Development Alert: eVOD Originals uMbali And Splintered Pieces Resurface On Openview

eMedia Investments had added the first seasons of uMbali and Splintered Pieces to eSeries on weeknights at 22:15 and 22:45 respectively. The latter was produced for eVOD and eMedia Investments had limited it's reach to Openview.

Following eVOD's rollout in the market, eMedia Investments had been giving some of its content an open window on their other platforms. But for shows like uMbali and Splintered Pieces, e.tv had been struggling to accommodate these shows.

They attempted to have it take up the timeslot of the Sunday movie block on e.tv and with minimal success for its movie offering. eMedia Investments decided to yank it to weeknights at 22:00 and that too had a limited run.

Now they've limited it's reach to Openview instead of allocating it on eExtra since it's also available on DStv or try to accommodate these shows on e.tv a lot better. One of the two would have helped these shows get more ad revenue compared to eSeries.

Synopsis for uMbali

Mbali is a "beguiling beauty queen" who uses her looks and street smarts to climb the social and economic ladder. After her boyfriend is arrested and her family loses their primary financial support, she vows to do whatever it takes to escape her circumstances.

Her pursuit of "the good life" leads her to steal husbands and boyfriends, creating a trail of enemies. She eventually finds what she believes is true love with her sister's fiancé, Peter, but her past and relentless ambition constantly threaten her safety and the lives of those around her.

Synopsis for Splintered Pieces 

The series explores the lives of two friends caught in a web of secrets and blurred boundaries. It focuses on Linda, a successful therapist who is bored in her relationship with her boyfriend, Paul.

On her birthday, Paul throws a surprise party where Linda meets and sleeps with a photographer named Jade. The situation becomes more complicated when Linda also sleeps with Tebello, the husband of her best friend Tshepi.

Tshepi is struggling with infertility, and when Linda falls pregnant, the paternity of the baby is unclear. A DNA test eventually confirms Tebello is the father, leading to a heartbreaking arrangement where Linda gives the baby to Tshepi and Tebello to raise as their own. 

Canal+ Might Overhaul The Current DStv Structure And Take A Dig At SuperSport

As it is understood, MultiChoice has lost almost 3 million DStv subscribers in the last two years and this is the reason Canal+ is backing out from further price increases. The focus has shifted on returning the company back to its 2023 projections.

Post the takeover, MultiChoice reportedly had 23.5 million 90 day active subscribers and this dropped further by 11% to 18.5 million. In South Africa, the DStv Premium base (including Compact+) saw a drop of 96,000 subscribers.

Since last year, MultiChoice had been exploring the possibility of unbundling SuperSport from the current DStv offering to make the costs flexible. This isn't the first time such experiment occurred and it's not known why they hadn't pursued it earlier on.

In France, Canal+ already offers the Canal+ Sport bouquet which includes sports from rival brands like DAZN and Eurosport. There's even a base package with select sports like UEFA Champions League, Formula 1 and Moto GP.

It is currently priced at €34.99 (R671, 89).

Of course, it's Canal+ Afrique's operations uses the same model as DStv which is why there's a lot of skepticism about a SuperSport only package. Canal+ CEO had dismissed the idea stating that "everyone who has tried this has failed". 

If such exists, it's going to be almost as pricey as your current DStv Premium bouquet. It's less likely they're going to make it cheaper as the current DStv structure helps subsidies the costs.

This new structure MultiChoice has been testing out for DStv will only benefit the non sports fanatics on lower tiered packages.

DStv Premium has been in decline for 10 years so it's a safe bet that MultiChoice will gradually use this offering to phase out that market. The plan for this offering was to have 3 sports package one for football with other sports on another package.

There's plenty of Premium subscribers that don't watch football and MultiChoice would give them the option to exclude it from their offering. They'll be times where you don't feel like watching SuperSport and MultiChoice would make that possible too.

In the end, you as a Premium client can continue catching shows like Landman and Doc on M-Net while watching One Piece on Netflix. You can do all this for under R700 and still have R300 to yourself.

Reminder: Hawaii Five-O Returns For It's 10th And Final Season On eSeries Alongside CSI: Miami And NCIS: Los Angeles

CSI: Miami Season 10 (FINAL)

This is the tenth and final season of the American crime drama series CSI: Miami, which follows a team of forensic investigators in Miami using cutting-edge science and police work to solve complex crimes. It premiered on CBS on September 25, 2011, and concluded on April 8, 2012, consisting of 19 episodes—the shortest season in the show's run. 

The season picks up from the previous cliffhanger, with Horatio Caine and his team pursuing a serial killer while dealing with personal and professional challenges, including betrayals and high-stakes investigations like a hotel murder and a tornado-destroyed crime scene. 

It starred David Caruso as Lt. Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Calleigh Duquesne, Jonathan Togo as Ryan Wolfe, Rex Linn as Frank Tripp, Eva LaRue as Natalia Boa Vista, Omar Miller as Walter Simmons and Adam Rodriguez as Eric Delko.

Key episodes include the premiere "Countermeasures," where the team tracks a killer, and the finale "Habeas Corpse," wrapping up major storylines. 

CSI: Miami has been airing on the channel at 21:25 since March 2.

 

NCIS: Los Angeles Season 10

This season of the action-packed spin-off series focuses on the elite Office of Special Projects (OSP) team in Los Angeles handling high-stakes undercover operations against threats to national security. It aired on CBS from September 30, 2018, to May 19, 2019, with 24 episodes. 

The plot kicks off with the team recovering from a dangerous mission in Mexico, introducing new allies like retired Navy Admiral Hollace Kilbride, and tackling cases involving stolen military tech, assassins, and international intrigue. 

It starred Chris O'Donnell as G. Callen, LL Cool J as Sam Hanna, Daniela Ruah as Kensi Blye, Eric Christian Olsen as Marty Deeks, Barrett Foa as Eric Beale, Renée Felice Smith as Nell Jones and Linda Hunt as Henrietta "Hetty" Lange.

Standout episodes feature "To Live and Die in Mexico" as the opener and "False Flag" as the finale, emphasizing team dynamics and espionage. 

Season 10 starts March 16 at 20:30 

Hawaii Five-0 Season 10 (FINAL)

The tenth and final season of the rebooted police procedural series centers on an elite task force combating crime in Hawaii, blending action, drama, and island culture. It premiered on CBS on September 27, 2019, and ended on April 3, 2020, with 22 episodes. 

The storyline wraps up long-running arcs, including Steve McGarrett solving his father's case from a decade ago, while handling cases like mob assassinations, tunnel collapses, and Halloween horrors. Former cast members like Masi Oka and Michelle Borth return as guests. 

It stars Alex O'Loughlin as Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan as Danny "Danno" Williams, Ian Anthony Dale as Adam Noshimuri, Meaghan Rath as Tani Rey

Beulah Koale as Junior Reigns, Chi McBride as Lou Grover and Katrina Law as Quinn Liu.

Notable episodes include the premiere "Ua 'eha Ka 'ili I Ka Maka O Ka Ihe" and the series finale "Aloha," providing closure to the team. 

The tenth and final season of Hawaii Five-O starts March 17 at 19:35.

DStv Stream Expected To Merge Into Showmax Replacement App

Canal+ is planning to launch its own streaming service in MultiChoice markets as consumers bid farewell to Showmax. Further content from the service will now be redirected to M-Net, Mzansi Magic and KykNET.

Canal+'s streaming service which might fold under DStv Stream, viewers get to watch live TV and content on demand. They plan is to also utilise other apps such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with VIU likely to form part of this duo.

This was a feature MultiChoice made exclusive to Explora Ultra and since Canal+ takeover in late 2025, the company is cleaning house. They already scrapped M-Net's contract with HBO as well as that of SuperSport for the Winter Olympics.

In October 2025, Canal+ leadership indicated plans to merge DStv Stream, Showmax, and the Canal+ app into a single "super app" to combine content and reduce costs. As seen already, Showmax with all that Comcast filter is going out the window.

As mentioned, Canal+ will likely use the existing footprint of DStv Stream to expand its streaming ambitions as opposed to starting from scratch. It fits well with the company's structure on having the same content viewed across multiple platforms.

Of course, the problem part of retaining the DStv structure would be costs as Showmax would give you the freshest content for under R99 while on DStv you need at R500. Unless Canal+ has a backup plan consumers might not be persuaded by this.

But then again, MultiChoice was in discussion about possibly unbundling it's DStv offering with SuperSport serving as an add-on or standalone package. This would take the strain off paying R1000 for the full package.

Canal+ had deployed similar mechanisms in France where consumers would pay for select content and with the MultiChoice deal these endeavours are expected to accelerate.

Disney Channel Relaunching In Spain This April In Place Of Disney Junior

Last month, it was reported that Disney XD would be shutting down its remaining international feed in Poland by April. As Disney is looking to launch its preschool oriented brand Disney Jr. with AMC Networks International likely to be a partner.

Now reports are going around that Disney is looking to revive some of linear operations with Disney Channel set to relaunch in Spain. This comes after its reported relaunch in the UK was debunked for Disney Jr. in 2025.

Very odd part about this is the channel is said to be replacing Disney Junior with the preschool brand downsized to a programming block in April. 

Press statement 

The historic Disney youth channel is preparing its return to television in Spain after its disappearance at the beginning of 2025. The company is finalizing a strategic move that will mean the recovery of Disney Channel in the Spanish market, after the brand disappeared from the television landscape.

The channel stopped broadcasting in Spain on January 7, 2025, putting an end to more than two decades of continuous presence in Spanish homes. Its closure marked the end of an era for a channel that had been one of the benchmarks for youth entertainment since its launch in 1998 and that, for years, was also part of the DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) offering.

Now, the channel is preparing its return through a brand change that will directly affect Disney Jr. The children's channel, currently dedicated to the youngest members of the household, will be transformed into Disney Channel through a rebranding process, thus recovering one of the company's most recognizable brands on television.

The move will not involve the total disappearance of preschool programming. Within the new Disney Channel, a daily window dedicated to Disney Jr. content will be maintained, with series and programs aimed at a preschool audience, while the rest of the schedule will be oriented toward a family and youth audience, following the classic model of the channel.

This change will allow the company to reorganize its television presence in Spain and reposition the Disney Channel brand in the linear offering, at a time when children's consumption continues to combine traditional television and streaming. The channel will be available on all platforms where Disney Jr. currently broadcasts.

The official announcement of the brand change will take place in mid-March, at which time the company will reveal more details about the channel's new stage and its programming. The transformation of the current Disney Jr. into Disney Channel will become effective on April 1, the scheduled date for the channel's relaunch in Spain.