Technology

Showmax’s plan to beat Netflix, Amazon and Disney

Showmax has been making strides to expand its offering and attract new audiences by moving into live-streaming sports and concerts.

This includes a live-stream concert from popular Amapiano artist Tyla, which Showmax aired on 18 January. This event marks a significant shift for the streaming service regarding its technical capacity and content.

While Showmax and its parent company, MultiChoice, have years of experience in live broadcasting and streaming – covering these types of events in real-time is a shift for the company. 

Chief Marketing Officer at Showmax and MultiChoice South Africa, Yatish Narsi, explained on the Kaya Biz podcast that the company is always searching for new forms of entertainment.

“The magic of streaming for us is just the accessibility and the scale,” Narsi said. People can dip in and out of the stream at any point and watch it on any device.

“The accessibility is wildly different to anything you’ve seen before, and that just means you can experiment with different entertainment formats.”

MultiChoice sees significant potential in Showmax for connecting with younger, digitally savvy viewers who are shaping the future of content consumption.

“Thinking about that future streamer, that future customer, for us was front and centre for how we thought about what we evolve and what we bring on. One of those being a live stream concert.” 

While streaming an event like this live offers a great opportunity to attract new audiences, it also comes with a number of challenges.

Fortunately, MultiChoice has the benefit of about three decades of broadcasting events, Narsi noted.

“The difference here, of course, is that we are producing a live-streamed event, which is slightly nuanced to broadcasting a live event.”

“At least it’s not a bridge too far for us, a lot of the capability we have and it’s about building the other capability.”

However, there are still two big challenges with live streaming events like concerts, Narsi explained.

The first is editing the event in real-time in order to keep it interesting and engaging for audiences. 

There are also a number of technical challenges since streaming to 40 countries requires robust infrastructure. 

This means ensuring sufficient bandwidth, monitoring the platform to prevent buffering or service interruptions, and managing the real-time transmission of the signal.

For this event, for example, the signal had to be sent from the venue, SunBet Arena, to MultiChoice’s facilities in Randburg. 

From there, it is processed through servers and distributed across Africa, all in real time.

Fortunately, Narsi said that MultiChoice has a team of highly skilled professionals across various disciplines who ensure these events run smoothly. 

In addition to moving into the live-streaming arena, Showmax has been focused on expanding its digital offering in other ways. 

This includes its offering of local and original content, with popular shows like Young, Famous & African, and Adulting.

Showmax also offers a number of programming from renowned partners such as HBO, Peacock, DreamWorks, and Paramount Universal.

In places like the United States, each of these providers would typically require separate subscriptions, but Showmax is able to consolidate its premium content onto a single platform alongside its local originals.

Viewers can also watch live sporting events like the Premier League and PSL on Showmax. 

While MultiChoice places significant value on its streaming service as a way to attract younger audiences and the increasing number of digital natives in South Africa, Narsi stressed that the company’s other entertainment channels remain important. 

For example, satellite remains a vital option for customers with limited internet connectivity. 

Considering that an estimated 25.3% of the South African population remained offline at the start of 2024, these offline offerings remain an especially important part of the country’s entertainment landscape.

“What we keep thinking about is how we distribute the entertainment to the right customer over the right platform,” Narsi said. 

This strategic approach allows MultiChoice to meet consumers where they are, ensuring they can access the entertainment they love in the way that best suits them.

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