Insidus

Friday, January 29, 2021

The Mind Bongling Reason SuperSport Has Two WWE Channels

SuperSlam (former name) launched as a a promotional channel back in August 2019 with some outlets referring to it as The WWE Channel and would continue running until the end of that year. The pop-up version was bombarded with repeats and yes Total Divas would constantly hit the restart button.

From January 2020, the channel was officially renamed into The WWE Channel and became a full-time brand for SuperSport not only that they incorporated NXT and 205 Live which weren't available on SuperSport at the time e.tv lost rights to WWE alongside content that was only found only on the WWE app.

2020 was also the year where COVID-19 became a trendsetter causing setbacks in people's daily lives. On cable, you got to see viewers lose out on several channels while others were reshuffled and that's where SuperSport comes in.

In September 2020, the brand followed Sky in the UK and launched thematic channels. Not only that WWE could also be found on channel 236.

Now here's the issue, SuperSport gave the WWE Channel a different logo on top of that other channel number and viewers woke up and saw two WWE Channels and it wasn't even using the SuperSport logo.

Since then viewers have been complaining about it not only that UFC had its own channel now viewers have a hard time catching up due to the reshuffle. Once again proving that bigger brands (in this case cash cow) get most of the spotlight.

According to their customer care, both channels will remain as they are mirrored channels with the same content, the reason is to try and get WWE closer to their sports content (SuperSport), without affecting those who are accustomed to 128.

Now this is just ridiculous, viewers experience change everyday so I'm certain they're immune to these things look at BBC First and Disney XD for starters. Now tell me where was that energy when those channels were canned. Perhaps the other reason 128 is alive to keep Ginx TV on 127 company since they're both sports and entertainment brands.

The least SuperSport could have done was perhaps make 236 a timeshift channel where viewers get to watch everything an hour later kind of like what M-Net has with its M-Net +1 on channel 901 but hey that would impact negatively as it already is with DStv attempt to cutback on duplication and 236 is not a place for timeshift channels.

So how long do you suppose M-Net +1 will stick around with the likeness of Catch Up and the fact that content from M-Net resurfaces on its other channels. In the end, MultiChoice just proved to everyone once again why viewers should be disappointed and rather downgrade, cancel or look into other alternatives.

"Discovery Family" Goes Off Air On Starsat, Could This Be The End Of The Brand? + Other Starsat Related Developments

In one month, StarTimes (Starsat) deserves a trophy for being the most mismanaged and discreet cable provider.

They first went from removing two music channels which can also be found on Openview to relaunching them with more content added onto them.

The second was scrap a bunch of channels without notice as usual and promise fresh content and more channels and it looks like viewers are losing their patients since the only thing untouched there is Indian, Nigerian and Chinese channels.

There's another African based channel running called St Kasi. It seems like the music offering as just as dry as DStv unless you have DMX.

Finally, Discovery Family is set to go off air on the platform by the end of January 2021 but the reasoning behind this seems to be confusing for most readers.

According to them, when a content provider decides to make changes in the production of content they cannot prevent it, but they are constantly working on sourcing new content to ensure viewing delight.

So what they're implying is maybe just maybe Discovery Family will go off air on DStv very likely by the end of March. That is if they're being honest this time around.

In the end, viewers did lose out on another Discovery Channel through the platform not long ago as part of a realignment strategy. Could Discovery Family not fit this criteria? Does this change have something to do with the arrival of Discovery+ perhaps?

ViacomCBS To Rollout Paramount+ Streaming Service This March, Africa Is Not Part Of It's Initial Rollout

CBS All Access will be rebranded as Paramount+ on March 4, 2021 in the United States and Canada as part of its expansion to feature content from ViacomCBS' other brands. Paramount+ will also expand to other markets, starting with Latin America on March 4, 2021, followed by the Nordics on March 25, 2021 and Australia in mid-2021.

According to ViacomCBS CEO, Paramount was "an iconic and storied brand beloved by consumers all over the world, and it is synonymous with quality, integrity and world-class storytelling". From what I remember, CBS hasn't been having much success and sustainability internationally.

On September 15, 2020, it was announced that CBS All Access would rebrand as Paramount+ in early 2021, and that it planned to perform more international expansion under the new name.

This platform joins other streaming platforms that aren't available in South Africa such as Disney+, HBO Max and Discovery+. I wouldn't shocked if Discovery+ launched before any of them.

As most readers noticed due to the domination of streaming services a lot of TV providers are streamlining their entertainment which led to the shutdown of several channels in Africa and the rest of the world.

If Paramount+ manages to rollout in Africa, could it have an affect on its linear channels currently available on DStv and StarTimes (ROA) such as Comedy Central and MTV, and Nicktoons and Nick Jr which is likely the first place they'd look into.

Qubo: Background Information And Why It's Not Successful Despite Having Huge Owners Behind Them

The kids brand has been around since 2006 in the United States as a block and standalone channel and most people there (including other markets) never heard of it.

Most of its shows are forgettable except Veggie Tales and most who knew the brand probably grew up watching something from there at some point.

In May 2006, Ion Media alongside NBCUniversal, Corus Entertainment and Scholastic and Classic Media (now DreamWorks Classics with the old branding being used sometimes) announced that they were launching a new educational brand for kids called Qubo.

The brand would have a programming block on NBC, Telemundo and Ion Television as well as on demand service and seperate TV network.

As stated by Rick Rodriguez (former president of Qubo), the brand would be a bilingual offering content in English and Spanish. The reason they call it Qubo is based on the fact you can use it in both those languages without any changes.

In September 2006, NBC launched the kids block which replaced the Discovery Kids block (owned by Discovery, discontinued it to focus on the kids channel). At launch the lineup consisted of shows such as Jane And The Dragon, 321 Penguins, Veggie Tales and Larryboy.

Now the issue here was all the religious stuff was censored out because they violated the rules of NBC's standards and practices department. Many people including the creator of Veggie Tales hated this so the brand pulled those shows off Qubo in 2009.

Ion Media requested must carry policy from the FC to further expand the brand. A year later, they signed carriage agreements with Advanced Cable Communications and Blue Ridge Communications.

After Comcast acquired NBCUniversal in 2012, NBC and Telemundo announced that they would be discontinuing the Qubo block. NBC replaced theirs with NBC Kids and Telemundo replaced theirs with Mi Telemundo.

This left Ion Television as the only network as the only channel with the Qubo block.

In October 2013, Ion Media Networks acquired Corus Entertainment, Scholastic and by the time Classic Media's shares of Qubo of course these 3 brands obtained programming redistribution from Qubo.

On January 2015, the block on Ion Television was renamed Qubo Kids Corner because it was moved from Friday mornings to Saturday mornings.

Here's why it hasn't been successful even after having huge brands behind them:

1. Many of Qubo's programming isn't all that great. Most of their shows are throwaway and forgettable pieces of nothing. The ones that aren't existed way before Qubo like Veggie Tales and Babar The Elephant.

2. It doesn't exist everywhere. Qubo is affiliated with 67 stations across 36 states and Washington, DC. Many major areas like Baltimore, Merlin and San Diego California are not in Qubo territory.

Add the fact it has no app and you got an epic fail.

Just as Medora Entertainment speculated the channel would be shutting down:

On January 14, 2021, Scripps announced that it will discontinue Ion Plus, Qubo and Shop Ion effective February 28. The spectrum allocated to the networks on the former Ion Media stations will be repurposed to carry the Katz-owned networks starting March 1. with the initial slate of Ion Television O&Os adding those networks following the expiration of Scripps/Katz's existing contracts with other broadcasting companies the day prior, and other stations following suit as contracts with existing affiliates expire throughout 2021 and 2022; in markets where major network affiliates operated by Scripps already carry a Katz-owned network, some will be offloaded to the Ion stations to free up limited spectrum capacity during the ATSC 3.0 transition..

There are rumours that Qubo with be replaced with Ion Kids regardless I don't any kids channel will gain much recognition in the United States since viewers are opting towards streaming.

USA: The WWE Network Finds A New Home

According to the Wall Street Journal, WWE’s deal to have Peacock on the Network is a big one financially as well as in terms of impact. The outlet reports that a person familiar with the deal is a five-year one and is valued at over $1 billion.

The report confirms that the WWE Network will officially shut down as an independent streaming service, and Peacock will license WWE’s programming, including WrestleMania and PPVs. Peacock has a current estimated subscriber base of 26 million. By comparison, WWE reported in Q3 of 2020 that the Network averaged 1.6 million monthly paid subscribers.

ORIGINAL: In a major deal, WWE has signed a multi-year agreement that brings the service to the Peacock streaming service in the US. Peacock and WWE announced on Monday that they have signed an agreement that gives the NBCUniversal service exclusive streaming rights in the United States.

The Network will launch on Peacock on March 18th.

The news comes just days after it was reported that NBC was shuttering the NBC Sports Network by the end of 2021 and moving live sports telecasts to USA Network and, to a lesser extent, Peacock. It was speculated at the time whether WWE would be affected by live sports broadcasts moving to USA Network. While nothing about that is mentioned in the announcement, the deal to break the Network to Peacock could potentially give WWE and NBCUniversal several options in terms of how to deal with the crunch of available timeslots.

As far as international markets are concerned this move won't have any affect on them as Peacock is exclusive to the United States. Even if Peacock were to be accessible "legally" outside of the United States chances are you'll get a watered down version of the platform.

NBCSN Shutting Down By The End Of 2021 And How It Affects SuperSport, WWE Channel And Perhaps ESPN

A memo sent to NBC Sports staff was leaked today (Fri, Jan. 22) confirming the company is shutting down operations of cable network NBCSN at the end of the 2021 calendar year. With this, NBC Sports coverage of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and select NASCAR races will be carried and/or simulcasted by the USA Network during the 2020 season.

The company’s plan on shutting down NBCSN at the conclusion of 2021 is to shift sports focus to NBC’s new streaming service, Peacock, for 2022 and beyond. Elements of NBCSN’s current programming will shift to USA Network or Peacock, if sports renew contracts past the 2021 season.

The news has been rumored for a month now and hasn’t officially been announced yet, but as mentioned before, the leaked memo was sent by NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua to his staff.

NBC Sports was also home to some matches seen on SuperSport and ESPN such as the Premier League and NFL's Sunday Night Football. The USA Network handles majority of WWE (excluding SmackDown and reality shows).

These changes do affect SuperSport, WWE Channel and ESPN but it's not something to stress over as no one will be losing out on anything.

As stated earlier some of NBC Sports' content (Premier League and NFL's Sunday Night Football) will move to USA Network (home of WWE) so all they'll be doing is adjusting the timeslots perhaps even changing the day some of those programs come on.

This change comes in after NBC cancelled E! News and Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Friday, January 22, 2021

SABC 2 Reduces Muvhango And 7de Laan To 3 Days A Week

The channel has revealed plans to add to more local content to bolster their line-up…but it means trimming both 7de Laan and Muvhango to three days a week.

From 5 April 2021, 7de Laan will air Monday to Wednesday at 18:00, with its Thursday and Friday timeslot taken up by new telenovela Die Sentrum.

From August, Muvhango will air Monday to Wednesday at 21:00, with its Thursday and Friday timeslot filled by season 2 of drama series Giyani.

Merlin Naicker (Group Executive: Television) says that “the acquisition of this new local production is part of our long-term plan to invest in quality local content. Serving a diverse South African audience, it is imperative that we come with innovative and exciting content, which will not only draw the viewership, but bring in the revenue required to keep the public service broadcaster financially sustainable”.

February 2021 On Disney Junior Africa | New & Returning Seasons | Specials

PUPPY DOG PALS

Season premiere episodes
Those playful pups Bingo and Rolly bounce back onto Disney Junior this month, as season three of their adventures launches with premiere episodes of Puppy Dog Pals on weekdays from Monday 8th to Friday 19th February at 12:00.

Bingo and Rolly embark on daring and fun-filled missions at the brand new Puppy Playcare, a daycare for dogs and all kinds of pets. With their neighbour Keia, and new pal Lollie, the pups explore new places, make even more friends and prove they will do anything, be it silly or brave to help their humans... and each other!

In the first premiere episode, Welcome to Puppy Playcare (Monday 8th February at 12:00), when Bob's finishing touch for Puppy Playcare breaks, Bingo and Rolly make it their mission to find a replacement before Playcare opens!

Premiere episodes of season three of Puppy Dog Pals air on weekdays from Monday 8th to Friday 19th February at 12:00, on Disney Junior.

BLUEY

Season premiere episodes
Adorable Blue Heeler puppy Bluey also returns to Disney Junior this month, for a second season of canine capers. Premiere episodes air on weekdays from Monday 22nd February at 07:30.

Bluey is back with her sister, Bingo, turning everyday life into endless fun! When Bluey is invited to a birthday party, Bingo uses her featherwand to make getting out of the house difficult. And on Dad's day to drop the girls off at school, you can bet the Blue Heeler pups won't make it easy for him. With her boundless imagination and her sister at her side, Bluey continues to call the shots when it comes to playtime - and pretty much everything else!

In the first of this month’s episodes, Hammerbarn (Monday 22nd February at 07:30) Chilli and Bandit are keen to get a new pizza oven like their neighbours’ so they all go on a trip to Hammerbarn.
Premiere episodes of Bluey season two air on weekdays from Monday 22nd February at 07:30, on Disney Junior.

FANCY NANCY CLANCY

Premiere episodes
Fancy Nancy Clancy flounces back on to Disney Junior this month, with premiere episodes featuring her exploits as she continues to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. All it takes is a fantastique attitude to transform the plain into the exquisite! Premiere episodes of Fancy Nancy Clancy air on weekdays from 22nd February at 09:00.

In this month’s first premiere episode, Nancy Takes the Case (Monday 22nd February at 10:00) Nancy must solve a crime where the suspects are all her best friends!

Premiere episodes of Fancy Nancy Clancy air on weekdays from 22nd February at 10:00.

MICKEY MOUSE MIXED-UP ADVENTURES
Premiere episodes
Mickey Mouse and his mates are back this month, as further premiere episodes of Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures air at weekends from Saturday 27th February at 09:00.

Get mixed-up with Mickey and his pals in his new house in Hot Dog Hills! Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, Daisy, Pluto and Chip 'n Dale have surprises in store. In the episode entitled Mickey’s Roommate (Saturday 27th February at 09:00) when Pete needs a place to crash, Mickey lets him stay with him. But Pete is the worst roommate ever!

Premiere episodes of Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures air at weekends from Saturday 27th February at 09:00, on Disney Junior.

Disney Junior is available on DStv

February 2021 On Disney Channel Africa | Amphibia S2 | DCOM

AMPHIBIA SEASON 2
Entertaining animated series Amphibia returns to Disney Channel this month, as season two premieres on weekdays from Monday 1st February at 15:15.

Amphibia chronicles the comedic adventures of 13-year-old Anne Boonchuy, who is magically transported to the world of Amphibia, a wild marshland full of talking frog-people called Plantars. In this second season Anne and the Plantars decide to leave the cosy confines of Wartwood for the distant city of Newtopia, to unlock the mysteries of the music box. On the way they’ll visit exotic new locations, uncover hidden secrets, and experience unexpected reunions as they continue to search for a way to get Anne home. In this month’s first premiere episodes, Handy Anne/Fort in the Road (Monday 1st February at 15:15) the Plantars are ready to hit the road when Anne decides to secure the farm. On the road Sprig longs for adventure but Hop Pop’s road rules threaten to spoil his fun.

Premiere episodes of Amphibia season two air from Monday 1st February at 15:15.

DISNEY CHANNEL FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIES

Disney Channel’s Friday treat for film fans continues throughout February with some great entertainment to celebrate the start of each weekend. There’s a marvellous movie every Friday at 17:00, repeated on Saturday at 10:40.

The fun starts with Princess Protection Program on Friday 5th February, followed by Camp Rock (Friday 12th February), Let It Shine (Friday 19th February), and Zapped (Friday 26th February), all at 17:00.

In Princess Protection Program on (Friday 5th February at 17:00) Carter is a small-town girl and couldn't be more different from Rosalinda, a South American princess from the country of Costa Luna. The girls are thrown together after Carter's father, an agent in the covert Princess Protection Program, rescues Rosalinda from a military takeover. It's now up to the two to devise a plan to take down Costa Luna's dictator and return Rosalinda to her rule.

Viewers can see these great Disney movies on Fridays throughout February 2021 at 17:00, repeated on the following Saturday at 10:40, on Disney Channel.

Disney Channel is available on DStv