Warner Bros. Discovery Updates (Rumour): HBO To Remain As A Premium Cable Channel And HBO Max To Fold Under Discovery+ With Scripted Programming Cancelled

Following the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery. The company has taken several drastic steps like making CNN a standalone company accompanied by the launch of the short-lived streaming service CNN+ and the sale of The CW which has seen most shows get scrapped.

Questions amounted to the plans Warner Bros. Discovery had for the future of the business and thanks to sources it seems as if we finally get our answer.

As reported last month, HBO Max will stop producing live-action shows for family and kids basically killing off Cartoon Network's future plans in that field and making the brand animation exclusive but things get worse as the streaming platform is said to no longer offer original content.

This is just a rumour but then would it be shocking if it was true as TNT, TBS and The CW all brands under the WarnerMedia portion of Warner Bros. Discovery no longer produce original content. Since then, these channels have been seen airing several Discovery shows which again was another rumour for HBO Max.

HBO Max is said to not only be shifting to unscripted programming but merging onto Discovery+ so there's no telling what will happen to productions like Hacks, Peacemakers and Gossip Girl but if I had to guess they'll likely form part of the premium HBO channel.

Compared to the Turner brands, HBO hasn't been phased by these changes and has seen more success with their original productions so I'm just saying it makes total sense to keep the channel and consolidate most if not all the scripted stuff under the channel if HBO Max will just be a mere tile what better way then with HBO.

I know most people are pissed off with the rise in Discovery and less WarnerMedia but if you look at it from a business perspective. Discovery Inc had more to offer on the table than WarnerMedia.

WarnerMedia's unscripted entertainment was big enough for two channels while as Discovery Inc. had enough stock over 10 channels. Internationally, you find brands like Discovery Max, Real Time and Discovery Science all supplying content from other stations.

But that's not what's got me curious about these changes but the whole branding of the business Warner Bros. Discovery if there's more Discovery than Warner wouldn't it make sense for the business to simply be known as Discovery if the closest anyone has to Warner is Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and HBO.

New Channel Alert: INX Prime To Launch On DStv This Friday

The channel will feature shows that brings both Muslims and non-Muslims of all ages together with current affairs. cooking, comedy & more.

DSTV has announced that it will be launching INX Prime, a new channel that comprises a host of shows with an Islamic ethos at its core.

The channel will launch on Friday, 5 August, on DStv channel 345 to all DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact, Family, Access and Easyview customers.

DSTV said content on the channel is set to be vibrant, entertaining, informative and spiritually uplifting.

The channel will feature fresh shows that brings both Muslims and non-Muslims of all ages together with topics ranging from current affairs and community upliftment, to cooking and comedy.

It says shows to look out for on INX Prime include the flagship show, Tonight Live, as well as Muslim Gallery, Mental Matters, You Are Not Alone and one for the children: Body, Mind & Soul.

Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head Content Strategy & 3rd Party Channels at MultiChoice, said INX Prime is designed to cater for customers that are interested in programming that is both entertaining and informative whilst rooted in the Islamic religion.

Personalities joining the channel include the highly acclaimed Nasreen Chamdar who will be hosting Finding Halaal, an exploration of South Africa’s best halaal cuisine; Anne Cabot- Alletzhauser, co-founder of the Responsible Finance Initiative (RFI); presenter, actor and author of “Mama I sold you”, Thaamir Moerat; among others.

The news and lifestyle shows will be filmed and broadcast locally from the INX Prime headquarters in Houghton, Johannesburg.

INX Prime’s Managing Director, Farhad Omar, believes that the creation of the new channel is a historic development in the media landscape in Africa.

“We will provide original programming that recognizes the multiple needs of Muslims on the continent,” says Omar.

“For many years, we understood that we needed to make a positive contribution to the news and information available to Muslims on the continent and what we are announcing today will help us achieve that goal,” Omar said.

In addition to the lifestyle and current affairs shows, INX Prime will also feature a range of movies and series from across the world to ensure that there is a wide selection of content with something that appeals to all.

Rumour: Openview Might Come With Monthly Fees By 2023

Yesterday, eMedia Investments unveiled plans to launch an affordable pay-tv service within the market by 2023 following the success of eVOD which has managed to get half a million registered users as the brand invests in more original content.

Now the idea of eMedia launching a pay-tv service was in talks even before Openview existed as the brand had obtained a licence which was ultimately used in the launch of e.Sat's eNCA news channel on the DStv platform as eMedia felt the market was big enough for 2 pay-tv services.

But following the sudden exit of their 4 e.tv channels on the DStv platform at the time which saw them lose out on revenue and the pressure from online streamers like Netflix and Disney+, eMedia is looking at all possible routes of income.

As outlined earlier, eMedia hasn't shared much details about the pay-tv service such as the supposed name, content or channels that would be bulked on this supposed platform but what if the answer to all that was stirring at viewers in the face.

Openview has been in the market for close to 10 years offering a variety of content for kids, adults and families also taking to account that they're on the verge of gaining 3 million subscribers as the platform hasn't seen much resistance in their growth making it easier to bank.

Openview+, Openview Premium, Openview Pro or Openview Extra would be the likely brand name.

MultiChoice supplies both DStv and GOtv and long story short one has seen more success over the other and we all know that a certain someone wants to consider both outlets as seperate businesses and that doesn't have to be the case with eMedia's pay-tv efforts.

As seen across the world, pay-tv has taken a toll with the rise in streaming alternatives making it close to impossible to just create an alternative to DStv that doesn't need internet which is where Openview comes in.

For several years, some consumers proposed to eMedia on adding monthly fees to the Openview platform as there's been several unsatisfied consumers with what's currently offered on the free-to-view platform. The pay-tv option rectifies most of those flaws seen on Openview.

If I had to stack a list of potential features or products of this pay service one of which would include an expanded TV Guide, more telenovelas outside the usual Istanbul or Bollywood, international music, sports and premium news channels.

Honestly, not everyone can pay for these many services it's the reason most preferred Hulu on Disney+ instead of having both function seperately. As seen in the United States, Disney+ lacks one thing and Hulu can give you that and a whole lot more which doesn't have to be the case with eMedia as both could work hand in hand.

eMedia Investments Set To Take On MultiChoice's DStv With The Launch Of Pay-TV Service In 2023

Poor South Africans would soon have affordable pay TV in their homes by 2023. That is if eMedia have it their way.

The move by eMedia comes as market incumbent
MultiChoice, with about 9-million subscribers in SA, has been under pressure from online entertainment offerings like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Significantly, eMedia’s advertising revenue stream on its OpenView platform has been threatened by a decision by MultiChoice not to renew the contract to carry four of its entertainment channels (eExtra, eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz) on certain DStv bouquets. The Competition Commission ruled against the interim relief sought by eMedia, and the matter is on appeal.

The pay-TV move might have been inspired by eMedia’s eVOD online entertainment channel launch in August last year.

Sherrif said the number of registered viewers to date had been encouraging, with almost 500,000 registered users in a year.

“The eOriginals offering on eVOD is the leading audience generator on eVOD, making the group bullish about investing a further R100m in local original content, which will be amortised across the group’s platforms and channels.”

The pay-TV move also follows a strong financial showing by eMedia, which boasts large investment firms Hosken Consolidated Investments and Remgro as its biggest shareholders.

In the year to end-March, eMedia racked up net profits of R420m off record revenue of R3.2bn. The group scored from a resurgence of television advertising revenue (following the easing of pandemic restrictions) on the back of a marked increase in its share of primetime audiences from 29.6% in March 2021 to 34.1% in March 2022.

Sherrif said this made eMedia SA’s biggest broadcaster in audience share in this category in SA.

He said the pay-TV thrust would not require a huge capital investment.

Reminder: MultiChoice To Go By 4K By November On DStv And Showmax Pro

Mawela, who was speaking in an interview following the publication of the broadcaster’s 2022 full-year financial results on Thursday, said the company has experienced “no challenges at all” in preparing for the 4K launch, and confirmed that the World Cup will be used as the launch event.

“We are ready for the World Cup to be available in 4K,” he said. The World Cup, which is being hosted by Qatar, kicks off on 21 November.

“The broadcaster sold more than 100 000 Explora Ultras in the 2022 financial year to 31 March
Mawela’s remarks come after TechCentral reported last November on MultiChoice’s 4K plans.

Barry Dubovsky, chief operating officer at MultiChoice Connected Video, said at the time that the broadcaster was aiming to launch 4K on both DStv and Showmax Pro – the premium Showmax tier that includes live sports from sister company SuperSport – in time for the World Cup. He said then that he couldn’t make any promises about meeting the deadline. However, Mawela’s latest comments suggest everything is on track.

Moving to 4K for the World Cup will be a significant step-up in quality. MultiChoice’s streaming DStv product currently tops out at 1080p resolution, while Showmax tops out at 720p. Its satellite product broadcasts at up to 1080i resolution. 1080p and 1080i both offer 1 920×1 080-pixel resolution, or about 2.1 million pixels, while 4K content is 3 840×2 160 pixels, for a massive pixel count of 8.3 million.

Complexity
Moving to 4K adds to the complexity of the infrastructure required, Dubovsky said last year. “It’s complexity around infrastructure, it’s resourcing, it’s operational management – there’s a lot of support required. But it’s something the business is taking very seriously because we need to continually evolve the viewing experience.”

MultiChoice’s new set-top box decoder, the Explora Ultra, launched in 2020, is already 4K-ready and subscribers can access 4K content through bundled apps from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. The broadcaster sold more than 100 000 Explora Ultras in the 2022 financial year to 31 March, it revealed this week.