More Sport: MultiChoice share their content plans for 2020

MultiChoice Group (MCG) recently hosted its second annual media showcase under the theme ‘Africa’s most-loved storyteller’ in Johannesburg and shared their exciting content plans for 2020.

For 2020, MultiChoice made a commitment to create platforms for sharing Africa’s stories but also investing in the development of local content and local talent to ensure that the video entertainment industry across the continent thrives and grows to compete with the best in the world. 

More Local Content

“Much has been achieved since our first showcase event,” shared Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO of General Entertainment. “Local content is a key differentiator for us, and we intend to continue producing more of it for our various markets.

“Our latest set of half-year results showed a 12% increase year-on-year in the number of hours of local content production, and our local content library now exceeds 54 000 hours,” added Phahle. “We will continue to shift a greater percentage of spend towards local content.”

New Collaborations

MultiChoice also announced a new collaboration with international producers, Mannequin Pictures. The co-produced “Rogue” – which is set to launch on Showmax next year – is a thrilling man vs animal drama which pits a team of ex-military fighters against foreign terrorists and a pride of escaped lions, as they battle to save a group of school girls from the clutches of a terror organisation.

“True to the spirit of genuine collaboration, this co-production combines the knowhow and talent of Hollywood with our local talent and crew, making it a perfect fit with our strategy of elevating our content production to an international level. It also creates job opportunities and improves the economics of filmmaking for everyone,” explained Phahle.

International Content

Bringing top-quality international content to African screens is also a key part of their mandate.

Airing for the first time in Africa and activated live at the showcase event, the CuriosityStream channel will deliver a world of factual entertainment in one place, while CBS Justice will enthrall viewers with true crime documentaries.

EuroNews will add a European flavour to the already extensive portfolio of news channels on offer on DStv’s various platforms. The launch of these channels follows MultiChoice’s recent agreement with A+E Networks to extend the carriage contract for History and Lifetime, which continues to air on DStv.

More Sport

In addition to this wide variety of entertainment content, MultIChoice continues to bring subscribers the best local and international sporting content.

MultiChoice continues to partner with the PSL in the ever-popular MultiChoice Diski Challenge, a soccer development programme that offers opportunities to young aspiring footballers to enter the professional league and to those who choose to work behind the cameras who are involved in producing the soccer matches that are broadcast live into the homes of thousands of soccer fans.

Over the past year, using the latest broadcasting technology, equipment and a skilled crew, SuperSport delighted sports fans with world-class broadcasts of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Cricket World Cup and the Rugby World Cup, where SuperSport was one of only four official broadcasters.

“In addition to the Springboks making history at the 2019 Rugby World Cup Finals, another revolution has been quietly underway,” adds Phahle. “This year marks the point that live-streaming of sports went mainstream in Africa, breaking all-time online viewing records. The final had an amazing three times more peak concurrent viewers than in the first game.”

Gideon Khobane, CEO of SuperSport, also shared some exciting sports content that enthusiastic sport fans can look forward to in 2020.

The sports channel will be broadcasting “The Match in Africa” – the tennis showdown between two of the greatest players in tennis history, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in Cape Town on 7 February 2019.

Also on offer will be the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which are scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020. With five 24-hour channels, SuperSport will ensure that every medal event will be broadcast live.