Recap To Last Year: WWE Network Fails To Launch On Showmax, DStv Channel 128 Remains Active In The African Market

Last year, SuperSport and the WWE extended their partnership with the world's biggest wrestling promotion which would see the WWE Network fold under Showmax as seen in Indonesia, Phillipines, Australia and India which have all terminated the brand.

SuperSport would continue to offer Raw, SmackDown, NXT and premium live PPVs across their platforms. As for the WWE Channel, that's expected to continue running on channel 128 but would it be shocking if it didn't considering it was never mentioned earlier.

Vince McMahon, the founder of WWE has been exploring a potential sale of the brand for several months and had recieved a number of potential buyers at the time including Comcast (NBCUniversal), Disney, Amazon and the Saudis apparently.

If you view this from a logical perspective, I can see why this deal was put on hold. If you take to account, the mentioned potential buyers at the time such as Disney. They probably wouldn't want to bundle WWE on Showmax especially if Disney+ already exists.

Although a buyer has yet to be announced, I can see imagine how WWE would operate under the Disney tile. They'd probably scrap SuperSport's WWE and merge it with ESPN meaning in order to view further content particularly archived you'd need ESPN+.

As mentioned, Showmax's deal with WWE does come off as suspicious if you take the following to account:

WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and MultiChoice today announced a major broadcast partnership that will see Showmax – the leading streaming service available in the region – become the new home of WWE Network in Africa.

The partnership incorporates all WWE Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania®, as well as WWE Network’s vast library of original and archived programming available to stream on-demand.

Additionally, SuperSport, the sport broadcasting subsidiary of video entertainment platform MultiChoice, will continue to broadcast live weekly episodes of Raw®, SmackDown® and NXT® as well as all of WWE’s Premium Live Events in a multi-year extension.

Although, MultiChoice mentions that the WWE Channel would remain onboard I find it hard to believe. Yes this channel brings the consumers and revenue but why not mention such a brand in early press statements when expanding this deal to Showmax.

Even more reasons to suspect the possible demise of channel 128 would be Showmax. Notice how they mention "WWE Network’s vast...archived programming" but SuperSport only references "live weekly episodes of Raw®, SmackDown®...WWE’s Premium Live Events.

Most people grew fond of this channel so maybe WWE Channel would be supplemented by another brand that could fill up the void and probably be WWE savvy but there's always chances that this could be nothing at this point.

To Celebrate The Launch Of Cartoonito, Regular Nick & Insidus Games Presents The Classic Toon Cup Now Downloadable On Android Devices Alongside The Premieres Of Junior And Craig Of The Creek S4 On Cartoon Network Africa

Boomerang Africa rebranded to Cartoonito Africa on Saturday, 25 March, with the best of Boomerang with more laughs, more adventures and more friends.

There’s still plenty of room for long-time Boomerang favourites like Zig & Sharko, Mr Bean, Masha and the Bear, Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes Cartoons to shine alongside newer friends such as Dino Ranch, Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go and Lucas the Spider. Cartoonito Africa brings them together – while adding brand-new shows like Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders and Interstellar Ella – just for starters - offering a wider variety of programmes filled with new friends, trusted fun and extraordinary adventures for the whole family to enjoy.

For more details on what to expect later in the month on Cartoonito: click here

HIGHLIGHTS FOR CARTOON NETWORK:

JUNIOR

Mikako Mayhem

Mikako, Africa, is home to Junior, an amazingly resourceful 10-year-old boy who always has a thousand and one remarkable ways to solve everyday problems – though some of his solutions just create new problems! His favourite phrase? “It wasn’t me, honest!”. Junior always has a reason, a totally improbable “how-what-why” story. However, having brilliant ideas is one thing - putting them into practice is another!  And that’s where the problems usually begin…

PREMIERE:        Monday, 3 April @ 17:00 CAT
TUNE IN:            Mondays – Fridays at 17:00 CAT

CRAIG OF THE CREEK – S4

Kids Rule!

Craig and his two best friends, Kelsey and JP, are always going on adventures in the untamed suburban wilderness known as the Creek - a kid utopia where tribes of children rule over tree forts and bike ramps. In this season’s new episodes, a rainy day of board games turns into an epic gaming challenge, a hike to a secret waterfall creates an unexpected friendship with former enemies referred to as Champions of The Other Side of the Creek and a dangerous staring contest with a prize at stake will animate Craig’s adventurous life in the Creek.

PREMIERE: Monday, 17 April at 15:15 CAT
TUNE IN: Mondays – Fridays at 15:15 CAT

BRING ON THE SPORTING ACTION WITH THE 2010 JAVA CLASSIC, COPA TOON NOW AVAILABLE ON ANDROID DEVICES

The Toon Cup is on! Join your favorite Cartoon Network characters and play this action packed 5-aside football game. Play through the entire competition or duke it out in a quick match to hone your skills. Use special powers to gain the upper hand and beware of the hazards on the pitch. What are you waiting for? Team up with Ben 10, Billy, Chowder, Zak Saturday or Buttercup and go for the goal.

Worried about space no worries, it's a 1MB game: click here to download

Recap To The Week: The Real Housewives Is Becoming A Cinematic Universe On DStv

The Real Housewives Of Johannesburg, The Real Housewives Of Cape Town, The Real Housewives Of Durban and these are just some of the few reiteration to the popular Bravo franchise seen across various M-Net channels through the DStv platform.

During the week, MultiChoice and NBCUniversal unveiled another Housewives instalment for the kykNET channel titled Die Real Housewives Van Die Winelands which will basically follow the hustle of various women in a certain geographical area.

It will follow the champagne catfights and soirée-filled social circles of a new group of Afrikaans-speaking women, all living and gossiping in South Africa's famed Cape winelands region around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, known for its "old money" and its centuries-old, multi-million rand family-owned wine estates.

According to kykNET, the Cape winelands offer "wealth, vineyards and wine" but it is also here where the tongues are wagging in the high-society social circles over the latest and never-ending gossip in the region over the ins and outs of this conspicuously wealthy community.

But that's not what's got me hooked personally I don't watch it not that it's bad or anything but everyone has their own preference which is the case here as MultiChoice has been dishing out more and more housewives adaptions across their platforms.

It had sort of got me thinking, could it be that M-Net may rollout a standalone channel featuring these local variations alongside the international components which have been gracing our screens for several decades I mean the idea wouldn't seem far fetched at this point.

WWE has got a dedicated channel why not The Real Housewives I mean M-Net has got too much of this content on their plate already that I doubt a lot of consumers particularly those into such content will be able to keep up to all these variations.

Just like WWE, my hunch for this channel would be that content that was probably not accessible on DStv would be found here while the fresh local offering will serve as rebroadcasts or simultaneous premieres I can see only of those options working.

On top of these instalments across DStv, we would also be getting doccies or behind the scene type programming. I mean after seeing brands like SuperSport Schools build their offering from various SuperSport channels the idea doesn't seem far fetched.

Curious as to how long it will be till MultiChoice announce the launch of The Real Housewives Channel. I mean hey they've found new ways of distributing repeats and making them knowledgeable to more consumers this case wouldn't be any different.

New Series Alert: Your Love Is My Fortune Coming Soon To TLNovelas Africa

Natalia Robles is a morally flawless woman who has been married to Adrián Cantú for the past twenty years, which she has devoted body and soul to ensuring her family's wellbeing. Our story begins at her twentieth anniversary party, where Andrea and Regina, her daughters, Adrián's lover Verónica, who is also Natalia's best friend and the girlfriend of Adrián's partner, Mario, are present, alongside their closest group of friends.

Adrian and Veronica have hatched a plan to flee on the same day of the celebration and once they have swindled the clients of the real estate agency of which Adrian, Veronica and Mario are partners.

Natalia collapses when she discovers that she has been betrayed, but she must also immediately solve her financial situation since Adrián has left her broke; she is devastated and resolves to rise again from the debris to help her daughters get ahead.

In a poor Mexico City neighborhood, Vicente Ramírez grieves the terrible loss of Lucía, his wife and mother of his only son Benjamín. The couple had achieved their dream of owning their own home, which they are still paying for. Little Benjamín becomes mute as a result of the impact of his mother's death. Vicente is a kind and sensitive man who has taken care of his family's financial stability: Doña Magos, his grandmother; Juan Gabriel and Pepe Pepe, his younger brothers.

The lives of Natalia and Vicente come together when he and the other creditors come to the real estate company to claim the money that was swindled from them. Natalia representing her husband, together with Mario, plead for time for them to be able to compensate the financial damage.

Natalia is left with only one house in a popular neighborhood where she must move in with her daughters. When she arrives, she finds out that Vicente is the supposed owner of the house, since he signed an invalid sales contract, which makes Natalia the real owner. Vicente refuses to receive them and Natalia, without hesitating, moves into the house that both will now share with their respective families, causing conflicts between the characters due to social and cultural differences.

Living together brings Natalia and Vicente closer. Without realizing it, he has fallen in love with the righteousness, tenacity, strength, decision, tenderness and kindness that she has displayed, especially with her son Benjamín; little by little Natalia will discover that after all the pain and sadness she has gone through, she is ready to give herself a second chance, and this time it will be with Vicente. Olga, who only wants to fulfill her whim of marrying him, hates Natalia and stirs up strong intrigues that separate them.

After overcoming adversity, our protagonists will confirm that real fortune is to be found in love.

Based on the Colombian telenovela La Quiero A Morir, Your Love Is My Fortune (Mi Fortuna Es Amarte) debuted on Las Estrellas from 8 November 2021 to 13 March 2022. Accumulating a total of 92 episodes, the series stars Susana González and David Zepeda.

The series debuts 29 May 2023 on TLNovelas (DStv 133). Ahead of its debut, the channel will rollout the classic series, Rubi.

New Series Alert: VanG Born Explorer: India Coming Soon To People's Weather

People's Weather, Africa's first and only 24/7 weather, environmental news and lifestyle channel. Striving to make Africa's nature more inclusive for all will be rolling out a new wilderness series from April 14 (or 10th), VanG Born Explorer: India.

VanG (full name Mathieu Van Goethem) journeys through all corners of the globe in search of fascinating, unique, rare wildlife and culture. Immerse yourself in an adventure that will take you all over the place.

Based in Cape Town, the Belgium filmmaker, conversationalist and nature guide expert operates a free online company, MatVanGeo. Raising awareness about environmental issues and stories and also documenting his adventures.

VanG has worked with a number of talents including Moonchild Sanelisiwe, Musgrave, Chad da Don, David Moscow, Graeme Swanepoel, Marty Bleazard, Noni Ndlamini, Mark Linfield & Vanessa Berlowitz.

As seen on various platforms, his new series VanG Born Explorer: India will air either on April 14 or 10 in the 18:30 timeslot. For further details an accurate launch date, consult the channel in discussion, People's Weather or browse your TV Guide closer to that period.