SABC Unveils Revamped SABC+ Streaming Service

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is proud to announce exciting new launches and features on its Over-The-Top (OTT) platform, SABC Plus. The revamped SABC Plus went live today, with the following launches and features:

SABC Plus Launches:

• SABC Plus Website

• SABC Plus Mobile

• iOS

• Android

• Huawei

• SABC Plus TV Apps/Connected TV’s

• LG

• Set-Top Boxes

• Apple TV (TVOS)

• Google TV/Android Box (The update will be slightly delayed)

New Features:

• New and Improved Interface

• Personalised Recommendations

• Catch-Up Services

• Video on Demand (VOD)

• Voice Command (for content search)

• TV Schedule and Radio Now Playing EPG

• Vodcasts

• Download features available on mobile only.

• Podcasts

• Unlimited Access on Multiple Household Devices

• Display Banners and Video Ads

• EPG Reminder

• The new features are designed to enhance the user experience with a seamless, intuitive interface and personalised content recommendations, ensuring that every viewer finds something they love.

 

In addition, audiences can also enjoy Channel Africa “The Voice of the African Renaissance”, which brings programming in the languages of Chinyanja, Kiswahili, English, French and Portuguese and is broadcast to communities in the African diaspora across the world. Furthermore, the public can access Springbok Radio, Radio Bantu and the youth-based radio station 5 FM extra as well Radio 2000 extra.

Users are urged to re-register with new credentials to easily access the newly revamped SABC+ platform in order to comply with POPI Act.

The SABC Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Ms Nomsa Chabeli says, “The SABC has been at the forefront of fostering diversity and inclusivity through its extensive catalogue of television, radio, and news offerings in the country’s official 12 languages. SABC Plus is our latest innovation, reinforcing the public broadcaster’s commitment to providing the best programming. This platform houses an impressive array of content, including groundbreaking comedies, spine-chilling horrors, and captivating dramas, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of our nation”.

Chabeli further states, “SABC Plus will now be accessible across multiple devices, ensuring that our audiences can enjoy their favourite content anywhere, anytime. Our most beloved brands, including our top-rated radio stations as well as exciting new range of podcasts, will now be just a tap away”.

The SABC has a proud history of being a pioneer in the broadcasting industry, introducing South Africa’s first comedy, horror, and drama series in indigenous languages. With SABC Plus, the organisation is taking this legacy into the digital age, offering a modern, accessible way to enjoy high-quality content that reflects the diversity and vibrancy of our nation. The SABC invites the nation to join us in this exciting new chapter. SABC Plus is more than just a platform; it is a celebration of who we are and where we are going. Stay tuned for more updates and prepare to experience the best of SABC like never before!

Development Alert: Ajooni, Delayed Indian Series Gets A New Release Date On eExtra

After announcing that eMedia Investments had acquired rights to Indian drama Ajooni for the eExtra channel in May. The series failed to make its premiere on the channel with its timeslot taken up by a rebroadcast of the Telemundo series, Pasion Prohibida.

Now Ajooni presents itself in another timeslot with the series replacing This Is Love at 14:35 from 12 July. Similar to Broken Bonds, it will also be distributed in a 30 minute timeslot while Razia Sultan retains 45 minutes. 

The story Ajooni is set in Haryalipur, where the titular character and Avinash are to be engaged but then she accidentally meets Rajveer in the market and he falls for Ajooni - love at first sight. He starts stalking her and breaks her engagement with Avinash.

It starred Ayushi Khurana as Ajooni Bagga, Shoaib Ibrahim as Rajveer Singh Bagga, Drisha Kalyani as Meher Vohra, Pankaj Dheer as Ravindra Singh Bagga and Shraddha Singh as Harman Ravindra Singh Bagga.

Ajooni aired from 26 July 2022 to 23 August 2023 on Star Bharat with 316 episodes filmed each with a 22 minute duration. It was met with positive feedback by viewers with some for the casts stellar personality and others for the storyline. 

Tyler Perry's Young Dylan Renewed For Season 5 At Nickelodeon

The kids’ comedy series will enter production on July 8 in Atlanta, Ga., at Tyler Perry Studios. Season 5 will consist of 13 episodes and will kick off later in 2024 with a holiday episode premiere.

A multi-cam sitcom created by Perry, “Young Dylan” stars Dylan Gilmer as a rising hip-hop star who moves in with uncle and their affluent family. Season 5 will follow Dylan and his cousin Rebecca (Celina Smith) as they “try to expand their fledgling hip-hop record label, while the whole Wilson family tries to deal with Dylan’s mogul dreams,” per Nickelodeon.

“’Young Dylan’ has been such a fun series for families to watch together, and we’re looking forward to continuing the story of the Wilsons and Dylan as he strives to reach his dreams,” Perry said in a statement to Variety.

“Young Dylan” also stars Hero Hunter, Jet Miller, Mieko Hillman, Aloma Lesley Wright and Carl Anthony Payne, II. Perry serves as executive producer, while Mark E. Swinton and Will Areu are producers.

The show launched in February 2020 and scored the highest ratings for a series premiere on Nickelodeon since 2017. The fourth season kicked off in fall 2023.

Perry is keeping busy with a slew of other projects on the way, most notably the thriller “Divorce in the Black,” premiering on July 11 on Amazon Prime Video. The movie stars Meagan Good as a young bank professional who is fighting for freedom against her husband.

No Money: Generations: The Legacy On SABC 1 Might Be Eyeing Potential Cancellation As DA Proposes A Major Overhaul To SABC's Current Business Structure

Through a booklet obtained by local legislation, the Democratic Alliance had put up several proposals on what could most likely be the future of SABC. One of which includes SABC 1 and 2 possibly being positioned like Soweto TV or e.tv with SABC 3 sold.

Few years ago, it was alleged that the public broadcaster would be selling SABC 3 alongside radio stations Metro FM and 5FM. Contributing factors to this included a drop in viewership and the SABC's lack of cash flow but this had been disregarded. 

According to the SABC, the board has approved comprehensive assessment criteria for determining “core media assets”, noting that this includes not only channels which contribute to the public mandate but which also help to fund the SABC’s public service obligations. 

“The Board has already identified noncore property assets and has drawn up a list of properties for disposal, as required by National Treasury preconditions,” the SABC said. 

“The potential disposal of any of the SABC’s media assets involves a much more complex decision matrix, with factors such as the public interest, the public mandate and the future financial sustainability of the SABC being central to any decision.”

Now the public broadcaster faces the risk of possible liquidation as government failed but still ongoing attempts at moving away from analogue would not only leave millions of households without SABC TV signals but a drop in revenue. 

SABC is struggling to retain most of the content viewed on their platforms with Muvhango being the latest soap to have got axed with rumours swirling around that Generations: The Legacy could suffer a similar fate.

After SABC 2 had axed 7de Laan in 2023, the public broadcaster with no replacement in site aired repeats of Vetkoekpaleis with Muvhango airing from the 1st season. Should Generations: The Legacy take the fall consumers might expect a similar fate for this soap.

This would leave SABC 1 as the only channel to offer a long format series with Skeem Saam and Uzalo as Isidingo and The Estate got the boot on SABC 3 years back. Since then, the channel had undergone numerous restructures with no luck viewership wise.

Paramount And Skydance Are Said To Reach A Deal To Merge

Just weeks after Paramount’s controlling shareholder and Skydance abruptly ended merger talks, the two sides have reached a preliminary deal to create a new Hollywood giant, four people familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday.

The agreement will still have to be approved by a special committee of Paramount’s board of directors, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as talks resumed.

Paramount — the parent company of CBS, MTV and Nickelodeon — and Skydance, the up-and-coming movie studio that helped produce “Top Gun: Maverick,” called off talks in June just before a scheduled vote on a merger. While the two sides had agreed on economic terms, Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder through its parent company, National Amusements, had clashed with Skydance in the final weeks of negotiations.

But the two sides have continued to talk, and now the Paramount board committee will evaluate whether new terms will be sufficiently palatable for shareholders, some of whom pushed back significantly against the last proposed deal. One likely point of focus will be the extent of protection offered to National Amusements in event of shareholder lawsuits.

In this latest deal, National Amusements’ equity would be valued at $1.75 billion, up slightly from $1.7 billion in the transaction’s last incarnation, three of the people said.