ESPN Africa Boxing 18 Set To Entertain

Boxing fans across Africa can look forward to some of the best combat sport action when ESPN Africa Boxing 18 takes place in Johannesburg and broadcasts live on ESPN on Thursday 30 June 2022, from 19:00 (CAT). Sanctioned by Boxing South Africa (BSA) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF), this event will be headlined by a 12-round match for the IBF International Junior Middleweight title between DR Congo's Emmany Kalombo (15-1-0) and Kenyan Rayton Okwiri (7-0-1).

Known as 'The General', Kalombo was last in action in April, defeating Malawian Chikondi Makawa via third-round technical knockout in Soweto, while the unbeaten Okwiri is making a much-anticipated return to the ring. In his most recent fight, in October 2021, Okwiri knocked out John Serunjogu of Uganda in a middleweight non-title fight in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

 

 

The former African Boxing Union middleweight title holder is determined to put a major belt around his waist once again. “I have done it in the past and it’ll not be any different this time round. This is a big fight for me and the title must come back home as I’m serious to win it,” Okwiri explained.

Kalombo, however, feels that things will go differently: “I have known Okwiri as an amateur boxer for a long time and I’m gonna chop him down and stop him from taking the title."

The co-main event is a 10-round Welterweight clash between South Africa's Thulani Mbenge (18-1-0) and Idd Pialari of Tanzania (30-7-1). Mbenge was last in action a year ago, claiming an impressive third-round knockout win over Jabulani Makhense. Pialari broke a losing streak by defeating Chimwemwe Chiotcha via unanimous decision in February this year.

 

 

The main card also features an eight-round Super Flyweight clash between Sikho Nqothole (14-2-0) and Selemani Bangaiza (12-7-0); Jabulani Makhense (12-1-0) v Paul Kamanga (23-2-0) over eight rounds in the Welterweight division; and a Super Lightweight battle over eight rounds between Gift Bholo (9-11-0) and Hannock Phiri (14-0-1).

The fight card for this event, is as follows:

MAIN EVENT

Main event: IBF International Junior Middleweight Title
12 rounds
Emmany Kalombo (DR Congo, 15-1-0)
v
Rayton Okwiri (Kenya, 7-0-1)

Co-main event: Welterweight
10 rounds
Thulani Mbenge (SA, 18-1-0)
v
Idd Pialari (Tanzania, 30-7-1)

Super Flyweight
8 rounds
Sikho Nqothole (SA, 14-2-0)
v
Selemani Bangaiza (Tanzania, 12-7-0)

Welterweight
8 rounds
Jabulani Makhense (SA, 12-1-0)
v
Paul Kamanga (DR Congo, 23-2-0)

Super Lightweight
8 rounds
Gift Bholo (SA, 9-11-0)
v
Hannock Phiri (Malawi, 14-0-1)

UNDER CARD

Junior Middleweight
4 rounds
Sinethemba Blom (debut)
v
Mikaeel van Doorsen (1-1-0)

Junior Lightweight
6 rounds
Cayden Truter (4-0-0)
v
Khanyisani Mbokazi (2-3-1)

 

Featuring a diverse range of the continent’s boxing talent, the ESPN Africa Boxing events that take place on the last (or second last) Thursday of every month, are televised to an audience of up to 60 million homes across Africa and Latin America. The action starts at 19:00 (CAT) on ESPN (DStv 218, Starsat 248), SABC Sport and selected international broadcasters including ESPN across Latin America, as well as a highlights package in TKO (SABC 2, Fridays at 21:30).

How to tune in:

ESPN: DStv 218, Starsat 248 
SABC Sport
 
All times are stated in CAT / SAST.
Schedule subject to change

For updates regarding ESPN Africa Boxing and other sports, fans can connect to @ESPNAfrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit https://www.espn.com/. 

Overshadowed Timeless Dizi Channel Expands Its Reach To More African Households On StarTimes

Timeless Dizi Channel is a a general entertainment channel from SPI International which serves to be one of the sought after channels in their portfolio for its variety of Turkish dramas mainly Black Money Love, Karadayi and The Red Scarf.

It's been available in the African market for 2 years and due to the successes of eExtra's Kuiertyd block it got MultiChoice to ramp their offering on kykNET & Kie but as for Timeless Dizi Channel things have rather progressed slowly.

 

 

After the pop-up version's termination on the DStv platform, there isn't much hype from the channel or the media in regard to what's on or potential new shows from the channel.

The closest anyone has ever gotten to know about upcoming shows is through the main page which can be of no use from time as some new may have already been seen on the channel or in South Africa through eExtra.

The current partnership they have with StarTimes seems somewhat complicated. In August 2020, just a few months after its launch it was announced by the pay-tv platform will stop airing the channel and from what is already seen by viewers that's not the case.

 

 

Even more strange is how there's still more regions across Africa through StarTimes that still don't have Timeless Dizi Channel as markets like Kenya and Malawi welcome it as a "new channel" despite its availability elsewhere for the past 2 years.

At this point, you're better off downloading the mobile app to view these programs if there's gonna be so many inconsistencies.

Cartoon Network EMEA Might Have Acquired Rights To A New Season Of Totally Spies! Alongside New Series Goat Girl

Speaking at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, Sean Henry, VP of content strategy and acquisitions for kids, EMEA, explained that the company is looking to co-produce and acquire shows that appeal to “all kids aged 6+”.

Currently, “more boys have been watching our network channels than girls,” said Henry, who oversees the kids and family content pipeline for brands including HBO Max, Cartoon Network and Cartoonito in EMEA. He points to upcoming shows such as Goat Girl and the returning Totally Spies! that are “quite different to what we have done before” and of broader appeal.

 

“But we’re also looking for things that might skew a little bit older, something that a tween audience can enjoy, maybe families as well. Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai , which is coming next year, is a really good example of that.”

Henry said that this upcoming animated spin-off from the Gremlins feature films was the kind of co-viewing event experience that he believes can “help us broaden the appeal beyond the existing core.”

Comedies have “always been at the heart” of Cartoon Network, added Henry, who said his team is always looking for such projects as the genre “really drives peak viewing.”

 

Speaking in a panel session at the festival, Henry said that WBD wants to see “everything, content for all kids ages, all demos,” and, expanding on the point, explained: “What we are doing as a team is to not set too many parameters for people who are pitching to us.

“Sometimes you don’t know a great idea until you see it, so what I’d encourage creators and distributors to do, if they think it’s relevant for the brand and the audience, most importantly, 6-12-year-olds, pitch it to us and let’s have a discussion.”

 

Henry revealed that his team is “not really in a position to develop an idea from scratch” and won’t fully fund any productions, so are always looking for co-production partners.

“It’s great for you to come to us with a financing plan and then that’s something we can take forward,” said the exec, adding that if a promising project in need of further development was brought to him, it could potentially be taken forward by the development team at Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.

Racing 240 Audience Up 24% On Tellytrack Numbers In First Independent Viewership Report

4RacingTV’s horseracing channel, Racing 240, recorded a unique reach of 462 221 viewers between the tracking period 18 April to 26 May 2022, as reported by Nielsen Sports, the global leader in research and data intelligence.

Jean Willers, Nielsen Sports South Africa Managing Director, said Racing 240’s viewership was 24% higher than its predecessor Tellytrack (372 445 viewers) over the same period in 2021.

“Since being added to the Broadcast Research Council’s (BRC) panel of channels, we are now able to accurately analyse and report on independently verified audience numbers,” says Willers, who said Racing 240 had shown a strong performance in its first month of being tracked and independently verified.

 

Racing 240, which launched on DStv on 19 January 2022, has been attracting new viewers on a daily basis. The top performing broadcast to date was the “World Sports Betting Becoming Champions Winter Series” race day at Kenilworth Racecourse on 20 April 2022, including the WSB Maiden Plate, which attracted a unique audience of 66 025 viewers.

The initial TV viewer profile indicates that the horseracing viewer mirrors the demographic profile of all South Africans, with 51.9% male viewers and 48.1% female viewers of the channel.

The average age of Racing 240 viewers is 40 years old and the highest percentage of viewers came from KwaZulu Natal (25%), followed by the Western Cape (19%), and Gauteng and North West (12%) and Eastern Cape (10%).

 

“We are encouraged by Nielsen’s first report on Racing 240. We will continue to engage with the various industry stakeholders, our existing racing community and our targeted audiences to shape our content and channels. Measuring the impact of any change is key and we will continue working closely with Nielsen to regularly assess and report on this,” said Stephen Watson, Head of 4Racing.TV’.

Racing 240 will broadcast the showpiece Hollywoodbets Durban July on Saturday 2 July.

Roundups #69: Nigerian Bans New Kiddies Animation Movie Lightyear, Game Of Thrones' Jon Show TV Series Has Been Greenlit And Snowpiercer Cancelled After 4 Seasons

Nigeria is banning more content

According to multiple media outlets, countries in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and a handful of Asian countries banned the film over the seconds-long scene featuring two lesbian characters.

While Nigeria's National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) is yet to comment on the film's conspicuous absence from the big screens, Disney's official West African film distribution partners FilmOne Entertainment announced on Friday, that the film will screen in Ghana.

Since its release, the 'Toy Story' prequel has become a stage for major controversial LGBTQ+ takes. It's been over a decade-long debate with a majority of Disney's critics objecting to the studio's move to introduce inclusive content.

 

 

In 2006, executives at Disney asked that the same-sex scene be yanked off the G-rated (appropriate for all age groups) film. Disney CEO Bob Chapek reacted by ordering that the scene be put back.

Another Games Of Thrones spinoff is underway

As HBO is preparing to launch of a Game of Thrones prequel series, the network also is exploring a potential sequel centered around one of the original series’ most recognizable characters, Kit Harington’s Jon Snow, Deadline has confirmed. The project is still in exploratory stages, sources said.

If the series come to fruition, it would chronicle the post-Westeros story of Jon Snow, aka Aegon Targayen, with Harington expected to reprise his role.

The project, first reported by THR, would mark the first spinoff from and first sequel to the mega hit fantasy drama, which ran on HBO for eight seasons. Over the past several years, HBO has been focused on prequels to Game of Thrones. One, House of the Dragon, is set to premiere this summer with several others, including Dunk and Egg, and The Sea Snake, in development. The shift in strategy also coincides with the recent WarnerMedia-Discovery merger, which brought in a new leadership over HBO and the rest of the WarnerMedia divisions.

 

 

TNT loses out on another series

Fans of the post-apocalyptic series will be disappointed with the announcement that following the filming of Season 4, which is currently underway, the dystopian thriller Snowpiercer will not be returning with more episodes, according to Deadline. The series centers on a group of the last humans on Earth seven years after an apocalyptic event that causes the world to freeze over. The last remaining humans stay alive in a giant moving train that never stops.

Snowpiercer's cancellation definitely comes as a surprise, especially after the major events of the Season 3 finale seemingly promised that the storyline was heading to bold new territory in the coming seasons. The cancellation of the series follows the merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia, TNT's parent company, which will completely restructure the business models of Warner Bros. and will likely lead to the cancellation of other projects in the near future. Alongside Snowpiercer, TNT's Animal Kingdom.

 

After years of development hell, the first season of the series premiered on TNT in 2020 and continued for three more seasons until its recent cancellation. The first three seasons of the show so far have received a moderately positive response from critics with some praising it for its ambition and style while also saying it does not live up to the subversiveness of the film.

Mbali Mtshali Joins Snakes In The City To Co-Host New Season Together With Simon Keys And Siouxsie Gillett

National Geographic Wild’s Snakes in the City has long been a viewer favourite as herpetologists Simon Keys and Siouxsie Gillett respond to call outs to catch and release snakes from homes and buildings in and around Durban. When the eighth season premieres across Africa on Wednesday 6 July at 18:00 (CAT), the two will be joined by local snake wrangler Mbali Mtshali.

Born in Limpopo, Mtshali moved to Kwa Zulu-Natal at young age and had her first exposure to working with reptiles while volunteering at a non-profit organisation. She later cut her teeth handling snakes while assisting at a reptile park. She has since learnt to handle venomous snakes. This dynamic lady also conducts tours at the facility, is full of energy and is a dedicated body builder. 

 

 

In Snakes in the City, our streetwise snake-catchers race across “Snake City” (Durban) to face some of the world’s deadliest snakes in the most bizarre situations and release them back into the wild. When Mtshali joins the team, her skills are immediately put to the test when they go up against a lethal black mamba inside a school, a puff adder in a toilet and an enormous python on a goat farm, not to mention a super-fast monitor lizard in a ceiling, a spitting cobra inside a local shop and many more.

 

“For many years, in my culture, these reptiles have been misinterpreted as a sign of witchcraft, a bad omen and an image of the evil serpent. Working on Snakes in the City shows that residents of Durban can catch snakes too – with the right training” said Mtshali. “My biggest message for viewers and my community is that snakes are not these evil monsters that they have been made out to be - snakes are more afraid of us than we could ever be of them,” she adds.

“National Geographic’s mission is to ignite the explorer in all of us, and our on-screen experts have a huge role to play in achieving this mission, as they share the wonders of our natural world for with viewers,” says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa. “We are excited to welcome Mbali Mtshali to our screens, bringing her infectious energy and passion that, together with Simon and Siouxsie, will go a long way in helping change negative perceptions of these fascinating creatures for National Geographic Wild audiences across the continent.”

Snakes in the City is produced by Earth Touch for National Geographic.

NFL Streaming Service Expected To Launch In July

The National Football League is expected to launch its own mobile-focused streaming service, NFL+, as early as July, according to a report from the NFL owner meeting in Atlanta by Sports Business Journal (SBJ). The platform will reportedly cost around $5 per month and will feature live in-market games on mobile phones and tablets as well as other possible content, including radio, podcasts and a variety of other team-created content. This is directed at fans who desire a mobile streaming option as a complement to the big screen.

 

NFL+ aims to function independently as a part of NFL Media, which sources say will give the NFL new data on its users. However, on the other hand, there are other reports that the streaming product could be folded into a larger streaming package, wrote SBJ’s Ben Fischer.

Additionally, The Athletic reported in April that the NFL might be looking for a partner that could distribute NFL Media or NFL Films content. While it is unlikely that Netflix will ever cover live sports, we do think that it would be in its best interest, especially since the company is planning to launch a livestreaming option for the service.

 

Despite the saturated streaming landscape, nothing excites viewers quite like the NFL, and it sounds like the league is looking to further capitalize on America’s obsession.

NFL+ is the latest announcement of a profitable year for sports entertainment, and the new streaming product could imply the convergence of sports media at large. Major League Baseball is also hoping to launch its own streaming service in 2023, and FIFA has become a streaming rival as of last month with the launch of FIFA+.

There's More Worlds To Explore With These Documentaries On History Africa - July 2022 Highlights

‘The HISTORY Channel Africa (DStv 186) will uncover the discovery of one of greatest ever shipwrecks, Sir Ernest Shackleton's lost ship, as part of Mystery on HISTORY month this July. Shackleton's Endurance: The Lost Ice Ship Found follows the news earlier this year of the history-making discovery of the Endurance.

The 90-minute special, on Sunday 3 July at 19h05, is a definitive look at Sir Ernest Shackleton's historic and ill-fated 1914 Antarctic expedition which resulted in his highly revered ship sinking, as well as maritime archaeologists' relentless mission to find this holy grail of shipwrecks. An expedition team aboard the SA Agulhas II, a South African ship, made the deep-sea discovery of the shipwreck in March this year, 107 years after it sank.

Mystery on HISTORY month brings with it four premier mystery titles and a number of returning fan-favourites. In HISTORY’S Greatest Mysteries (starts Sunday 3 July at 20h15) Academy Award® nominee and Emmy Award® winner Laurence Fishburne delves into some of the top theories surrounding the world’s most enigmatic unsolved mysteries. In this third season he interrogates amongst others; the infamous Cold War case where nine hikers were found mutilated on the remote Dyatlov mountain pass and how the magnificent Amber Room, valued at half a billion dollars, was dismantled, and disappeared without a trace during World War II.

 

Fishburne will unpack these puzzles with contributions from top historians, authors, scientists, and researchers in search of possible explanations to some of the world’s most confounding events.

Lost Gold of the Aztecs (starts Friday 22 July at 20h15) follows three families determined to break a 500-year-old curse to find the hidden gold treasure. 500 years ago, Spanish Conquistadors raided the gold-filled land of the Aztecs. But according to the legend, Emperor Montezuma, and his people, were able to sneak their wealth north to seven separate locations in what is now the American Southwest. For five centuries, thousands have searched for Montezuma’s treasure and the 7 Cities of Gold. The treasure is believed to be made up of an enormous quantity of gold bars, silver, precious stones, jewellery and other Aztec artifacts, worth over $3 billion dollars.

World Greatest Treasure Mysteries, season two (starts Friday 29 July at 19h25) is hosted by real-life treasure hunters, Rick and Marty Lagina. Along with their intrepid research partner, Matty Blake, they are back on the hunt for treasure “Beyond Oak Island.” This action-packed season of the hit HISTORY Channel series will follow them across the United States and Canada as they meet and work with fellow treasure hunters to search for billions in legendary lost riches. From hidden Spanish gold mines, and outlaw hideouts, to sunken treasure galleons and river boat wrecks, the trio will dig, drill and dive their way into history.

 

The HISTORY Channel Africa will also air local short-form content around Africa’s Greatest Mysteries, during July. These will feature some of the continent’s most baffling historical mysteries, including the story of our own lost treasure, the Kruger Millions, when President Paul Kruger apparently took drastic measures to hide South Africa’s gold from the British Army in June 1900, as they closed in on Pretoria.

Another of the shorts will uncover the legendary ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, which is said to still appear suddenly in the waters around the Cape and then simply vanishing again. The mystery around the ill-fated SAA Flight 295, named Helderberg, will also be examined. The plane broke up in mid-air and crashed into the Indian Ocean killing everyone aboard in 1987. With only a few bodies, a small amount of wreckage, and badly damaged cockpit tapes, investigators still don’t know what caused the crash.

Explore some of the world’s longest standing mysteries with the HISTORY Channel this July. Tune in to DStv 186, every Friday and Sunday from 19h05, for back-to-back Mystery on HISTORY programming.

Paddington Is Back For More Adventures On Nick Jr Africa Alongside A Marathon To Your Favourite Shows - July 2022 Highlights

PAW PATROL MARATHON AND NEW ‘SEA PATROL’ EPISODE
MARATHON EPISODES | #705, 726, 811, 814, 816 - 817
NEW EPISODES | #806
Join Chase and the PAW Patrol pups on this best moments marathon, featuring an exciting new Sea Patrol episode which is sure to be filled with heroic rescues and adventure.
Saturday - Sunday, 02 July – 03 July
15:00 CAT / 14:00 WAT / 16:00 EAT

 

SANTIAGO OF THE SEAS MONTH LONG STUNT
NEW EPISODES
EPISODES | #201, 202, 203, 998
The show follows Santiago, an 8-year-old pirate, and his crew as they embark on rescues, uncover hidden treasures and keep the Caribbean high seas safe. The show is infused with Spanish language and Latino- Caribbean culture.
FRIDAY & SUNDAY, 07 JULY – 10 JULY
FRIDAY & SUNDAY, 15 JULY – 17 JULY
FRIDAY & SUNDAY, 22 JULY – 24 JULY
FRIDAY & SUNDAY, 29 JULY – 31 JULY
21:30 WAT / 22:30 CAT / 23:30 EAT
16:30 WAT / 17:30 CAT / 18:30 EAT

PAW PATROL: DINO STUNT
Adventures with Chase and his mighty pups never end as they rescue a Swamp monster, find lost Dino eggs and even save Adventure Bay from a Brachiosaurus!
EPISODES: : #226, 706 - 709
SATURDAY – SUNDAY, 16 JULY –17 JULY
12:00 WAT / 13:00 CAT / 14:00 EAT

 

THE ADVENTURES OF PADDINGTON
NEW EPISODES
EPISODES | #217, 219 - 220, 222 - 224, 226 - 227, 218b, 221b
The Adventures of Paddington is a charming remake of the 1990s cartoon. The younger Paddington is gentle and polite, but his youth makes him sweeter and more curious. Meanwhile, his adoptive family and others offer him suggestions and advice to help him overcome whatever challenges he is facing.
MONDAY –FRIDAY, 18 JULY –29 JULY
20:15 WAT / 21:15 CAT / 22:15 EAT
02:00 WAT / 03:00 CAT / 04:00 EAT
05:35 WAT / 06:35 CAT / 07:35 EAT

DEER SQUAD: SEASON ONE
MARATHON
EPISODES | #217, 219 - 220, 222 - 224, 226 - 227, 218b, 221b
Kai, Lola, Rammy, and Bobbi are four deer friends who reside in a boat-shaped home in the forest. The forest where their home is also has a park where people from a nearby city hang out. Whenever there is trouble in the forest or city, the deer friends, when within proximity of each other, can go into superhero mode, and use their powers to save the day.
SATURDAY –30 JULY
SUNDAY –31 JULY
12:00 WAT / 13:00 CAT / 14:00 EAT

Get Ready For A Movie Bonanza With Nickelodeon Africa - July 2022 Highlights

LIAR, LIAR VAMPIRE
SATURDAY, 02 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
When an introverted 17-year-old switches schools, the most popular girl mistakes him for a vampire. His supernatural persona helps him rule the school, but as word spreads, the truth becomes harder to hide!

ONE CRAZY CRUISE
SUNDAY, 03 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
ENCORE: SATURDAY, 09 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
After being hypnotized on a cruise ship, a blended family of siblings wake up to complete chaos, with no memory of what happened.

 

THE CASAGRANDES
HOLIDAY STUNT
MONDAY - FRIDAY FROM 04 JULY –08 JULY @ 14:20 CAT
You've met them in The Loud House, and now The Casagrandes have their own show, telling the story of Ronnie Anne - an independent adventurous 11-year-old who explores city life with her big family.

ALVINNN!!! AND THE CHIPMUNKS
NEW EPISODES #512 - 519
MONDAY - FRIDAY FROM 04 JULY –15 JULY @ 10:15 CAT
The Chipmunks and Chipettes are your typical kids. They go to school, have chores and homework, fight like siblings and play sold-out concerts to millions of fans. Oh, did we mention they're international rock stars?

 

 

JINXED
SUNDAY, 10 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
ENCORE: SATURDAY, 16 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
The Murphys are pretty much the unluckiest gang in history, thanks to a 100-year-old curse that followed their family for generations. But they're getting sick and tired of all the slips, trips, falls, explosions, and general bad luck that's befallen them their entire lives. Can this ill-fated family cure their curse together, or will they continue to put the 'jinx' in hijinks?

 

THE THUNDERMANS
HOLIDAY STUNT
MONDAY – FRIDAY, 11 JULY – 15 JULY @ 14:20 CAT
ENCORE: SATURDAY, 16 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
What's more awesome than a superhero? An entire family of 'em! Meet the Thundermans, a not-so average family whose #1 concern is trying to keep their super-human quirks under wraps and lead a normal life. Difficult much? You betcha! Especially when the two oldest siblings - Phoebe and Max - share a healthy rivalry that's turbocharged by their top-notch powers! Yup, this whole 'fitting-in' business may just take a little longer than expected...

 

NICKY DEUCE
MOVIE
SUNDAY, 17 JULY@ 13:20 CAT
ENCORE: SATURDAY, 23 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
Prepare for the craziest summer yet, 'cause Nicholas Borelli has entered the building! Or better yet, the tough city streets of Brooklyn, NYC!

THE BARBARIAN AND THE TROLL
NEW SHOW
MONDAY – FRIDAY, 18 JULY – 03 AUG @ 08:40 CAT
Evan, a spirited bridge troll in search of excitement and a place to perform his songs, finds adventure when he meets Brendar, a fierce female warrior on a quest to avenge an attack on her family.

SWINDLE
MOVIE
SUNDAY, 24 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
ENCORE: SATURDAY, 30 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
Everyone has a baseball card but not everyone has one that is worth 1.2 million Dollars!

 

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
UNITED COLORS OF BIKINI BOTTOM: YELLOW WEEK
MONDAY – FRIDAY, 18 JULY – 22 JULY@ 14:20 CAT
Three hour marathon of the best episodes of your favourite yellow character: SpongeBob!

SPLITTING ADAM
SUNDAY, 31 JULY @ 13:20 CAT
ENCORE: SATURDAY, 06 AUG @ 13:20 CAT
After stumbling across a cloning machine, Adam Baker creates multiple versions of himself and finds the answer to handling his many summer responsibilities.

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
UNITED COLORS OF BIKINI
BOTTOM: WHITE WEEK
MONDAY – FRIDAY, 25 JULY – 29 JULY@ 14:20 CAT
Three hours marathon of the best episodes of your Nickelodeon favourite character: Sandy!

New Series Alert: The World Of The Married And Die Vertroueling Coming Soon To Novelas E Plus And eVOD

July has officially become the month of telenovelas with launches of Telemundo's The Legend and Meet The Family, TLNovelas' No One Like You, kykNET & Kie's In Die Ysterhand Se Greep and Kind Van Die Noodlot with Novelas E Plus and eVOD joining that lineup for individual series The World Of The Married and Die Vertroueling.

Based on BBC One's drama series Doctor Foster written by Mike Bartlett, The World Of The Married tells a story of a married couple whose betrayal of one another leads to a whirlwind of revenge, grief, forgiveness and healing.

 

The 2020 South Korean family melodrama became the highest rated Korean drama in cable history with Kim Hee-ae who won Best Actress at the 56th Baeksang Arts Award for her role in the series with Park Hae-joon and Han So-hee taking up lead roles.

Die Vertroueling (Maraşlı) revolves around a veteran of Turkish special forces 'Celal Kün'. His life changes when his daughter is shot down in a celebratory event. After this tragedy, he tries to find the planners of this deadly event and joins his agency again.

 

The 2021 Turkish action series stars Burak Deniz and Alina Boz who is well known for her role in the Netflix teen comedy Teen 101 (Aşk 101).

The World Of The Married will air the following week at 20:20 from June 19 on Novelas E Plus with Die Vertroueling only a few weeks apart from July 7th on eVOD which is 3 days after their rivals kykNET & Kie introduce their new offering.

Rumour: OUTtv Standalone Streaming Service To Launch In South Africa

Canadian LGBTQ+ channel and streamer OUTtv is planning a launch in South Africa as part of its ongoing expansion.

Philip Webb, chief operating officer at OUTtv, said a South Africa launch for the streamer is on the horizon, which will build on launches in the US, UK, Ireland and Australia.

 

It comes after OUTtv launched as a “pop-up channel” in South Africa in partnership with pay TV network MultiChoice for one month in 2018.

Webb said the “full-on” launch of the OUTtv streaming service would happen “shortly” in South Africa but details are yet to be confirmed.

“South Africa has moved a lot in the last few years and is opening up. We did a trial month and, on the whole, it was well received,” said Webb.

 

OUTtv claims to be the world’s first LGBTQ+ television and streaming service and features a mix of inclusive, queer-focused content from comedy to drama, documentaries, reality and movies.

Its originals include Call Me Mother, Hot Haus, Group Sext, Shine True, Boy Boy Montréal, The Villbergs Chronicles, Iconic Justice, Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend, My Trans Journey and the documentary strand OutSpoken.

Welcome Demand Africa, The Home Of African Storytelling From Your Favourite Broadcasters

SABC, e.tv and MultiChoice have been the forefront of local entertainment for over a decade. Despite new entrants like Netflix and Disney+, these brands continue to remain relevant in the industry for soaps like House Of Zwide, Scandal, Generations and Gamora.

The best part about all this is you can view it on any device with apps like VIU (SABC), eVOD (e.tv) and Showmax (DStv) but as seen overseas not everyone can afford to access the large bulk of services available so they only divert attention to fewer services but with Demand Africa that's all about to change.

Demand Africa offers 24-7 access to the largest curated collection of Pan-African TV shows, series, soaps, movies and lifestyle entertainment direct from the continent. Demand Africa goes to Nollywood and beyond to offer a deeper connection to the continent.

 

 

Some of the content available on the platform particularly from South Africa include 5Connect, Date My Family, Isidingo, Isono and Durban Gen.

For those who haven't heard about Demand Africa might be able to familiarise themselves with The Africa Channel owned by Zimbabwe's James Makawa which serves an international distributor to content seen across Africa.

Demand Africa can be found on the App Store and new customers get a 7 day free trial thereafter you have to pay $6.99 and before anyone panics on how to cover the expenses try Payoneer which serves as a competitor to PayPal or explore the other payment alternatives available on the app.

Alternatives To e.tv's Defunct International Offering At 20:30

Since April 2022, e.tv halted distribution of weeknight international series at 20:30 in an attempt to bolster their streaming endeavours with the likes of Disney+, Netflix and Showmax all following a similar pattern.

While e.tv's new offering has seen somewhat of success, there's still various consumers that feel excluded from this shakeup having no means opted to create some distance with the channel and explore the number of alternatives out there.

It's obvious the streamers mentioned above would make a suitable candidate to this offering but as some households struggle to get the necessary means it's best to just look at alternatives that despite being phased out are still reachable to this day.

 

I managed to find a list of alternatives which I thought of dividing between pay and free as there's some that are willing to the freshest shows at a cheaper price or wait a while longer to view some of this content.

Now a look at the pay-tv alternatives

1. M-Net is a premium entertainment channel home to the very best and latest international series. While e.tv used to give you 3-5 year old repeats to their offering with M-Net you can several of their upcoming projects like Chicago Fire, Seal Team, New Amsterdam and NCIS: Los Angeles.

The biggest downfall to the brand is obvious pricing which is almost close to a R1000 monthly on DStv Premium that brings in item number 2.

2. Me is catch-up channel to M-Net infused with a bit of 1Magic. The only issue with the channel is the rollout of some of the content formerly and currently on e.tv. You have Queen Sugar airing on Sundays and stuff like Chicago PD can air as early as 17:00 while e.tv used to give you that 3 hours later. But again it can be useful and make e.tv feel like they're repeating their shows 2 or 3 years later.

Best part this is all available for as little as R309p/m on DStv Family formerly R420 on DStv Compact when it was M-Net City.

3. Universal, if you've viewed e.tv's 20:30 slot that's basically what the channel is about. You had variations like Rizzoli and Isles, Bones and Leverage Redemption but the lot winds up being e.tv's lineup. You have the latest seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles and The Librarians and you find them catching up with the Chicago franchise and S.W.A.T.

In the end, Universal has more value with e.tv opting to cancel these shows from their lineup and is far better than option number 2 and valued at the same amount as them.

 

Now a look at the free-to-view alternatives

1. SABC 3, stylised as S3 is currently a must have for those on pay platforms following the loss of several premium International channels like Sundance TV and FOX. Viewers on those platforms like to browse shows like Kim's Convenience, Killing Eve and Narcos. Although most of it is repeats they're not following the same pattern as e.tv as the content can be outdated or probably never before seen on the pay alternatives. The disadvantage is that viewers would probably want Chicago PD and all S3 would do is air NCIS.

The channel is accessible anywhere just don't use an aerial as those will be thrown in the recycle bin.

2. eXposed

Although the lineup of shows are dead, eXposed is the reruns graveyard to the international offering. You find stuff like Empire, Shades Of Blue, Hawaii Five-O and even Blackish. Compared to all others this could be the new home of 20:30 or the reincarnate.

Downfall of Xposed is the resumes at 8am not everyone will be around to binge whatever content comes onto the channel which is why one would need the extra 7 hours. The channel is available on Openview.

Roundups #68: The Smurfs To Get An Animated Musical, Sylvester Stallone Stars In Drug Fused Crime Drama Tulsa King And The Real Housewives Are Coming To Cape Town

Paramount+ and Nickelodeon tagged on another project

Chris Miller is set to direct Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation’s untitled Smurfs musical movie. The announcement will be made during the Paramount and Nick presentation at Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

South Park‘s Pam is writing the LAFIG Belgium and IMPS production which is set for release on Dec. 20, 2024.

 

 

More Paramount+ for viewers

Sylvester Stallone is making the jump to streaming. Paramount+ has released the first teaser for “Tulsa King,” the new crime drama from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, featuring Stallone in the central role.

Stallone, in the first regular TV role of his career, plays Dwight Manfredi, a New York Mafia head who finally gets out of jail after a 25-year sentence. Upon his release, he’s unceremoniously relocated by his boss to Tulsa, Okla. to establish criminal operations there. Stuck in a new location with zero existing connections and with no support from his Mafia family, Manfredi slowly builds a crew of unlikely allies to establish his own criminal empire.

 

“Tulsa King” premieres with its first two episodes Nov. 13, followed by weekly episode drops.

The Real Housewives is expanding to Cape Town

 

It began over 16 years ago in the affluent Californian enclave of Orange County, and since then, The Real Housewives franchise has gone on to achieve global success with 21 series internationally.

Locally, we've been introduced to wealthy wives and their lavish lifestyles in the RHOD (Real Housewives of Durban) and the RHOJ (Real Housewives of Johannesburg).

So it's really no surprise that The Real Housewives of Cape Town would follow.

From 10 July on Mzansi Magic fans of the show will be introduced to the seven 'housewives' who front the Cape Town series.