the four eMedia entertainment channels on Multichoice, which contributed to the Group’s audience and revenue share, is still under investigation by the Competition Commission after non-renewal of the channel carriage agreement. At the time of this report, the channels remain on the Multichoice bouquet, and the court case is set down for August 2024. As mentioned, this has attributed to the year-on-year increase in legal costs.
The set-top box activations for Openview for the year amounted to 377 916 taking the amount of activated set-top boxes to 3 428 523 activated at the end of the period. Technological advancements being the focus of the business will bring in the next upgraded phase of the Openview set-top box, a smarter set-top box which will have memory facilities and Wi-Fi capability.
eNCA
eNCA continues to perform satisfactorily in its targeting of the discerning news viewer. In an attempt to engage the viewer, the channel has changed its positioning from ‘No Fear, No Favour’, to ‘Question, Think, Act’. It also continues to be the leading advertising revenue generator in the news market.
Other subsidiaries
All of the Group’s subsidiaries, with the exception of Media Film Service, have performed exceptionally with Y ending the year on a profit after tax of R16.8 million, an increase of 6% year on year.
Costs
Administrative and other costs were well maintained, increasing by only 2.35% year on year. This increase is mainly due to marketing activities returning back to normal, increases in legal fees as previously discussed and the adverse impact of the rand fluctuation.
Cost of sales, which mainly consists of the cost of content, in the case of e.tv, employee costs in the case of eNCA, and cost of the Openview decoder sales, decreased from R1 629.4 million to R1 584.8 million. A significant portion of the decrease can be attributed to close control of content costs across the channels and the retrenchments to create efficiencies within eNCA.
Profitability
The only asset of the Group is a 67.69% interest in eMedia Investments, the company that owns e.tv, eNCA, Openview, eVOD among other businesses.
eMedia Investments ended the year with a net profit after tax of R353.2 million, compared to a profit of R404.7 million in the prior year. The above profit should be viewed in light of the continued loadshedding and the impact this had on the advertising cake, foreign exchange rate and the impact of diesel usage on the business, as well as the increased legal and marketing costs together with the impact of the actors and writers’ strike in faraway Hollywood.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the Group ended on R628.3 million compared to R667.2 million in the prior year.
Conclusion
The Group is forging ahead with numerous technology advances and strategic planning to continue to be the audience share market leader. The investment in Openview provides the Group with the strategic flexibility and is the plan to address the challenges of the transition that digital migration brings with it. The Group also intends to launch a number of digital developments to enhance its revenue generation capabilities and take advantage of our highly in-demand content.
The Group remains focused on its core business of broadcasting, content creation, platform advancements and a granular focus on technology that improves the broadcasting process.
With recent improvements in power stability, Openview announces discontinuing the Power-Up! Channel (Channel 114 on Openview) from Monday, 8 July 2024. Launched as a beacon of light during the challenging times of load-shedding, Power-Up! provided 18 hours of daily entertainment, ensuring South Africans never missed their favourite shows. Now, uninterrupted entertainment will continue on e.tv.
Power-Up! was an innovative solution to help e.tv viewers stay entertained despite the power outages. With load-shedding no longer affecting our lives, viewers can continue to enjoy their favourite shows as they air, experiencing the excitement of live viewing with friends and family.
Marlon Davids, Managing Director of Channels: "We are thankful to our viewers for their ongoing support. Your engagement has been invaluable, and we are excited to bring you an even more thrilling prime-time experience. Our commitment to providing nonstop entertainment has always been unwavering and will continue to be so."
Openview is SA’s first free-to-air satellite service, offering a variety of TV and radio channels catering to all ages, races, and genders across South Africa. Openview is currently in more than 3.5 Million Homes in South Africa. The decoder is purchased as a once-off cost and has no monthly payments, affording millions of South Africans access to world-class entertainment.
After being known as a weather service throughout its existence, People's Weather will dumping the iconic trademark for ⁰something more earthly known as People's Planet. The channel is set to go live on Openview channel 115 from the 1st of July.
People's Planet is described as the definitive destination for nature, adventure, eco sport, wildlife, science and sustainability enthusiasts. It will basically be rivaling with BBC Earth, National Geographic and Curiosity Channel all of which are on MultiChoice's DStv.
Details of the content have yet to be announced but if we had to guess SafariLIVE will be on People's Planet alongside most content from People's Weather. Any weather related shows like Today's WX and Waking Up With Nature will likely fall out of the schedule.
Despite People's Planet distancing themselves from anything weather related on Openview. People's Weather will continue as an online service and if anything will likely appear on People's Planet for promotional purposes.
As some readers are aware, Canal+ intends to merge their operations alongside MultiChoice which would create an African powerhouse. This would need approval from local legislation including the Competition Commission and ICASA.
Since then, there's been a lot of concern of the implications awaiting this deal should it move forward. Canal+ serving as the new owners of MultiChoice would likely decrease the workforce on top of minimizing production and licensing agreements.
Although Canal+ doesn't offer any services within in South Africa they had producing content for M-Net. On top of licensing the entertainment channels FilmBox Africa through StarTimes platforms with France24 seen on the Openview platform.
There has been a lot of concern from consumers that Canal+ may opt to scrap these agreements and make these channels exclusive to DStv consumers as seen with SABC News. Some even fear that StarTimes could opt to scrap FilmBox as they'd aid a competitor.
But that may never be the case here as such would prove to be anti-competitive or unethical on StarTimes part. If anything, these assets won't be treated differently once Canal+ acquisition of MultiChoice is complete.
It's possible that part of this offering may never see the light of day on DStv.
Take for instance, Timeless Dizi Channel which serves as one SPI International's most popular entertainment channels in Africa is already seen on StarTimes. But not on any of Canal+ platforms within Africa so if anything this offering could operate more independently.
Of course nothing can be set in stone on what DStv consumers would get out of this acquisition in terms of additional services. But from what we've seen in recent months with the closures of Me and Ginx TV it's likely these services will lead to more content changes.
Last month, it was reported eMedia Investigation would be axing OUTtv by the end of the month. As further content fold under the eVOD streaming service, while Ultraview came with a fee content from OUTtv comes at no charge.
Of course, what eMedia Investments failed to mention was that FUSE would also exit the platform as they form part of a new joint venture on eVOD, OUTtv Proud. Thus concluding eMedia's short run in the pay-tv world or at least for Ultraview's EDGE bouquet.
Ultraview only launched a year ago and already it is being dismantled with the Indian channels serving as the remainder.
As some readers are aware, Ultraview has been met with heavy criticism for its price rates and content offering leading some to speculate its possible demise. Taking to account, load shedding and other economic factors like competition (e.g. DStv).
Ultraview is anticipated to have attracted 3/4 digit number cause again a lot had happened in 2023. With load shedding consumers had to cutback on expenses and that included DStv and also with Netflix onboard - Ultraview never stood a stance.
Of course, from what consumer feedback seemed to hint at most of that traction came from Spice TV's Zee Family and Star Select. This is due to the existing offering already viewed on Star Life and Zee One, sister channels to the mentioned offering.
Another having to with the timeslot as EDGE was opened between 9pm to 11pm where consumption is low.
It's likely that eMedia Investments could be awaiting on contracts to reach their duration and depart from the pay-tv world. In the last months, they haven't done much marketing for these brands and honestly it could lead up to them scrapping Ultraview.
Another could be a possible restructuring to the Ultraview platform which would see Spice TV form part of an expansive lineup of channels. Problem with OUTtv is that not everyone is accustomed to its target audience so rather unify it with eVOD.
As for the expanded lineup, one theory would be curating eVOD into a standalone channel similar to M-Net's 1Max. It would carry eVOD originals while also supplying other content and who knows maybe the offering could be divided into multiple channels.
