African VOD service ShowMax adds new content, challenges Netflix’s domination

Batsirai Chikadaya Avatar
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It wasn’t too long ago we reported on ShowMax, the NASPERS owned video-on-demand (VOD) service doubling its active users in the first part of 2016 from 5 million active users to 10 million active users.

This has now been followed up by the expansion of its international catalog to include South African content.

ShowMax which is available in 36 sub-Saharan countries (including Zimbabwe) and 28 countries overseas, will now include TV Shows and Movies from Mzansi Magic, M-Net, Vuzu and kykNET.

According to MyBroadband, ShowMax said:

This service has the benefit of featuring many popular shows within 24 hours of them airing in South Africa

Our plan is simple – put all the best South African shows in one spot and give expats a taste of home wherever they’ve ended up. In total, we’ve got around 14,000 TV show episodes and movie

It will be interesting to see if the adoption of local content is the key element in unlocking the VOD service potential.

ShowMax has the advantage of utilizing already established TV Show brands and Movies, which have appeal to not only South African consumers but to regional viewers who have become accustomed to these brands.

ShowMax still has the headache of Netflix, but the steps it is making to capture their already established viewership will create healthy competition between the two streaming services.

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