Channel Closure: WildEarth Will Stop Airing On DStv By The End Of April, Freeview And ROKU Might Follow Soon

WildEarth is an interactive wildlife channel which brings viewers closer to nature with live safaris within the hotspot of Africa. Founded in 2007 by Graham Wallington and Emily Wallington, WildEarth has developed a global community of viewers.

Since December, the channel's future in Africa came into question after WildEarth uploaded a survey which would help determine if the channel should remain aboard the DStv platform. At the time, the channel didn't share any of their findings on the matter.

This past weekend, WildEarth held a live event which was accessible on YouTube. It was there were more details about their survey had come forward. 

According to the surveys, WildEarth serves as one of the top 3 favourite channels by 76% of its viewers with 90% voting it as one of their favourite local channels. Despite the positive reception, the channel is not able to retain its position on DStv.

Andre Crawford, the current CEO of WildEarth had been engaging conversation with MultiChoice to try and recieve payment for the channel. Unfortunately, they couldn't come to an agreement with the channel looking to exit DStv by the end of April.

WildEarth has been struggling to sustain itself within the current economic climate where platforms like Netflix and TikTok reign supreme. With that in mind, they're look to restructure their business model in the coming months in order to stay afloat. 

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Following news of its possible closure on DStv, a viewer had created an online petition which not only requires them to get compensated but keeps them on the air for the foreseeable future: click here for the petition. 

Should MultiChoice not come to a new agreement with WildEarth, this would be the 10th TV channel to have exited their platforms. It would join M-Net's Me and 1Magic alongside Ginx eSports TV channels which had exited a month prior. 

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New Channel Alert: WildEarth To Launch In The UK Later In The Year

Two years ago, MultiChoice launched Wild Earth TV as a pop-up channel and had proven to be a success that MultiChoice now offers it full-time. Prior to that, the brand had made plans to expand outside of African soil.

As seen last year, they were made available in the United States and parts of Europe with the UK added to the lineup of regions to source Wild Earth as the brand geared up for its 2023 debut.

Test transmissions began on the Astra 2G satellite, paving the way for the channel to join Sky. It follows Wild Earth’s recent expansion via streaming platforms and apps, including Rakuten TV, LG Channels, Roku and Plex.

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Using a combination of live broadcasting, expert naturalists, interactivity, community and a point-of-view shooting style, WildEarth says it helps millions of viewers feel remotely present in nature without increasing their footprint.

Programmes on the channel include African Sunset Safari Live between 13:30 and 17:30 GMT and Penguin Beach, a live interactive show from the Cape Coast in South Africa between 12:30 and 13:30 GMT.

Wild Earth secured an Ofcom licence to broadcast on satellite in September 2022. It is operated by a company based in Dorset.

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