SABC Fails To Launch Additional Channels To Openview, Could There Be More To The Story?

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.

How DStv Easyview Tries To Compete With Openview When It Comes To Sports?

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.

SuperSport And SABC Agree On Sub-Licensing Terms Of PSL Broadcast Rights

SuperSport and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) have reached an agreement regarding the sub-licensing of Premier Soccer League (PSL) broadcast rights ahead of the start of the new Betway Premiership season.

 

The move comes after strong relations between the two South African broadcasters following the agreement of sub-licence agreements for the MTN8 tournament as well as the Currie Cup semi-final match which was contested this past weekend and upcoming final match.

 

The PSL saw the dawn of the new Betway Premiership last Saturday, 14 September 2024, with millions of fans seeing their favourite team content the biggest prize in South African football.

 

SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha said “The latest sub-licence agreement with the SABC is another step towards a strong relationship with the public broadcaster, for the benefit of the millions of football lovers across the country and the African continent. The PSL has proven itself time and again to be the most coveted football product among South Africans and we look forward to delivering another outstanding season of football action on Your World of Champions, SuperSport.”

SABC Group CEO Nomsa Chabeli said: “We are pleased with this acquisition, and it is another demonstration of our commitment to delivering exceptional sport content to our diverse audiences. Our rights package includes a total of 51 matches comprising of 23 Betway Premiership matches, 10 Carling Black Label Cup matches, 12 Nedbank Cup matches, and 6 National First Division matches. We will broadcast league matches every Saturday on SABC 1 during the league season, ensuring our audience has access to exciting live local football”.

 

 

 

Ms Chabeli further stated that “We will also be enhancing our coverage by strengthening the analysis team. This move will ensure that we provide insightful commentary and in-depth analysis for our viewers. The added new members to the team are Itumeleng Khune, Jabu Mahlangu as well as Coach Thabo Senong who will be joining our resident analysts Doctor Khumalo, Simphiwe Dludlu and Hlompho Kekana in studio”.

SABC Sport Is In Talks To Replace DStv As The Sponsor For PSL

SABC Sport has established that the Premier Soccer League [PSL] is currently in advanced talks to replace DStv as a title sponsor.

This will come as a huge shock to the football fraternity considering the service company operated by Multichoice still has a year remaining on a deal that was struck in September 2020 after taking over from ABSA.

An investigation by the public broadcaster has revealed that the discussion now is around whether to cut ties with immediate effect or attempt to find ways to see out the final year without any severe financial implications.

Furthermore, it’s emerged that DStv are concerned about continuing to carry the costs of a partnership that runs into multimillions per season.

With the mooted change of ownership after French media conglomerate Vivendi, the owner of Canal+, announced a firm offer for DStv and Showmax owner MultiChoice, there remains uncertainty over the future of Africa’s biggest pay tv company.

DStv had stepped in when ABSA pulled the plug on a link that existed for more than a decade as the Premier Division backers since 2007, with the PSL financials at the time showing that the revenue from the bank was in the region of R137-million.

It’s not clear just how much DStv put on the table when the five-year deal was confirmed and announced because the league hasn’t made available its financials to the public since the 2019/20 campaign, which was largely affected by the Covid pandemic.

But SABC Sport has been informed it has been slightly lowered, although still well over R100-million per annum.

What was evident is that there was not a lot of disruption given it was business as usual in the domestic league, especially with SuperSport International as broadcasters forking out R600-million per season.

PSL chairman Irvin Khoza has always been adamant that the television rights deal was the lifeblood of a lot of the clubs, some who do not have sponsors and rely on the R2-million grant from the league.

Talks are ongoing to find a replacement title partner either before the 2024/25 season gets underway next month or in the campaign that follows.

Betway, the online gambling company, has been mentioned as a strong candidate.

Efforts to get a comment from both DStv and the PSL proved futile with no response from either organisation at the time of going to print.

The only communication to come from the league to clubs was last week requesting Premiership teams to hold off on finalising their kits as there was work being done on the new “Premier Division logo” for the upcoming season.

Is SABC Still Planning To Expand Their Operations To MultiChoice's DStv And eMedia Investments' Openview?

In 2021, reported rivals eMedia Investments and the SABC had extended the agreement to include SABC Sport alongside SABC's 19 radio stations. This would sit alongside SABC 1-3 with plans to add two entertainment channels to the existing line-up. 

These channels never came to fruition to Openview consumers since the agreement was announced despite promises to unveil them. The only thing known about these brands is that the premise is similar to SABC Encore with plans to include new content. 

Prior to this, MultiChoice and StarSat were in discussion to launch another TV channel from the public broadcaster, SABC Education. Similar to these two untitled channels on Openview, SABC Education hadn't launched yet and only resides on SABC's DTT and SABC+.

There had been mentions that MultiChoice similar to eMedia Investments could be looking to add more TV channels from the SABC which is delaying the rollout of SABC Education. Another that an SABC Encore based channel was in development. 

Since last year, the public broadcaster was only able to launch two channels SABC Lehae and SABC Variety. Although, they hadn't officially announced the channels or properly marketed them they are however viewable on SABC's DTT with Lehae also on SABC+.

Speculation going around is that these channels would also be allocated on eMedia Investments' Openview. The public broadcaster is low on income and the only reason they would even greenlit a channel would be if they had some form of funding.

These two channels do match the description SABC provided about these Openview channels - repeats. SABC Lehae would give consumers access to local news following the dismissal of News And Sports in 2022 while SABC Variety would compliment ePleiser. 

Not much is known on why SABC hadn't expanded their services as intended but some guesses have to do with the restructuring of SABC 1-3. The SABC is currently reviewing the content on these channels in an attempt to revamp themselves. 

Maybe these endeavors would lead to the creation of more TV channels or restructures for their other brands.

Another reason could be the corporate management of these brands, they had promised to launch SABC+ by 2018/9 but did so successfully by 2022. Same thing with SABC Lehae, no announcement or media briefing on its launch as promised last year.

SuperSport And SABC In More Hot Water As Amazon And Disney Are Looking To Finalize Deal For The NBA

Amazon.com Inc. is close to a deal to bring NBA games to its Prime Video streaming service, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. 

The league is also nearing a new agreement with Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, which is expected to keep the rights to the NBA finals but air fewer regular-season games, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing nonpublic information.

Details on the number of games Amazon will have in the regular season and playoffs are still being ironed out. Rights to the women’s league, the WNBA, are expected to be included as part of both deals.

The Athletic and Puck reported earlier on the framework of the deals. Both news outlets said the agreements would last a decade. Representatives for the NBA and Amazon declined to comment. ESPN didn’t respond.

The NBA’s incumbent partners are Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. The league’s current media deals are worth a total of $24 billion, or over $2.6 billion a year. Those contracts expire after the 2024-2025 season.

The NBA is looking double its income from TV rights and add at least one or two more partners, the people said. The league is also talking to Warner Bros., whose Turner division has carried games since 1984, and Comcast Corp.’s NBC, which lost its basketball rights in 2002.

Sports are the biggest draw for major TV networks, making them must-have programming, especially as the audience for general entertainment programming has declined.

Recap To The Week: Disney's ESPN 1 Currently Seen On DStv And StarSat Is Set To Take On SABC Sport

During the day, it was reported that MultiChoice and Disney would be adding the US sports channel ESPN 1 to its R129 per month DStv Access package. It was previously only available on the R449-a-month Compact package or higher which concide with the addition of NWTV.

Since Openview's inception, it served as a rival brand to DStv's existing offering with general entertainment channels like eReality and eSeries, lifestyle brands like People's Weather and The Home Channel+ and Bollywood entertainment from Star Life and Zee One.

They had also garnered popularity from SABC Sport which serves as one of the top 10 most watched channels on the Openview platform.

In previous years, Access served as somewhat of an underling to the freemium platform as it lacked a worthy advisory to the current offering. Despite offering more channels there wasn't noteworthy content on the bouquet and in recent years MultiChoice had started to catch-up with eMedia Investments.

Zee Zonke was added back in August as the first Zulu dubbed telenovela channel and also Access consumers first Bollywood channel with the likes of Star Life and eExtra's Kuiertyd partially contributing to Openview's success and from December ESPN 1 will be added to the bouquet.

ESPN 1 features live football from the English Football League (EFL), Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL), Dutch Eredivisie and Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as local sports like West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations and featured boxing tournaments and events.

It will basically take on SABC Sport which too had been dominant on football particularly with Bundesliga, Cosafa Women’s Championship and Liverpool Football Club with other content like Racing Today (from 4Racing TV), Max Power and Retro Boxing.

Recap To The Past Decade: The Public Broadcaster Looking To Rollout A Health And History Channel As Ninth And Tenth TV Channel

In the last decade, the public broadcaster has been going through a financial crisis and despite the current situation are still looking to add more channels to their DTT platform. Initially set to be 18 TV channels was downsized to possibly 9 channels.

SABC 1-3 made up part of that alongside SABC News which is currently seen on the DStv platform with the defunct SABC Encore making up the fifth TV channel. Other TV channels in talks at the time included a sports, health, history, education and parliament channel.

SABC Education was the sixth channel out of the nine to enter fruition after the pandemic. It was initially meant to be in partnership with the Department Of Education but with no luck is just a catch-up/archives channel for content viewed on SABC 1-3.

SABC Sport came as the seventh channel a year after on eMedia Investments' Openview platform. It currently ranks as the top 10 channels on the platform just like SABC Education it features rebroadcasts as well as delayed live matches apparently.

SABC Parliament came as the eighth and believe it or not they were in active development but somewhere along the line. The channel was retooled as a multilingual news channel which too features archived material, SABC eKhaya.

After taking the facts to consideration, it's possible that the public broadcaster might be turning to their 2018 DTT plans when discussing additional channels or possible the scrapped 2011 plans which included an interactive video service channel.

With that being added up, it's possible that the public broadcaster might introduce another 2 channels possibly a health and history channel. Although nothing is official yet the idea wouldn't seem far fetched at this point.

From my understanding with SABC Parliament, they lacked funding so they pursued something similar, SABC eKhaya. So health and history might as well be victims of similar circumstances although nothing concrete it wouldn't be shocking.

SABC Launches Its Streaming Service SABC+, Includes SABC News Channel

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has launched its long-anticipated OTT platform, SABC +.

The SABC + streaming app will provide the best that the SABC has to offer including 19 radio stations and 3 free-to-air television channels SABC 1, SABC 2, SABC 3, as well as the SABC Sports Channel and the SABC’s 24-hour news channel. In addition, the app will feature a variety of local and international content, to extend the Corporation’s mission to inform, educate and entertain citizen, everywhere, anytime.

“SABC + signals a new digital era for the SABC and a key accomplishment in addressing universal access for all citizens” states Mr Madoda Mxakwe, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the SABC. “ SABC + app also presents a growth path to enhancing our value offering to clients and customers to build a strong foundation for future financial sustainability of the SABC”, concluded Mxakwe.

In partnership with the global consumer electronics and home appliances market leader, Hisense, the Corporation will distribute the SABC + app through the Hisense VIDAA Smart TVs and mobile devices in time for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on 20 November 2022. Together, these two powerhouses will bring 28 matches of the FIFA World Cup and the official FIFA World Cup show daily, for FREE.

The SABC is proud to partner with a technology company such as Hisense to enable us to fulfil our public mandate, whilst utilising innovation to provide cutting edge content to the public.

Why Fan-Favourite Sports Channel Is Not Available On Pay Platforms

In 2021, the isolated SABC Sport channel on the DTT platform was made available to Openview consumers as part of a deal made by the public broadcaster and eMedia Investments which included two more channels and 19 radio stations.

Years prior, SABC Sport made its OTT debut on Telkom's streaming service TelkomOne under a similar agreement with the public broadcaster within it included the 19 radio stations, SABC Education and likely any upcoming channel(s).

Since it's availability to free-to-air consumers, SABC Sport has become the top 10 watched channels on Openview and since then sourced several content outside of SABC 1-3 which includes the best of ESPN and Racing240 and all of that just triggered a certain pay-tv brand, SuperSport.

SuperSport is a sports division of M-Net which houses the biggest sports brands like Premier League, La Liga, UEFA Champions League, Moto GP, WWE, Wimbledon, PGA Tour. Point is they are the biggest sports brands in Africa.

Unfortunately, due to all these prestige over the brand only a handful of matches are accessible to lower masses and those excluded rely on the SABC for some of these matches.

In the beginning, consumers no matter the platform would have access to these matches but following the official launch of SABC Sport that all changed as SuperSport exclusive matches would only be screened on the DStv and DTT platform with TelkomOne and Openview blocked from seeing any of these matches.

If you look at the tactic here, they're basically trying to boost the consumer numbers on their platforms as they experience a decline in DStv Premium and Compact consumers and also with streaming taking over they want to level the playing field.

Since then the public broadcaster had filed an application accusing SuperSport of being anti-competitive in a similar stature to eMedia Investments when their channels where pulled from the DStv platform.

Taking that to account, why would MultiChoice want a channel that rebroadcast SuperSport content especially if it means more consumers will likely downgrade if it means paying less for premium content.

Some of the content that was restricted to TelkomOne and Openview were also excluded from SABC Sport imagine if the channel was already on DStv with those restrictions attached when consumers who missed out would hope to catch-up or rehash some past content.

Hints: MultiChoice To Add More SABC Channels To The DStv Platform

eMedia Investments and MultiChoice have been beefing over the carriage agreement for eToonz, eExtra, eMovies and eMovies Extra on which these 3 new SABC channels were set to replace but following the court's recent ruling complicates things for these channels as MultiChoice doesn't have much room for more channels.

In an interview earlier in the year, the SABC promised new content for the current SABC 1-3 alongside these new channels while also changing the way content would be distributed amongst their brands as they gear up for the launch of their long awaited OTT platform.

These new channels which are likely the same ones eMedia Investments failed to launch last year although there that much hasn't been confirmed would it be shocking if it was true as these brands were set up to replace eMedia's channels on the DStv platform.

From the info presented to the press about Openview's long awaited SABC channels, consumers should expect a lot of archived material as seen with SABC Education but as more viewers glue themselves to these brands expect some fresh content every now and then.

I'm no wizard in this but wasn't this how most if not all eMedia's brands panned out and following its expansion to the DStv platform you saw an increase in primetime so yeah these new channels have to be the same ones coming to the Openview platform.

Onto the specifics for these channels, SABC hasn't provided any detail in that regard but they have been giving a couple of teasers like SABC Sport 2 alongside the return of SABC Encore.

SABC Sport 2 comes out of the fact that the main channel SABC Sport has seen success on the Openview platform but as mentioned on several occasions they're not financially fit to launch more channels unless they have a reliable source of income and regardless this is a brand that MultiChoice wouldn't really want on their platform.

SABC Encore on the other hand is an uphill battle not that channels can't relaunch on DStv but for the time that it ran on DStv. There wasn't anything worth exploring that viewers hadn't got on SABC 1-3 but as mentioned in an interview they plan to revive the brand on another platform that doesn't it can't come back.

All the channels needs is improvement over whether it can launch again it's a mystery maybe this channel will launch on Openview and a seperate entertainment channel likely called SABC Entertainment surfaces on DStv as SABC had been tinkering with the brand names.

The second channel SABC Education has been going through development hell and as speculated most of this is on SABC as MultiChoice had been waiting on the other two channels to surface but as usual the public broadcaster can't meet up to a deadline.

The last channel is a complicated scenario, SABC had registered an SABC Parliament while Openview is expecting repeats that's not the case with this channel but seeing as they are replacements it's better to just cut that out of the list and look at another potential channel, SABC Children.

I know out of the 3 channels 2 cater for children but remember SABC Education revamped their lineup in 2021 and just like Da Vinci Kids also includes content for adults. The channel offers shows like Skeem Saam, Afro Cafe and Speak Out something you wouldn't find a lot of toddlers watching.

If you look at the possible 3 channels, the idea doesn't seem far fetched as MultiChoice has plenty of entertainment channels and while as with SABC I don't envision them adding anything that could rival with SABC 1-3 any further than SABC Encore/Entertainment.

ESPN Africa Boxing 18 Set To Entertain

Boxing fans across Africa can look forward to some of the best combat sport action when ESPN Africa Boxing 18 takes place in Johannesburg and broadcasts live on ESPN on Thursday 30 June 2022, from 19:00 (CAT). Sanctioned by Boxing South Africa (BSA) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF), this event will be headlined by a 12-round match for the IBF International Junior Middleweight title between DR Congo's Emmany Kalombo (15-1-0) and Kenyan Rayton Okwiri (7-0-1).

Known as 'The General', Kalombo was last in action in April, defeating Malawian Chikondi Makawa via third-round technical knockout in Soweto, while the unbeaten Okwiri is making a much-anticipated return to the ring. In his most recent fight, in October 2021, Okwiri knocked out John Serunjogu of Uganda in a middleweight non-title fight in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

 

 

The former African Boxing Union middleweight title holder is determined to put a major belt around his waist once again. “I have done it in the past and it’ll not be any different this time round. This is a big fight for me and the title must come back home as I’m serious to win it,” Okwiri explained.

Kalombo, however, feels that things will go differently: “I have known Okwiri as an amateur boxer for a long time and I’m gonna chop him down and stop him from taking the title."

The co-main event is a 10-round Welterweight clash between South Africa's Thulani Mbenge (18-1-0) and Idd Pialari of Tanzania (30-7-1). Mbenge was last in action a year ago, claiming an impressive third-round knockout win over Jabulani Makhense. Pialari broke a losing streak by defeating Chimwemwe Chiotcha via unanimous decision in February this year.

 

 

The main card also features an eight-round Super Flyweight clash between Sikho Nqothole (14-2-0) and Selemani Bangaiza (12-7-0); Jabulani Makhense (12-1-0) v Paul Kamanga (23-2-0) over eight rounds in the Welterweight division; and a Super Lightweight battle over eight rounds between Gift Bholo (9-11-0) and Hannock Phiri (14-0-1).

The fight card for this event, is as follows:

MAIN EVENT

Main event: IBF International Junior Middleweight Title
12 rounds
Emmany Kalombo (DR Congo, 15-1-0)
v
Rayton Okwiri (Kenya, 7-0-1)

Co-main event: Welterweight
10 rounds
Thulani Mbenge (SA, 18-1-0)
v
Idd Pialari (Tanzania, 30-7-1)

Super Flyweight
8 rounds
Sikho Nqothole (SA, 14-2-0)
v
Selemani Bangaiza (Tanzania, 12-7-0)

Welterweight
8 rounds
Jabulani Makhense (SA, 12-1-0)
v
Paul Kamanga (DR Congo, 23-2-0)

Super Lightweight
8 rounds
Gift Bholo (SA, 9-11-0)
v
Hannock Phiri (Malawi, 14-0-1)

UNDER CARD

Junior Middleweight
4 rounds
Sinethemba Blom (debut)
v
Mikaeel van Doorsen (1-1-0)

Junior Lightweight
6 rounds
Cayden Truter (4-0-0)
v
Khanyisani Mbokazi (2-3-1)

 

Featuring a diverse range of the continent’s boxing talent, the ESPN Africa Boxing events that take place on the last (or second last) Thursday of every month, are televised to an audience of up to 60 million homes across Africa and Latin America. The action starts at 19:00 (CAT) on ESPN (DStv 218, Starsat 248), SABC Sport and selected international broadcasters including ESPN across Latin America, as well as a highlights package in TKO (SABC 2, Fridays at 21:30).

How to tune in:

ESPN: DStv 218, Starsat 248 
SABC Sport
 
All times are stated in CAT / SAST.
Schedule subject to change

For updates regarding ESPN Africa Boxing and other sports, fans can connect to @ESPNAfrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit https://www.espn.com/. 

NFL Streaming Service Expected To Launch In July

The National Football League is expected to launch its own mobile-focused streaming service, NFL+, as early as July, according to a report from the NFL owner meeting in Atlanta by Sports Business Journal (SBJ). The platform will reportedly cost around $5 per month and will feature live in-market games on mobile phones and tablets as well as other possible content, including radio, podcasts and a variety of other team-created content. This is directed at fans who desire a mobile streaming option as a complement to the big screen.

 

NFL+ aims to function independently as a part of NFL Media, which sources say will give the NFL new data on its users. However, on the other hand, there are other reports that the streaming product could be folded into a larger streaming package, wrote SBJ’s Ben Fischer.

Additionally, The Athletic reported in April that the NFL might be looking for a partner that could distribute NFL Media or NFL Films content. While it is unlikely that Netflix will ever cover live sports, we do think that it would be in its best interest, especially since the company is planning to launch a livestreaming option for the service.

 

Despite the saturated streaming landscape, nothing excites viewers quite like the NFL, and it sounds like the league is looking to further capitalize on America’s obsession.

NFL+ is the latest announcement of a profitable year for sports entertainment, and the new streaming product could imply the convergence of sports media at large. Major League Baseball is also hoping to launch its own streaming service in 2023, and FIFA has become a streaming rival as of last month with the launch of FIFA+.

Potential Candidate: With News And Sports Out Of The Way, Could Any Of These 3 Channels Fill Up Its Socks On The Openview Platform?

News And Sport went off air by the end of March on the Openview platform with further content heading to eReality and SABC Sport being the only dedicated sports channel as further new channels were added to bolster the general entertainment.

Although, eMedia Investments is in no rush for find another sports channel. The likelihood of them potentially sourcing another sports brand doesn't seem far fetched.

 

eMedia Investments doesn't have a positive history in this section as all seemed to die out within 3 years and if SABC Sport remains onboard it would be the longest running sports channel on the Openview platform.

Onto alternative channels, seeing as this is a free-to-air platform there's very little alternatives of course the channels in question do incorporate a lot of variety in the mix and they go as follows:

 

1. SABC Sport 2

Following the success of SABC Sport, the public broadcaster expressed interest in launching a second sports channel which will likely adapt to the format of ESPN 1 (soccer) & 2 (basketball, baseball etc.) on DStv and StarSat.

The issue with this matter is funding, at the moment the only channels coming are ones which are funded by other outlets like StarSat and DStv on top of Openview.

2. Ignition

Following the launch of The Home Channel(+), it lead some viewers to speculate the potential addition of Ignition or at a catch-up version of the channel. Ignition is a lifestyle channel that caters to automotive vehicles.

In 2014, eMedia Investments once operated Bi-Cars TV on the Openview platform and at the time, there wasn't a lot of consumers using Openview meaning eMedia couldn't properly determine the outcome of content with viewers so it suffered the chop.

 

3. FreeSports

FreeSports is a British free-to-air sports channel operated and owned by Premier Media S.à r.l. aims to be majority live, with over 1000 events a year, for an average of 10 hours per day. Numerous sports broadcast, include football, combat sports, ice hockey, tennis, rugby league, rugby union, basketball, cricket, and snooker.

The channel holds a partnership with rights holders IMG, MP & Silva, Lagardère Group, Pitch International and Infront Sports & Media.

Xtreme Football League Makes A Comeback On ESPN In 2023

The XFL announced a new, global multi-year agreement with The Walt Disney Company (“TWDC”) and ESPN, which includes exclusive broadcast rights for all gameday content, tentpole events and more, for its upcoming 2023 season through 2027. Each season, all 43 games (40 regular season games, two playoffs, one championship) will be featured on a combination of ABC, ESPN networks and FX. Additionally, the agreement includes exclusive content rights across TWDC and ESPN’s digital, social and direct-to-consumer outlets such as ESPN+. The XFL is excited to officially announce its 2023 season will kick off on Saturday, February 18, 2023.

The announcement was revealed at the Disney Upfront, where XFL owners Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson were in attendance and presented the news.

“Without question, we have long admired Disney’s distinct ability to engage an expansive consumer fanbase across verticals, while also maintaining a deeply authentic, nuanced and heartfelt approach to storytelling much like our own,” said Dany Garcia, Chairwoman of the XFL. “To find a partner that honors our foundation and to be able to root our vision of unwavering passion, accessibility and the future of football with Disney as our home, is a dream come true. We are extraordinarily excited to explore the endless possibilities of this partnership – today is surely just the beginning.”

 

“The XFL will tap into sports fans’ deep love of football by emphasizing competitive action while dedicating itself to innovation and entertainment,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content. “You can see a great path to success when you combine the reach and influence of ESPN and Disney with the collective vision of XFL leadership led by Dany, Dwayne and Gerry.”

Dwayne Johnson added, “This is a definitive moment for the XFL and the beginning of an incredible, long-term partnership for the league, building on my longstanding, very successful legacy relationship I’ve had with Disney throughout my career. We’re excited to be working with global visionaries that are aligned with the XFL’s values, are true team players and share our ambitious goals to grow the XFL as a global sports and entertainment business. Through the combined power of Disney, ESPN and the XFL, together we will create a new powerhouse on the sports calendar and bring a dynamic game of football to fans everywhere. Time to ball out.”

 

Gerry Cardinale said, “With today’s announcement, the XFL has launched a truly innovative partnership with The Walt Disney Company and its world-class platforms across media, culture, sports and entertainment.  It is a privilege to join forces with the incredibly talented team at Disney and ESPN and bring Dany and Dwayne’s vision for world-class football and live event entertainment to our fans and players.”

FIFA Launches Free Video Streaming Service

World football governing association FIFA has launched an online video streaming service called FIFA+.

The service’s content includes live domestic league games from around the world, an archive of previously-broadcast international football matches, and original productions.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said FIFA+ represented the “next step” in the association’s vision to make football “truly global and inclusive” and expand and develop the sport globally.

 

 

“This project represents a cultural shift in the way different types of football fans want to connect with and explore the global game and has been a fundamental part of my Vision 2020-2023.”

“It will accelerate the democratisation of football, and we are delighted to share it with fans.”

FIFA said it would be streaming 40,000 live men’s and women’s football games annually on FIFA+ by year-end. That will include matches from 100 member associations across all six confederations.

The archive section launched with more than 2,500 videos dating back to the 1950s, with more to be added throughout the year.

That will include every FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup match recorded on camera — more than 2,000 hours of footage.

In addition to videos, FIFA+ boasts a match centre with a news feed and data from 400 men’s and 65 women’s competitions.

FIFA said this section would also offer interactive games, including quizzes, fantasy leagues, and predictors.

 

 

FIFA+ Originals will include full-length documentaries, docuseries, talk shows, and shorts, localised in 11 languages.

The current list of original content includes:

- Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man in the World — 90-minute documentary about Ronaldinho’s journey to becoming one of the world’s greatest football players.
- Captains: Season 1 — Follows six captains leading their countries through World Cup qualification.
- Croatia: Defining a Nation —Full-length feature documentary tells story of how football helped unite Croatia.
- HD Cutz — 8-part docuseries with “barber to the stars” Sheldon Edwards.
 

- Dani Crazy Dream — 6-part documentary series on Dali Alves’ journey to the FIFA World Cup 2022.
- Golden Boot — 4-part docuseries with interviewers of the world’s greatest goalscorers.
- Icons — 5-part docuseries on the biggest game-changers in women’s football.
- Academies: Season 1 — Inside story of successful football talent production lines worldwide.

FIFA+ can be streamed via a web browser or mobile device through Android and iOS apps. The platform requires no subscription and is ad-supported.

MultiChoice Set To Add A Further 3 Channels From The SABC To Replace The 4 e.tv Channels On DStv

On Monday, the Competition Tribunal heard eMedia’s application for interim relief against MultiChoice’s decision to drop the eMovies, eMovies Extra, eExtra and eToonz channels from its DStv packages.

The broadcaster planned to suspend these channels from its service at the end of March 2022 but delayed the removals by two months after E-tv decided to take the issue to the Competition Commission.

eMedia Holdings legal counsel Tembeka Ngcukaitobi argued that MultiChoice’s decision amounted to a dominant player refusing to supply a scarce service, in contravention of the Competition Act Section 8. The company believes it will lose as much as 19% of its advertising revenue should the channels be suspended.

 

 

In his opening arguments on the matter, Ngcukaitobi stated that MultiChoice did not justify its decision during negotiations or in response to a letter of demand from eMedia.

MultiChoice had only stated the decision was based purely on commercial considerations.
It was only in its first answering affidavit to the case brought before the Competition Tribunal that MultiChoice elaborated. Initially, its rebuttal included that it had satellite capacity constraints.

MultiChoice said it had to cut eMedia’s four channels so it could accommodate three yet-to-be-launched SABC channels that it must carry under the changing legislation.

Ngcukaitobi also stressed that DStv doesn’t have to carry SABC’s additional channels immediately, but only sometime in the future following negotiations with the SABC.

 

 

A year ago, SABC officially unveiled their sports channel SABC Sport and a year prior SABC Education. On LyngSat, they registered three channels SABC Parliament, SABC Children and SABC Encore. Could any of these 5 channels be making their way to DStv?

SABC Encore has been rumoured for over a year as the public broadcaster offers it on DTT to broadcast sports and other events that weren't seen in the version that was made available on DStv. On top of the fact that the public broadcaster hoped to revive the channel.

SABC Education was meant to be on DStv and rival platform StarSat but the SABC was stalling so both brands removed further info about the channel on their website and i-Plate respectively.

The public broadcaster plans to launch more channels in the near future alongside a streaming service where these channels alongside SABC 1-3 will be available to stream.

Aside from DStv, the public broadcaster still has to launch a further two channels on the Openview platform as promised in 2021.

 

E-tv needs DStv
eMedia contends under the prevailing market dynamics, its channels were dependent on DStv to remain competitive. Ngcukaitobi argued presence on the DStv platforms allows E-tv to maintain customer contact, generate advertising revenue, and ensure a high-quality broadcasting service.

The company has also argued that carrying the four E-tv channels was economically feasible for MultiChoice, as eMedia provided them for free, and two were in DStv’s top 10 most popular channels.

MultiChoice’s other reasons for denying a carriage renewal agreement included that the channels did not meet its strategic objectives for local content, black empowerment, value propositions, and its aim to decrease the frequency of repeats.

Ngcukaitobi said MultiChoice’s claims that the decision was based on E-tv not meeting DStv’s strategic objectives were “contrived”.

He argued two of the four channels were sharply focused on local content, while eMedia was a majority black-owned business. He also maintained MultiChoice had not provided evidence it would replace the channels with other offerings that met its criteria.

Ngcukaitobi surmised that MultiChoice’s action was done from a desire to inflict harm on a potential rival by undercutting its revenue.

Goodbye DStv, Racing240 Launches Its Streaming Service

Following the January launch of Racing240, South Africa’s 24/7 horseracing channel is practically bedded down and achieving its stated aim of taking racing to a whole new audience while providing serious punters with top notch tipster information.

Loadshedding, unfortunately, has also firmly established itself and there are predictions of over 100 days of outages this winter. While generators and other measures on site at the venues managed by 4Racing ensure little interruption to racing and betting trackside, how does the racing fan keep the hooves galloping and the turf flying when the power goes out at home?

 

Because it’s unlikely many local horseracing viewers will have back-up power for their TVs and satellite dishes, the simple answer is to switch from watching the action on DStv Channel 240 to streaming Racing240 via the website.

Backing up a TV and dish with an inverter can be complicated and costly. It is far easier to continue watching the best SA and overseas Grade 1 races, magazine shows, and more by clicking on the above URL and subscribing to 4Racing Daily at R2, 4Racing Monthly at R39 and 4Racing Annually at R299.

Once your Eskom-proof subscription is sorted, a mini UPS backup from a brand like Vizia (available for delivery on Takealot) will keep your fibre-based Internet working during loadshedding. Be sure to select a UPS backup with a splitter cable to power both the fibre box on your wall and the router that delivers the web to your devices.

 

 

If you don’t have fibre, check during the next loadshedding event if your mobile network’s local base station is up and running during outages (some aren’t as they don’t have backup batteries). Then, decide if it’s affordable to buy mobile data on your banking app for use during loadshedding. The price of mobile data has plummeted of late so don’t automatically exclude this option.

 

If you’re going to stream racing from www.4Racing.tv on your mobile phone, laptop or tablet during outages, you’ll need to ensure you have a car charger to keep these battery-powered devices up and running. Portable USB power banks are all very well during emergencies but most of us forget to charge them before outages. There’s nothing easier than settling into the driver’s seat, inserting the car charger and turning the key one click.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) And 4Racing Have Signed A Major Agreement To Ensure The Sport Of Horseracing Is Again Accessible And Available To The Broader South African Public On Free-To-Air Television

The agreement will see 4Racing produce and broadcast a daily 30-minute horse racing talk show called ‘Racing Today’ on SABC Sport from Monday to Friday over a three-year period for 50 weeks a year.

It will also see 10 of the country’s top showpiece horse racing events being broadcast live in prime time on SABC 3.

‘Racing Today’ will from April 2022 be available on the 24-hour SABC Sports Channel on the SABC’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service, on the Open View HD Channel 124 and on the TelkomONE streaming service.

“We are delighted to partner SABC in this multi-year deal to ensure the sport of horse racing returns as a regular addition to SABC’s premier sports programming. Having the country’s largest free-to-air broadcaster, with an audience reach of over 32 million across the country, helps us to fulfil our mandate to reach new audiences, grow participation in and knowledge of the sport, and make horse racing more accessible. Through the SABC’s coverage over the years of legendary South African horses like Wolf Power, Horse Chestnut, Jet Master, Sea Cottage and Pocket Power, and jockeys like Felix Coetzee, Michael ‘Muis’ Roberts, Pierre Strydom and Jeff Lloyd, horse racing became a premier sport and those horses and jockeys household names across the country. We’re looking to recreate that with the fantastic horses such as Kommetdieding, Jet Dark, Flying Carpet and Captain’s Ransom, and rock star jockeys such as S’manga Khumalo, Gavin Lerena, Muzi Yeni, Grant van Niekerk, Rachel Venniker, Craig Zackey and many others who are fantastic current participants in the exciting sport of horseracing, so the SABC partnership is a major and very important one for us,” says Fundi Sithebe, Chief Executive Officer of 4Racing.

Also read:
- SABC will launch more HD channels and streaming service
- SABC Encore and SABC Children channel might be in development for Openview
- Could e.tv News merge with eNCA?
- Should eReality merge with News And Sport?
- The Estate cancelled only on SABC 1 for new drama series
- Warner Bros. Discovery potential channel closures
- A list of Afrikaans voice actors for Die Put and Droomvelore
- Why VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?
- Saloni and East Meets West coming soon to SABC 2
- Dokter Ali S2 coming in April to eExtra

The new daily talk show ‘Racing Today’ on SABC Sport will cover everything horse racing related, while live coverage of the best local and international races will deliver the exhilaration, drama and prestige that are synonymous with racing to SABC’s viewers.

Head of Sport for SABC, Gary Rathbone, said that “horse racing has long been a major part of the SABC Sport offering and after a long absence from our platforms, it’s great to have the sport of kings back on air on the Public Broadcaster”.

“Being able to feature South Africa’s best thoroughbreds and champions jockeys fighting it out in these iconic races on the annual calendar is something I’m sure will excite millions of South Africans who will now be able to access the best racing on offer live and free on the SABC,” Rathbone added.

Stephen Watson, Head of 4Racing TV and Executive Director of Discover Digital, said “this deal with SABC is a significant one for us at 4Racing and for all current and prospective punters and racegoers who love the sport”.

“We have been working with SABC over the last year and this partnership has already seen live coverage of major race days such as the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met and Summer Cup and the L’Ormarins Queens Plate, while we’ve also assisted Gold Circle to get one of the country’s biggest and most important race days, the Gold Cup, broadcast live on SABC 3. So we are excited with this long-term partnership with the SABC, which will add more value to punters, sponsors and stakeholders. The deal also bolsters our multi channel strategy through the SABC’s channel carriage deals with Open View HD and TelkomONE’s streaming service,” Watson added.

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Roundups #10: Agent Binky: Pets Of The Universe Returning For A Third Season, Telemundo Working With RCN Once Again On New Series Until The Money Do Us Apart, Cheaper By The Dozen Streaming March 15th On Disney+ And SABC Acquires CAF Champions League

Anyone remembers this I know I didn't

A week ago, Nelvana and Discovery greenlight season 3 of Agent Binky: Pets Of The Universe formerly seen on Cartoon Network and Boomerang across Europe back in 2019.

The series follows the adventures of Binky, a space cat who is on a mission to protect his human family (Big Human and Small Human) from any interstellar threats, with assistance from four pets in the P.U.R.S.T. (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) agency.

Season 2 is scheduled to released in 2022 and seeing that Cartoonito is rolling out in more regions. What are the chances that WarnerMedia won't just pick it up for Cartoonito this time around?

Source: Worldscreen

Also read:
- February on Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and more
- Could Moonbug Kids replace Disney Junior on DStv and Baby TV on StarSat?
- More Big City Greens coming to Disney Channel and Disney+
- Mr. Bones 3 coming to Cinemas in April
- Nurses March 2022 teasers
- February on Cartoon Network and Boomerang
- Thomas And Friends: All Engines Go might launch on Boomerang
- 2022 on HBO Max including Peacemaker and a Batman Christmas special

Telemundo is at it again with RCN Television

The two television networks are once again coming together for another remarkable production, after Cafe con Aroma de Mujer (Coffee with a Woman's Scent) with a new version of the 2006 Colombian telenovela, Hasta Que La Plata Nos Separe (Until The Money Do Us Apart).

Rafael Méndez and Alejandra Maldonado are salesmen from opposite sides of life. While Méndez depends on informal sales, and that without any higher education. Alejandra carries her duty as the commercial manager of a car dealership with an MBA and a hard attitude up her sleeve. An unfortunate car accident will bring them together and they will have to get the best of each other in order to survive their respective realities.

According to sources, several cast members from The Way To Paradise are set to join the remake including Fabian Rios, Gregorio Pernia and Stephania Duque with Carmen Villalobos and Sebastián Martínez as the lead characters.

Also read:
- Upcoming programming for Telemundo Africa
- Cartoonito launches on Boomerang across Europe possibly as a trial run before scrapping the channel
- Could Malverde: The Patron Saint replace The Search For Frida?
- BBC Kids launches in the United States, could Africa be next?
- Rookie Season, Supa Strikas spinoff currently streaming on YouTube
- Saloni and East Meets West coming soon to SABC 2
- Why the outdated music brand VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?

Cheaper By The Dozen is back with a new family

The Disney+ Original movie Cheaper by the Dozen, which is a fresh take on the 2003 hit family comedy starring Gabrielle Union and Zach Braff, will premiere March 18, 2022, exclusively on Disney+.

In this modern take, Disney+ is mixing up the concept behind 2003's 'Cheaper by the Dozen,' which was a remake of the 1950 film of the same name, which in turn was adapted from a book of the same name from 1948.

Source: ScreenCrush

SABC picks up CAF Champions League

The CAF Champions League kicks off on 11 February 2022 – 29 May 2022 and viewers can look forward to seeing South African teams Mamelodi Sundowns and Amazulu in key fixtures broadcasted on SABC Sport. The giants of African football including Al Ahly (10-times champions), Zamalek (5-times champions), TP Mazembe (5-times champions) and Raja Blanca (3-times champions) will also be kitted and ready for battle. While the CAF Confederations Cup kicks off on 13 February 2022 – 3 April 2022 which also includes South African giants, Orlando Pirates.

Source: IOL

Also read:
- SABC 1-3 now available in high definition on Openview
- Could M-Net pick up Ray Donovan: The Movie and Betty White documentary?
- The Search For Frida March 2022 teasers
- Baby TV block could end on SABC
- Simply Maria alongside two other telenovelas launching soon on TLNovelas
- SABC registered three channels: SABC Parliament, SABC Children and SABC Encore
- What we might get from SABC's streaming service?

With these key CAF acquisitions by SABC Sport, it is evident to see the levelling of the playing field by giving South African viewers access to world-class content without subscription fees. SABC Sport is set to include all matches for the above stated CAF tournaments and include the CAF Super Cup, CAF Women’s AFCON and CAF Women’s Champions League to its content schedule.

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