The news:
- Showmax has announced new prices and the launch date for its revamped video streaming platform on Monday.
- The new Showmax, which will feature three subscription plans: Showmax Entertainment, Showmax Premier League, and Showmax Entertainment and Premier League, will complete its rollout on February 12, 2024.
- For users in Nigeria, the revamped streaming platform will now charge ₦1,200 ($1.32) monthly for mobile-only entertainment. The Showmax Premier League mobile will cost ₦2,900 ($3.35) per month, while the Entertainment and Premier League mobile bundle will cost ₦3,200 ($3.70) monthly.
In South Africa, the company says it will now charge R89 ($4.77) per month for its Showmax General Entertainment package, starting February 12, 2024, a price revision from its initial R99 ($5.30) monthly. The new Showmax Premier League Mobile will cost R69 ($3.70) per month, and Showmax Entertainment Mobile will remain at R39 ($2.09) per month.
The campaign to ramp up registration for the new Showmax is said to begin on Tuesday, January 23, 2024.
MultiChoice announced in November 2023 that New Showmax, featuring over 1,300 hours of new Showmax Originals, a new app, and a completely revamped look, would debut in February 2024.
MultiChoice South Africa and Showmax CEO Marc Jury, at a media event on Monday, January 8, 2024, said that Showmax will launch a Premier League mobile plan. This mobile-only, standalone Premier League plan will livestream all 380 matches.
Recall that in October 2023, the streaming platform cancelled its live-streaming sports platform, Showmax Pro, leaving only its original Showmax entertainment services.
New Showmax will continue to run across smartphones, media boxes, game consoles, and smart TV platforms. To keep up with international competitors like Amazon, Netflix, and Disney, Jury says they are considering 4K support.
In March 2023, Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky acquired a 30% stake in Showmax. The partnership gives Showmax access to NBCUniversal’s Peacock, a video-streaming service.
MultiChoice told investors it expects to generate R18.7 billion ($1 billion) in net revenue in the next five years. With its other product, DStv, reportedly losing almost 500,000 subscribers in the same year, things seemed bleak for the entertainment company.
A lot is at stake on this relaunch, with MultiChoice betting most of its future growth and revenue on the success of New Showmax.
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However, CEO Jury also said that Showmax has secured strategic partnerships with MTN and Capitec to provide mobile plan packages at an even more affordable price.
Since its launch on August 19, 2015, Showmax has spread to more than 40 markets across Africa, including Nigeria and Kenya. After surpassing Netflix, the platform now leads the African streaming market with a 40% share.
Meanwhile, MultiChoice launched the GOtv Stream app in December 2023 in Nigeria.
