After Being Snubbed By DStv In South Africa, Maisha Magic Movies Will Stop Airing In The Rest Of Africa From October

Last month, it was reported that Maisha Magic Movies would be exiting the DStv platform in South Africa. Since then, MultiChoice added BBC UKTV to the Compact bouquet in which this movie channel catered for alongside a Zulu dubbed Bollywood channel, Zee Zonke.

Through a conversation with a DStv customer, it had been confirmed that Maisha Magic Movies will close not only in Kenya but the rest of Africa by October 8th.

MultiChoice in a statement mentions that the termination is line with their strategy to continuously review content and optimise channels. This is done to deliver unbeatable content to their customers as they continue to cater to the needs and viewing requirements.

Just as I thought, Maisha Magic Movies was probably struggling to garner traction as seen with Africa Magic Epic and Mzansi Bioskop. Another could be that similar to fliekNET, the channel didn't have much on its plate leaving them to bombard the schedule with repeats.

Prior to its termination, M-Net had reverted consumers to Pearl Magic and the other Maisha Magic channels so we assume similar to fliekNET once again. M-Net will work on building the local offering on these brands to fill that gap left by Maisha Magic Movies.

In other developments, MultiChoice and Ngwato Nkosi Group are set to unveil a rival kids brand in the coming months, Play Room. The channel will offer animated content in Zulu with some language switching happening between shows we assume it will replace another channel.

ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited Has Announced The Relaunch Of ZEE One In Germany Through A Strategic Partnership With Samsung TV Plus.

The Bollywood-centric channel uniquely tailored for German viewers, will provide audiences with thousands of hours of Bollywood films, including titles like ‘Happy New Year’, ‘Pardes’, ‘Rustom’, ‘Shamitabh’, and many more.

Furthermore, it offers highly successful Indian television series dubbed in the German language, such as ‘Jamai Raja’, ‘Kundali Bhagya’, and ‘Jodha Akbar’.

ZEE One promises to deliver high-quality entertainment from the cinematic Mecca of Asia: Bollywood. Zee One’s premium content is specially adapted for the German market. This fast channel will broadcast a highly curated mix of movies and series, starring Bollywood superstars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone. The movies will span all genres, including romance, comedy, action, among others.

Punit Misra, President – Content & International Markets at ZEE Entertainment Enterprises, highlighted the strategic importance of this step: “We are delighted to collaborate with Samsung TV Plus to offer an enriched Indian entertainment experience for our viewers in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. As a global content company, ZEE is present in over 190 countries, entertaining over a billion viewers worldwide. With this partnership, we are recommitting ourselves to being Extraordinary Together in the service of one of the most competitive and leading content markets worldwide.”

Ashok Namboodiri, Chief Business Officer – International Business, said, “ZEE One is more than just a channel – it’s a cultural bridge that connects audiences in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria to the vibrant world of Bollywood. Our goal is to provide genuine and captivating viewing experiences that transcend borders while honoring the timeless universal language of storytelling. Partnering with Samsung TV Plus aligns perfectly with our vision of serving not just the South Asian diaspora with channels and programming in Indian languages but also the wider international audience in their native languages.”

Benedikt Frey, Country Lead DACH – Samsung TV Plus, says, “We are delighted to add ZEE One to Samsung TV Plus in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. This marks an exciting moment as we bring hours of Bollywood- centric content to the service in the DACH region. We look forward to bringing the vibrant world of Bollywood to new and existing audiences, in Indian languages.”

This new deal is another feather in the cap of Parul, who has demonstrated the might of ZEE UK and Europe by expediting its business and forging strong allegiances like this.

Samsung TV Plus is Samsung’s own FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) service; no subscription, sign-up, additional devices, or credit card are required. It comes pre-installed on Samsung Smart TVs from 2016 to 2023 and can be downloaded from the Google Play and Galaxy Store on Samsung Galaxy devices in select territories. With Samsung TV Plus, users can access numerous channels spanning news, sports, entertainment, along with a library of movies and popular shows for on-demand viewing. This ad-supported service is accessible in the UK and 15 other European regions, requiring only an internet connection.

Cartoon Network And Rebranded Cartoonito Remain SA’s Kids’ Channel Leaders

Warner Bros. Discovery’s children’s segment channels, Cartoon Network and Cartoonito, continue to top viewership ratings and maintain their status as the #1 and #2 ranked kids’ channels amongst DStv households across South Africa.

After undergoing a rebranding from Boomerang in March this year, July 2023 saw Cartoonito going beyond the kids’ cluster as the most-watched international channel across all genres amongst DStv households and the 5th most-watched channel overall¹ on the DStv platform. Cartoonito strengthened its visibility, increasing its viewership² by over 225 000 to reach nearly 10 million viewers every month.  

While the growth in the Cartoonito audience is significant, reinforcing its status as the #2 kids’ channel in South Africa since 2018, Cartoon Network continues to maintain its position as the overall #1 children’s channel in South Africa⁴ – a position it’s held since 2010 – reaching almost 16 million viewers5 monthly. “Cartoon Network Africa and Cartoonito Africa are reaching respectively almost 16 million viewers and 10 million viewers monthly in South Africa alone, making them the top two kid’s channels,” says Ana Gonzalez, Editorial Lead: Southern Europe and Africa, Kids Brands, Warner Bros. Discovery. “They’re loyal, engaged, and excited viewers who enjoy linear television, providing them with entertainment that keeps them coming back for more.”

King of Content

Warner Bros. Discovery content from its kids multiplex dominates the Top 20 shows across all kids’ channels6. On Cartoonito, more than 105 000 kids watch Cocomelon7, and its new show, Interstellar Ella, launched in June this year, occupies the 7th position7 with almost 90 000 viewers on average. Cartoonito’s brand-new shows, Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders, also contribute to the positive performance of the channel as the 5th and 6th most-watched shows, alongside fan-favourites like Mr Bean, Masha & The Bear and Zig & Sharko7.

On Cartoon Network and alongside the hits Dragon Ball Super, We Baby Bears, and Teen Titans Go!, the first Cartoon Network Original African-produced animated series Garbage Boy and Trash Can ranks 9th with almost 85 000 viewers on average. The new season of the great Cartoon Network Original show, The Heroic Quest of The Valiant Prince Ivandoe, takes 11th place with an average of nearly 80 000 viewers.

“Our international content continues to perform very well, alongside local African-produced content like Garbage Boy and Trash Can,” says Gonzalez. “It demonstrates the power of our kids’ brands to tell relatable stories, with recognisable characters, for African audiences.”

Garbage Boy and Trash Can, launched in July 2023, is the first Cartoon Network Africa animated original. Cartoon Network produced the show in a collaboration between Nigerian animator Ridwan Mos hood – winner of the Cartoon Network Africa Creative Lab initiative - Mike de Seve, head of US award-winning studio Baboon Animation and Nick Wilson, founder of African Animation Network (AAN).

Demographic Breadth

Cartoon Network’s viewership is driven by boys (60% of its profile)8, whilst viewership is well balanced on Cartoonito, with boys aged 4-14 only just making up the majority at 51%8.  Kids 7-11 are the core audience of Cartoon Network (54% of its profile), and since its rebranding, Cartoonito has increased its influence amongst kids aged 4-6, increasing by three points to 31%8.

Overall, Warner Bros. Discovery’s content can reach 350 000 kids on specific days, with an audience share of 21%9.

Cartoon Network and Cartoonito are committed to delivering new and innovative content that will continue to captivate their audiences and maintain their positions as the top children's channels in South Africa, with plenty more fresh, exciting programming still to come.

Schedule: Disney Channel And Disney Junior Across Africa In October 2023

Disney Channel

• Schedule takes to affect from 2 October with Saturdays the series from 9 October

Weekdays

00:00 Bunk'd: Learning The Ropes

00:25 Bunk'd: Learning The Ropes

00:50 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

01:15 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

01:40 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

02:05 Walk The Prank

02:30 Walk The Prank

02:55 Walk The Prank

03:20 Vikingskool

03:45 Vikingskool

04:10 Vikingskool

04:35 Kiff

05:00 Hamster & Gretel

05:25 Hamster & Gretel

05:50 Descendants Wicked World

06:00 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

06:25 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

06:51 Hamster & Gretel

07:15 Hamster & Gretel

07:40 The Ghost and Molly McGee

08:05 The Ghost and Molly McGee

08:30 Big City Greens

08:55 Big City Greens

09:20 Phineas And Ferb

09:45 Phineas And Ferb

10:10 Raven's Home

10:35 Saturdays

11:00 Zombies: Shorts

11:05 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

11:30 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

11:55 The Ghost and Molly McGee

12:20 The Ghost and Molly McGee

12:45 Kiff

13:10 The Villains Of Valley View

13:35 Raven's Home

14:00 Raven's Home

14:25 Saturdays

14:50 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

15:15 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

15:40 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

16:05 Big City Greens

16:30 Big City Greens

16:55 Zombies: Shorts

17:00 Saturdays

17:25 Saturdays

17:50 Raven's Home

18:15 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

18:41 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

19:06 Kiff

19:30 Kiff

19:55 Big City Greens

20:20 Big City Greens

20:45 Saturdays

21:10 Saturdays

21:35 Phineas And Ferb

22:00 Phineas And Ferb

22:25 Secrets Of Sulphur Springs

22:50 Raven's Home

23:10 Raven's Home

23:35 Bunk'd: Learning The Ropes

Weekends

00:00 Bunk'd: Learning The Ropes

00:25 Bunk'd: Learning The Ropes

00:50 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

01:15 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

01:40 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

02:05 Walk The Prank

02:30 Walk The Prank

02:55 Walk The Prank

03:20 Vikingskool

03:45 Vikingskool

04:10 Vikingskool

04:35 Kiff

05:00 Hamster & Gretel

05:25 Hamster & Gretel

05:50 Descendants Wicked World

06:00 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

06:25 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

06:50 Zombies: Shorts

06:55 The Ghost And Molly McGee

07:20 The Ghost And Molly McGee

07:45 The Ghost & Molly McGee

08:10 Phineas And Ferb

08:35 Phineas And Ferb

09:00 Phineas And Ferb

09:25 Big City Greens

09:50 Big City Greens

10:15 Big City Greens

10:40 Movie/Marathon

12:20 Hamster & Gretel

12:45 Hamster & Gretel

13:10 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

13:35 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

14:00 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

14:25 Raven's Home

14:50 Raven's Home

15:15 Saturdays

15:40 Saturdays

16:05 Zombies: Shorts

16:10 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

16:35 Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir

17:00 Kiff

17:25 Hamster & Gretel

17:50 Hamster & Gretel

18:15 Big City Greens

18:40 Big City Greens

19:05 Saturdays

19:30 Saturdays

19:55 Raven's Home

20:20 Raven's Home

20:45 Secrets Of Sulphur Springs

21:10 Secrets Of Sulphur Springs

21:35 Big City Greens

22:00 Big City Greens

22:25 Big City Greens

22:50 Saturdays

23:10 Saturdays

23:35 Bunk'd: Learning The Ropes

Notes

• Lab Rats has been removed from the lineup and won't be substituted with another repeat sitcom but a cartoon, Phineas And Ferb.

• New episodes of Raven's Home commence in week 1 followed by Saturdays in week 2.

• The Owl House has also been removed from the lineup before Disney Channel could air the final episodes. We asked PR about those but still no update as seen with the final season of Big Hero 6 and Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.

• Unlike Germany, Disney Channel hasn't acquired Marvel's Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur and isn't expected to launch anytime soon. We assume the same fate could await the third and final season of The Owl House.

• Wandi & Kabz is also removed making Descendants Wicked World the only shorts on the channel again.

• As mentioned in previous stories, Disney might be looking to close several Disney Channels. Nothing for certain as to the timeframe, but they have been cutting back on programming and moving the latter to Disney+.

Disney Junior

• Schedule is from last month but carries on through October

Weekends

00:00 PJ Masks

00:25 PJ Masks

00:50 PJ Masks

01:15 Alice In Wonderland Bakery

01:40 Alice In Wonderland Bakery

02:05 Alice In Wonderland Bakery

02:30 Spidey And His Friends

02:55 Spidey And His Friends

03:20 Spidey And His Friends

03:45 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

04:10 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

04:35 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

05:00 Eureka!

05:20 Eureka!

05:40 Eureka!

06:00 Eureka!

06:30 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

07:00 Eureka!

07:30 Kiya & The Kimoja Heroes

08:00 Bluey

08:10 Bluey

08:20 Bluey

08:30 Superkitties

08:45 Superkitties

09:00 Bluey

09:10 Bluey

09:20 Bluey

09:30 Spidey And His Friends

10:00 Disney Junior: Wonderful World Of Songs

10:05 Movie/Marathon

11:00 Firebuds

11:30 PJ Masks

12:00 Eureka!

12:30 Kiya And The Kimoja Heroes

13:00 Alice In Wonderland Bakery

13:30 Bluey

13:40 Bluey

13:50 Bluey

14:00 Bluey

14:10 Bluey

14:20 Bluey

14:30 Firebuds

15:00 Furebuds

15:30 Spidey And His Friends

16:00 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures 

16:30 Disney Junior: Wonderful World Of Songs

16:35 Superkitties

17:00 Kiya And The Kimoja Heroes

17:30 Alice In Wonderland Bakery

18:00 Bluey

18:10 Bluey

18:20 Bluey

18:30 Bluey

18:40 Bluey

18:50 Bluey

19:00 Superkitties

19:30 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures

20:00 Disney Junior: Wonderful World Of Songs

20:05 Firebuds

20:30 Bluey

20:40 Bluey

20:50 Bluey

21:00 Bluey

21:10 Bluey

21:20 Bluey

21:30 Superkitties

22:00 Spidey And His Friends

22:30 Disney Junior: Wonderful World Of Songs

22:35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures 

22:45 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures 

23:00 Alice In Wonderland Bakery

23:30 Mickey Mouse Funhouse

Notes

• Unlike Disney Channel, Disney still hasn't published the channel's schedule for the next month in which new content commence.

• Similar to Disney Channel, Disney Junior has seen a reduction in programming with Bluey serving as a mascot.

• As seen in previous stories, Disney may be looking at closing several Disney Channels in future. We assume similar to Turkey, Disney Junior will be the only Disney Branded Television channel in Africa seeing as it is not regarded as a premium channel and popular to consumers but who knows really.

Why The Disney Channel Could Be Shutting Down On DStv And NOT National Geographic And ESPN?

A few months ago, it was reported by Disney's CEO Bob Iger that the company is looking to sell their linear channels and these include ABC, FX, National Geographic and Disney Channel as these are not seen as part of the core for the brand. Of course, it doesn't include content or the studios they use to manufacture them.

Internationally, the company has shuttered several linear channels across Asia and Europe with more territories set to join by the end of this current financial year. As seen in these markets, further content had been folded under Disney+ with the company looking to exclude the streamer in several countries and to cutback on original programming.

Now in Africa (excluding North Africa), the only known region to distribute the streamer is South Africa and with these recent developments I honestly wouldn't be shocked if Disney+ were to limit their stance in the region perhaps supply selected content to local steamers in the region if not at all.

On the basis of their linear offering, MultiChoice distributes their remaining linear offering which include factual and wildlife brands National Geographic and National Geographic Wild, children brands Disney Channel and Disney Junior and sports brands ESPN 1 and ESPN 2.

As seen in most parts of Europe which is where we reside, these brands have been dying down particularly Disney Channel and/or Disney Junior. The latter had been bombarded with reruns to past programming if not a bulk of content from Disney+ and the other is just clinging around 1 program to build their schedule.

It wouldn't seem far fetched if one or both of these channels were to be on the close down with National Geographic and ESPN serving as the remaining linear offering for not only DStv but the rest of Africa. That's what's currently being seen in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Turkey so why not Africa.

The only reason these channels are still on would be for revenue as Disney would need the income to produce shows like Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire and getting these onto their linear platforms would be one way to boost their future endeavours being Disney+. But as seen in a recent interview by Bob Iger that may not be the case here anymore.

Bob Iger was able to brief the media on why these closures are occurring and it doesn't paint a good picture for their channels in Africa as stated below they're seen a decline in revenue for both their local and international channels. They even highlight there's been a major decline in the general entertainment sector.

At Linear Networks, operating income declined versus the prior year by $580 million driven by declines at both domestic and international channels.

It could explain why FOX and Disney XD were ripped away from parts of the world and why ESPN and National Geographic (in Europe) haven't closed off yet as they see more value there particularly with ESPN as they look to restructure the business and turn ESPN into a major powerhouse in sports.

As mentioned, Disney will be closing off more channels by the end of the current financial year particularly in Asia and with MultiChoice's contract set to expire in the coming months I wouldn't be shocked if Disney were remove more channels around the same period across Africa.

The only thing that's certain here is that ESPN and National Geographic could stick around for sometime before closing down as seen in some parts of the world as Disney is looking to go all streaming and this is part of a global effort which has taken longer to subside in several territories.