Sibongile & The Dlaminis Surpasses 2 Million Live Viewership

Mzansi Wethu telenovela Sibongile & The Dlaminis has recorded viewership numbers of over 2.6 million, making it the most watched show on Mzansi Wethu.

The past month has seen an impressive average viewership of over 2 million, with the highest being  2,688,338 live viewers.

“This is a cause for celebration and a clear indication of the love and appreciation that our viewers have for Sibongile & The Dlaminis,” says Nomsa Philiso, CEO of General Entertainment. “What makes this telenovela so special is the combination of good scripting, casting and overall production, which makes it a pleasure to watch. Thank you very much to our Middle and Mass scripted team for this one and we hope that with Season 2 coming soon, we will see more growth in viewership numbers because there is still more to this story.”

Sibongile & The Dlaminis tells the story of Sibongile Mbambo (played by Luyanda Zwane), a young woman from the rural village of Ixopo in KwaZulu-Natal who becomes a domestic worker in the lavish mansion of the wealthy Dlamini family. Her journey to fulfilling her dreams of happiness, love, and success is met with challenges which include having to lie to her father, losing out on love, and missing the opportunity to rise above expectations that people have of her.

Other star cast members who make this a must-watch include Vuyo Biyela (Kwenzo), Siyabonga Shibe (Njengaye Dlamini) Ayanda Borotho (Phetheni Dlamini), and Slindile Nodangala (Deliwe Mbambo)

Sibongile & The Dlaminis has been renewed for season 2 and you can continue watching it on Monday-Wednesday at 18:30 on Mzansi Wethu DStv Channel 163 and you can also watch it on DStv Stream, anywhere. 

Development Alert: SPI International Expands With Digital Virgo in Key Regions (Including South Africa), FilmBox And Other Branded Channels Exit Turkey

SPI International, a CANAL+ company, has launched three dynamic channels — FilmBox Action, FilmBox Family, and FilmBox Middle East — in key regions, including South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, and Tunisia in partnership with Digital Virgo.

The FilmBox lineup will be accessible as part of the basic tier on platforms such as PLAYVOD, Veedz.TV, Unlimited Streaming, Moov TV, and MTTV.

“We’re thrilled to introduce FilmBox channels on Digital Virgo platforms in South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, and with Arabic subtitles in the Middle East. This expansion reflects our commitment to providing diverse, high-quality content that resonates with audiences globally. We believe these channels will further enhance the entertainment experience for viewers in these regions,” commented Georgina Twiss, MD Western Europe and Africa at SPI International.

“Digital Virgo remains committed to enhancing its value proposition to Telecom Operators through the provision of TV and VOD platforms that are ever richer in functionality and content. The renewed partnership with SPI International is part of this overall strategy,” added Vincent Taradel, CMO at Digital Virgo.

SPI International departs Turkey

During the week, SPI International had phased out its linear offering in Turkey as parent company Canal+ exits the market. With various channels under such as FilmBox (now Filmscreen), DocuBox (now Docuscreen) and FightBox (now Fightscreen) owned by Cosmoblue.

Most details pertaining to the content and graphics from each brand remain the same. We presume they could work closely with SPI International in terms of content allocation or they're slowly phasing that out.

Development Alert: Canal+ Acquires Additional Shares In MultiChoice

French broadcaster Groupe Canal+ has disclosed that it has bought even more shares in South Africa’s MultiChoice Group in recent days, taking its shareholding closer to the 50% mark.

In a regulatory filing with the JSE on Thursday, Canal+ disclosed that it bought millions more of the JSE-listed MultiChoice’s shares between 12 and 17 April. It acquired 3.65 million shares in that period, and has said it could buy more in the open market as it pursues its plan to acquire control of the parent company of DStv, Showmax and SuperSport.

According to the filing, Canal+ acquired the following shares in recent days:

• Friday, 12 April 2024: About 1.82 million shares in on/off-market transactions for an average consideration of R117.50/share;

• Monday, 15 April 2024: Some 810 000 shares in on/off-market transactions for an average consideration of R115.99/share;

• Tuesday, 16 April 2024: About 1.01 million shares in on/off-market transactions for an average consideration of R115.95/share; and

• Wednesday, 17 April 2024: Some 5 100 shares in on/off-market transactions for an average consideration of R116/share.

Following these share purchases, Canal+ holds 40.83% of the MultiChoice shares in issue.

“Save as may be prohibited under the Companies Act and the takeover regulations, Canal+ may acquire further MultiChoice shares after the date of this announcement while the offer [to MultiChoice shareholders] remains open…,” the French company said.

News of the additional share purchases comes 10 days after the two companies informed investors that they had agreed to work together on a mandatory offer that Canal+ must make to the MultiChoice shareholders. This was after Canal+ triggered a mandatory offer under South African rules by acquiring more than 35% of MultiChoice’s equity earlier this year.

Canal+ plans to offer MultiChoice shareholders R125/share in cash in exchange for their shares

The “cooperation agreement” will see the two broadcasting giants using “reasonable endeavours to cooperate in relation to the offer, including in relation to the fulfilment of the offer conditions and the publication of a combined offer circular”.

Canal+ is offering MultiChoice shareholders R125/share in cash in exchange for their shares.

If the deal hasn’t been consummated by 8 April 2025 – including securing the necessary regulatory approvals, which could still prove to be the biggest stumbling block to a transaction – then it could be terminated. This “long-stop date” can, however, be extended, with the concurrence of South Africa’s Takeover Regulation Panel, a financial regulator that is overseeing the mandatory offer.

Delisting

If the deal goes ahead, MultiChoice could be delisted from the JSE. If Canal+’s offer is accepted by shareholders with at least 90% of eligible MultiChoice shares, then the French firm has reserved the right to delist MultiChoice from the JSE. At the same time, though, Canal+ has said there is an opportunity, potentially, for South African investors to participate in its own proposed listing in Europe.

Cartoonito: Grizzy And The Lemmings And Mr. Bean's Two Hour Run On Weeknights Explained

Cartoonito is a preschool channel operated by Warner Bros. Discovery that offers fun, engaging and imaginative content. It is home to preschool shows like Silly Sunday and Moley alongside family favorites such as Zig and Sharko and Mr. Bean.

For several months, Cartoonito has been airing some of these shows particularly from Boomerang in a 2 hour timeslot on weeknights. Cartoon Network on the other would resume regular viewing and air their shows under the duration of an hour.

In enquiry to Warner Bros. Discovery about Cartoonito's night time offering. It was stated that the viewership within these hours of 20:00 to 00:00 are rather low so primetime is phased out for repeats or catchup episodes toward primetime. 

As stated from their response

The decision to air these series for two hours during the night is part of Cartoonito Africa’s strategy to provide a convenient opportunity for viewers to catch up on their favourite shows. During the night, when the regular audience engagement is lower, we often feature series marathons. This approach allows us to cater to those who may have missed their preferred episodes during the day.

The intention is to create a seamless experience for our audience, ensuring they can enjoy a continuous stream of content, especially if they've missed specific episodes. This practice is not exclusive to "Grizzy And The Lemmings" and "Mr. Bean" but extends to other series as well, providing a variety of options for viewers throughout the night.

Taking this to account, is it possible that Cartoon Network has more the viewers than Cartoonito - yes. It is the most watched kids station in South Africa and overall one of the top 10 channels watched by kids and adults with Cartoonito leaning in the kids sector. 

Although, it still remains very much a mystery how many viewers are tuning to Cartoon Network and Cartoonito in these hours. If Cartoon Network has more variety in these hours with the roles switched over to Cartoonito on weekday mornings. 

Development Alert: Atlantic Based Studio Primal Screen Will Close Its Doors By The End Of May

Primal Screen is an Atlantic based animation and graphic studio that specialized in designing of animation and other illustrations. It is well-known for designing logos and graphics for brands like HBO, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and PBS Kids. 

Not long ago, it was revealed through their LinkedIn account that they will close their doors after several of operation. Below is a statement:

Every great story comes to an end.

We started Primal Screen to do stunning work with people we love. In the past 30 years, we’ve collaborated with amazing clients who trusted us with their audience. Together we never lost sight of the power of playful storytelling. And we’ve told a lot of stories.

At the end of May, Primal Screen’s story comes to a close. We cannot even begin to express how grateful we are for all the opportunities, friendships, and beautiful work we’ve been part of. Although we are no longer accepting new projects, the remarkably talented artists and producers who made us great will continue to create smart, fun, extraordinary work. You’ll be so happy if you welcome one of them into your organization, guaranteed!

We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s shared this adventure with us. Your support and creativity have been the heart of Primal Screen.