Insidus

(Updated 25 June)Status: SABC Education On DStv And Starsat

SABC Education launched in May 2020 through YouTube and DTT decoders with digital streaming version accessible through the SABC Education portal and virtual academy.

At the time, SABC stated that more platforms will hopefully add the channel later. Through an interview they mentioned that they were in talks with the likes of MultiChoice and StarTimes in the hopes that they can open up space for the channel and that was a year ago.

Within that same year, SABC Education expanded to only 1 additional platform which is none other than Telkom's streaming service, TelkomOne while SABC Education appeared for several months on DStv's i-Plate section and StarSat's website.

From 2021, DStv scrubbed the channel's EPG from that area viewers only noticed it the channel's presence once MultiChoice had some system upgrades while Starsat removed all info about the channel through their website.

Through the info obtained from Starsat's website the channel would have occupied channel 313 on their Max, Special and Super package with DStv the suspected occupation was channel 316 (since it was the only available space last year) to all their DStv customers (including Easyview).

Through an enquiry regarding the channel's status on DStv and StarSat, it was stated that plans for their rollout are "still underway".

It's been over a year and they're still planning to launch them. Could it be possible that there's more to this deal that meets the eye I mean Telkom partnered up with SABC giving them SABC 1-3, Sports, Education and their 19 radio stations which can be found on DStv.

Updated section

In March 2021, SABC formed a partnership with eMedia Investments giving OpenView customers access to their sports channel and 19 radio stations alongside "two general entertainment channels".

Could these two entertainment channels be the reason for the delay. In an interview SABC COO mentioned that these two channels coming to OpenView are non-exclusive meaning they'll be transmitting them on other platforms as well.

Not much details have been unveiled about these two channels except for them supplying extensive and archived content with the goal of having 20% fresh content.

With that in mind, is it possible that SABC Education's fate lies on these one or two channels and that as long as SABC and eMedia Investments remain silent that viewers on DStv and StarSat should keep waiting. OpenView currently has the SD versions of SABC 1-3 could these channels switch to HD once these channels arrive.

4 years ago, e.tv launched their 4 channels (altogether) at the time on DStv. Could SABC be trying to do the same with SABC Sport, SABC Education and these two entertainment channels?

SABC And eMedia Investments Expand Partnership, Will MultiChoice And StarTimes Follow?

eMedia Investments, owners of free-to-air satellite service Openview, and the SABC have reached a business agreement that sees Openview continue to broadcast high-definition channels SABC 1, 2 and 3, as well as 3 additional television channels from the public broadcaster, as well as all 19 radio stations owned by the SABC.

The business agreement means that the SABC is officially entering the free-to-air satellite market, with SABC Sports Channel the first of the 3 additional SABC channels bring added to the Openview service.

SABC radio brands Ukhozi FM, Metro FM, Lesedi and Umhlobo Wenene are among the radio stations now also available on Openview, transmitted via digital broadcasting on a free-to-air basis.

Commenting on the new multi-year signal distribution and channel carriage agreement, eMedia Investments COO, Antonio Lee, says, "This is an exciting development for both the SABC and ourselves. The agreement ushers in a new level of collaboration between a private free-to-air satellite platform and public free-to-air broadcast services. There is no doubt it will boost the offering of Openview and will extend the SABC’s audience reach. We can now offer our Openview audience additional quality content and access to digital broadcast radio in the widest variety of languages possible in South Africa. We hope this is the start of a stronger and more fruitful relationship between Openview and the SABC".

SABC’s COO, Ian Plaatjes, adds, “This agreement enables the SABC to grow its channel offering and reach into the digital broadcasting space with three additional HD television channels. The first channel to be launched will be an SABC Sport Channel and will be distributed simultaneously across Openview, DTT, Telkom One and other streaming platforms. This collaboration will enable the SABC to optimally exploit its rich sport content rights and leverage the Openview reach to provide an improved integrated sport value proposition for our advertising clients across platforms. The agreement also enhances the distribution of SABC radio stations to create an increased value proposition for our radio advertising inventory. The other two TV channels, to be announced within the next 3 months, will leverage extensive SABC content and archived material.”

"The other two TV channels" "leverage extensive content and archived material" - SABC Education being the first with the other possibly being SABC Encore maybe it will launch under another new name perhaps or with an updated look. It would be shocking if it was SABC News.

Openview and the SABC believe that this agreement will expedite digital migration from analogue-only households to digital broadcasting platforms with more compelling free-to-air channels and content. Together with the DTT platform, Openview provides audiences with a free HD alternative to both analogue terrestrial and pay satellite options.

According to a source, this development was in talks with pay-tv platforms as well. SABC Education has been showing signs of launching and my guess was May which is the same time the channel launched.

Not long ago, even eMedia Investments entire set of channels were rumoured to be added onto DStv so far only 4 reside on that platform.

Britbox Video Streamer To Launch In South Africa Later In The Year With Content From ITV And BBC

Another video streaming service will be launching in South Africa in the second half of 2021 with BritBox, the joint 50/50 streaming venture between BBC Studios and ITV, that announced that it will become accessible to South African consumers later this year.

BritBox, an ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service will join the quickly getting crowded video streaming market in South Africa where Netflix SA fiercely compete with the likes of MultiChoice's Showmax, VIU, Vodacom Video Play, TelkomONE, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

Meanwhile the South African public broadcaster is working on launching its own SABC streaming service, while Discovery+, Paramount+, HBO Max and Disney+ are still to launch in the territory and across the rest of Africa as well.

BritBox will serve as somewhat of a replacement for the ITV Choice channel and the BBC First channel that both shuttered on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform during 2020.

BritBox carries on-demand content in the form of British box sets, drama premieres and live events, as well as new and exclusive original commissions.

South Africa will be BritBox's 5th worldwide territory to launch in, following launches in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

"The launch of BritBox in South Africa is yet another step in the platform’s trajectory towards international expansion. We’re delighted to bring the service to a brand new territory and continue towards establishing BritBox as a premium VOD brand across the world," says Martin Goswami, ITV group strategic partnership and distribution director, in a statement.

Paul Dempsey, president of global distribution at BBC Studios, says "We know that South African audiences have a real connection to British television and we can’t wait to bring them even more great shows, on-demand, that we know they will love".

HBO Max To Rollout In 60 More Countries By The End Of 2021

Some consumers are no longer waiting for these streaming services to rollout in Africa as they've found several torrent sites to stream content like WandaVision, The Mandalorian and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Apparently, HBO Max will launch in 60 countries and territories by the end of 2021, 21 of those countries/territories will be Europe (the countries where content is available direct through HBO and not through a third-party local partner, the 21 countries are located in Nordics, Central Eastern Europe as well as Spain and Portugal).

Africa is likely not listed in those 60 countries for the same reason as Disney+, they want to put their focus on the major parts of Europe before anywhere else while Disney+ is estimated to be in Africa by 2022/3 with HBO Max it's likely to be 2025-7.

Reasons being they have existing contracts with other providers in those regions so they're likely to cancel some of those agreements and wait on others if possible launch when they have enough content despite those contracts.

New Series Alert!: The Red Room Coming Soon To SABC 3

It seems like eExtra won't be the only free-to-air station for Turkish telenovelas after all. Apparently, SABC 3 will reserve a space in their lineup for The Red Room (Kirmizi Oda).

Adapted from the book with the same name, the events of the series revolve around a psychological clinic, and the stories and attitudes of a group of psychiatric patients who frequent it, and who lived different events between pain and joy, narrated by one of the psychiatrists who own the clinic, supervising their follow-up and trying to treat them.

Besides local, SABC will also be competing on an international scale with telenovelas meaning they join the likes of e.tv (and eExtra), Telemundo, TLNovelas, tvN, Zee World and Star Life.

The Red Room airs Thursdays and Fridays at 18:30 from 8 April while the Brazilian telenovela, Orphan Of The Nation occupies Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5 April.

A new local drama, The Estate will also air on the channel likely from 19:30 which comes right after these two. This move will keep viewers occupied as SABC can source out more shows for their channels.