Showmax and DStv Stream – A natural evolution of broadcasting in South Africa
MultiChoice has been at the forefront of the South African pay TV industry for many years, and it plans to continue to lead the way through its online-native services Showmax and DStv Stream.
When the pay TV industry began through terrestrial broadcasting – where TV signals were transmitted via radio waves – there was limited choice in the channels you could subscribe to.
This form of TV broadcasting was fortunately surpassed by higher-quality technologies such as satellite TV, which was made popular in South Africa by MultiChoice’s DStv.
Rather than transmitting TV via radio waves, which often suffered from interference, DStv provided a more stable alternative by connecting its customers to satellite broadcasts.
This was an industry-defining shift in South Africa, with DStv continually launching new channels and providing innovative features through its satellite decoder hardware.
The rise of streaming
DStv’s satellite TV services continue to be popular in South Africa today, but MultiChoice identified that the rise of online streaming was inevitable over 10 years ago.
MultiChoice was an early mover in this space as a result, and launched its Showmax streaming service in 2015.
Showmax quickly became a key part of South Africa’s highly-competitive streaming landscape, performing favourably against the top streaming giants from across the globe.
This is thanks to MultiChoice’s focus on acquiring a wide range of content – from local productions to international hits.
South Africans therefore know that no matter what their preferred movies or series are, they can find them on Showmax.
Evolving the streaming landscape
MultiChoice has also leveraged its DStv and Showmax products to deliver more value to its South African customers.
DStv Stream is a great example of this.
It leverages MultiChoice’s world-class digital infrastructure to stream the DStv satellite TV service over the Internet – giving South Africans access to movies, news, sports, and more from the comfort of their digital devices.
Furthermore, MultiChoice has bundled products like Internet connectivity packages with its streaming services to maximise the value customers receive.
MultiChoice continues to investigate new opportunities to deliver more value to its South African subscribers.
Industry challenges
MultiChoice’s excellent run in South Africa has not been without its challenges, however, many of which the company continues to face.
MultiChoice has had to evolve continuously to meet the latest broadcasting industry trends, which requires investment in new technologies and regular research into customer demands – both of which MultiChoice has prioritised.
MultiChoice also continues to fight against piracy in South Africa, a problem that has plagued the entertainment industry for decades and remains a major challenge.
With the support of South African consumers, MultiChoice believes it can conquer these challenges and continue to evolve its services to remain the favourite way for South Africans to stay entertained.
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