Last year, Multichoice announced it had entered into a new partnership with Comcast’s NBCUniversal in America and Sky in the UK.
Through the partnership, it plans to scale up its streaming service Showmax. Content from Sky and NBCUniversal Media Group’s streaming platform, Peacock will be available on Showmax. On February 12, 2024, MultiChoice will launch an entirely new app for the new Showmax.
Here is all you need to know about the new Showmax:
How much new content should users expect?
From as far back as March last year, MultiChoice said that it is getting a brand new slate of content. “Powered by Peacock’s leading, globally-scaled technology, Showmax subscribers will have access to an extensive premium content portfolio, bringing African audiences the best of local and international programming,” it said in a blog post.
In addition to content from Banijay, BBC, eOne, Fremantle, HBO, ITV, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. Discovery, which are already on Showmax, from February, users can expect additional content from Universal Pictures, NBC, Peacock, Sky, DreamWorks Animation and Telemundo.
Showmax will also be rolling out new local content during the launch in February, including its first epic telenovela, Cheta’m, directed by James Omokwe, Sadau Sisters, starring Nigerian actress Rahama Sadau, a documentary series on the apprenticeship culture in eastern Nigeria, Freemen, a romantic comedy feature The Counsellor and the second season of the hit drama series Flawsome.
How will the technology work?
According to a Showmax representative, this is a completely new app. Every existing customer will have to download the new app and the old app will cease to exist from February.
The entire tech of the new app will not be managed by Showmax or an outside contractor. Peacock will now handle all the tech for the new Showmax. According to Showmax, “Peacock is not an outside partner. It's actually a shareholder of the Showmax business. So we are not outsourcing it. It is a family business between us and Peacock. Yes, the engine of Showmax is going to become 100% Peacock, which means that it gives us access to scale our business to the level they have in the US today.”
Showmax has also worked on data-saving features. On Data Saving mode, with the new app, users can stream up to an hour of programming for only 40 mb, drastically reducing the cost of streaming.
Users with existing subscriptions will be rolled over to the new app.
Pricing and Plans
The new app will have three plans for customers in Nigeria; Mobile-only Entertainment at ₦1,200 monthly, the Showmax Premier League Mobile (the first mobile Premiere League offering in Africa) for ₦2,500 per month, and the Entertainment and Premier League Mobile bundle for ₦3,200 monthly.
Showmax outside Africa
Showmax said it will focus more aggressively on the continent of Africa. This means that the new app will not be available in app stores outside the continent. However, it said that it has entered all the African markets. “We are currently in all the markets, over 42 markets in Africa. It's just that we have operational units in only six of seven of the market,” Showmax said. However, it will focus on licensing its content in the international market.
The new app will be available for download starting January 23, 2024.