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.

Development Alert: MultiChoice And The Walt Disney Company Extend The Reach Of ESPN 1 To DStv Family And Access Customers PERMANENTLY

MultiChoice has announced that it is adding the US sports channel ESPN 1 to its R129 per month DStv Access package.

DStv Access customers will have access to the channel starting 1 December 2023. It was previously only available on the R449-a-month Compact package or higher.

ESPN focuses on US sports like basketball, American football, and baseball, giving fans of these sports in South Africa a significantly lower entry point to watch them.

Popular competitions include the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL).

“We continue to monitor viewership trends and are thrilled to be adding ESPN 1 for our DStv Access customers,” said Marc Jury, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa.

“This announcement is our way of rewarding our loyal customers with a wider catalogue of entertaining content to choose from,” he added.

“We are also excited that this move will also give sports fans out there looking to get more, for less, an opportunity to stay in the game and take our offering to be front row of the best sports entertainment in the world.”

Basketball and American football fans in South Africa will have access to a slew of NFL and NBA fixtures over the festive season, including on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

“We look forward to celebrating the achievements and triumphs of both international and local athletes, our quality storytelling and innovative content with a brand new audience of sports fans across the continent,” says Kyle de Klerk, director of sport for the Walt Disney Company Africa.

TNT Africa Celebrates ‘100 Years Of Warner Bros.’ With Exclusive Documentary Series

TNT Africa, an official partner of Warner Bros. 100 Years, proudly presents a captivating documentary series, ‘100 Years of Warner Bros.’, airing every Wednesday night from the 6th of December. This unprecedented four-part documentary, directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks and narrated by the legendary Morgan Freeman, delves into the extraordinary legacy of Warner Bros. as it celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2023.

 

‘100 Years of Warner Bros.’ takes audiences on a historical journey, delving into the extraordinary legacy of one of America's greatest studios. Warner Bros. has played a pivotal role in shaping the entertainment industry over the past century, from its humble beginnings as a family affair to evolving into a global giant. This documentary series celebrates the studio's 100th anniversary in 2023, exploring the origin, evolution, and longevity of Warner Bros. and showcasing the vision, courage, and talent that created some of the most impactful stories in cinematic history.

The four 60-minute documentary specials feature over 60 interviews with legendary filmmakers, actors, and executives, including Morgan Freeman, Kim Basinger, Clint Eastwood, Gal Gadot, Martin Scorsese, and many others. The series provides an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Warner Bros.'s unforgettable stories that have captivated audiences worldwide for generations.

 

‘100 Years of Warner Bros.’ expresses passion and innovation, offering a captivating journey into the heart of ‘what dreams are made of’. The series explores the impact of Warner Bros. on art, commerce, and culture, highlighting the underdog origins of the studio and its transformation into a global entertainment powerhouse.

 

Viewers can catch the exclusive premieres every Wednesday night in December on TNT Africa, starting on the 6th of December at 22:25 CAT with ‘The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of’. The subsequent episodes, airing on the 13th, 20th, and 27th of December, will delve into the eras of ‘Clint, Kubrick, and Kryptonite’, ‘Heroes, Villains, and Friends’, and ‘Wizarding World and the Big Bang’, respectively.

Don't miss this unparalleled opportunity to witness the evolution of Warner Bros. and the indelible mark it has left on the world of entertainment.

 

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors:

 

6 December at 22:25 CAT

100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS: THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

Synopsis: Four brothers set out to build a movie studio from the ground up–while making a giant leap from silent films to “talkies.” As the Warners stand up to WWII Nazism, personal ambitions lead to family betrayal.

 

13 December at 22:05 CAT

100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS: CLINT, KUBRICK AND KRYPTONITE

Synopsis: After a historic sale, Warner Bros. navigates the upheavals of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Under a new strategist CEO, the company enters an era of unmatched storytelling with groundbreaking ­projects.

 

20 December at 23:00 CAT

100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS: HEROES, VILLAINS AND FRIENDS

Synopsis: In the ‘80s, a new generation helped crown Warner Bros. as a forerunner in Hollywood’s blockbuster age. After a historic merger, the company became one of the biggest entertainment giants in the world.

27 December at 22:25 CAT

100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS: WIZARDING WORLD AND THE BIG BANG

Synopsis: As the millennium brings a new era of business partnerships bookended by mergers, Warner Bros. continues to champion authentic voices while harnessing the latest technologies of the digital age.

 

Featuring: The four-part documentary specials feature over 60 interviews with legendary filmmakers, actors and executives, including Kim Basinger, Candice Bergen, Linda Blair, Orlando Bloom, Quinta Brunson, LeVar Burton, Tim Burton, Lynda Carter, Jon M. Chu, George Clooney, Chris Columbus, Kevin Costner, Alfonso Cuarón, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro Ernest Dickerson, Clint Eastwood, Toby Emmerich, Morgan Freeman, William Friedkin, Gal Gadot, Andy Garcia, Tony Gilroy, Ron Howard, Ke Huy Quan, Patty Jenkins, Harvey Keitel, Linda Lavin, Chuck Lorre, Baz Luhrmann, Leonard Maltin, Ben Mankiewicz, Matthew Modine, Gregory Nava, Christopher Nolan, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Orr, Jesse Palmer, Todd Phillips, Daniel Radcliffe, Keanu Reeves, Charles Roven, Martin Scorsese, Jacqueline Stewart, Oliver Stone, Emma Thomas, Cass Warner, John Wells, Oprah Winfrey and Constance Wu, among others.

 

Credits: 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, Warner Horizon and Iwerks & Co. The four documentary specials are executive produced by Leslie Iwerks, Mike Darnell, Brooke Karzen, Dan Sacks and Bridgette Theriault. Rebecca Ratliff Cameron, Richard Burgio and Stacey Thomas-Muir serve as co-executive producers.

 

 

New Series Alert: Tomorrow Belongs To Me Coming Soon To Novela E Plus

Novela E Plus, a dedicated telenovela channel tailored for StarTimes which features various English dubbed shows from Latin America, Turkey and Asia had acquired broadcasting rights to the 2014 melodrama Tomorrow Belongs To Me (Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon).

The story revolves around two women, who will be united by fate and their hunger to seek truth and justice - Emmanuelle, a feisty lawyer; and Rose, the kindhearted heiress of the Buena Criollo chocolate company, who will be accused of a crime she did not commit.

Based on 1983 film of the same name, it starred Bea Alonzo in her very first dual role with Paulo Avelino, Maricar Reyes, and Albert Martinez, together with an ensemble cast consisting of Susan Roces, Anita Linda, Eddie Garcia, Tonton Gutierrez, Dina Bonnevie, and Michelle Vito.

It debuted on June 16 2014 to October 10 2014 on ABS-CBN with a total of 85 episodes each with a duration between 30 - 36 minutes. Star Records Inc. curated a soundtrack album with various songs making an appearance within the series.

Tomorrow Is A New Day will air daily at 19:00 CAT from Novela E Plus. ABS-CBN has also distributed other shows including Marry Me, Marry You, He's Into Her and Brothers.

What To Expect On DStv's Newest Addition, NWTV?

During the month, it was reported MultiChoice was working on yet another community station for the DStv platform. From what we were able to uncover this channel would be airing a variety of international content part of which trace back to Soweto TV alongside various local content.

Not long ago, North West TV (NWTV) was unveiled and to our surprise this channel matched the description of the upcoming TV channel MultiChoice was working on for several weeks as seen on their website: blockbuster movies, lifestyle and culture and exclusive series.

Here's a sneak peek to what's expected from this channel

TRAVELLING UNPLUGGED

Genre: Lifestyle, Travel

DINGO UNTAMED

Genre: Wildlife, Actuality

From the world's most dangerous animals to wildest of adventures, Dingo Untamed is the show for high octane animal & nature encounters.

BIKER MICE FROM MARS

Genre: Animation, Children

When three alien motorcycle riding mice are forced to leave their home planet of Mars thanks to the evil mining Plutarkians, they rebel against their enemies on planet Earth and the city of Chicago.

DORK HUNTERS FROM OUTER SPACE

Genre: Animation, Children

Alien Dorks disguise themselves as humans to use Earth as a base to take over the universe, but they face opposition from unlikely teenage heroes.

THE GIRL

Genre: Telenovela

Eight-year-old Belky is kidnapped by guerrillas in her brother's stead and brought up in the jungle. Years later, she manages to escape and is reunited with her family, but as a different person.

LAKEHILL

Genre: Drama Series

Set up on the shore of Lake Kariba. It is driven by the journey of Mr. KABWE KABWE, popularly known as KK. We meet him at Lake Hill Lodge where he serves as the General Manager and husband to the owner of the establishment.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER: THE RED BARON

Genre: Documentary, Film

Officially labeled 'The greatest driver Formula One has ever seen', Schumacher has redefined this elite sport through his ability, dedication, media presence and appeal. The first German to ever win the Formula One World Championship, Michael Schumacher is revered and single-handedly credited with popularizing this sport in his country and beyond.

SKIN DEEP: ANGELINA JOLIE

Genre: Documentary, Film

Angelina Jolie has already lived a life that few could rival. She is the third actress in history to earn 20 million US dollars for a single film. She is driven by a genuine commitment to help those less fortunate. This quest runs skin deep in this remarkably loving individual.