Contrary to expectations of a price increase, MultiChoice Group is slashing the cost of its Showmax streaming platform by 10% in South Africa for its lean-back experience. The relaunched Showmax, revealed on Monday, will now be priced at R89/month, down from the previous R99/month. This price reduction accompanies an extensive addition of content from partner Comcast and its subsidiaries, NBCUniversal and Sky. The new platform, developed in collaboration with NBCUniversal, positions Showmax as a key player, capable of hosting both static and live content, including Premier League football games exclusively for mobile users.
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The aggressive pricing strategy is a clear signal that MultiChoice is willing to invest to secure a stronger market share against competitors like Netflix. Marc Jury, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa and Showmax, emphasized the uniqueness of the Peacock platform, stating that it is a point of pride for its developers. The platform, with its capability to handle live sports and a variety of content, underscores MultiChoice’s commitment to offering a compelling streaming service.
Content remains a focal point for Showmax, with plans to expand local productions in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. MultiChoice is positioning Showmax as a continent-wide streaming platform, highlighting content curated by Africans for Africans. The company aims to capitalize on its knowledge of local markets and the scale of local productions to strengthen its presence across Africa.
Apart from the lean-back experience priced at R89/month, Showmax introduces several aggressively priced tiers, including R39/month for general entertainment on mobile, R69/month for Premier League football on mobile (covering all 380 games), and a bundle combining both for R99/month.
Marc Jury emphasized MultiChoice’s acknowledgment of the need for self-disruption and stated that there are no plans to increase pricing until at least 2025. Future decisions about additional sports, potentially provided by MultiChoice-owned SuperSport, will be made as the platform evolves, aiming to grow its scale and impact across the continent.
