MultiChoice has already entered into agreements with these two US giants to place their streaming services on its new decoder. It aims to help Africa’s largest pay-TV firm retain subscribers.
MultiChoice’s own streaming service, Showmax, was launched in South Africa in 2015, a year before Netflix was available here.
The advent of fast internet, including through fiber optics, has increased competition.
How the streaming will affect DStv subscription will be announced over the coming weeks, according to a MultiChoice spokeswoman.
“What typically happens is that we get a commission on whatever revenue is generated by clients reporting through our platform,” explains Tim Jacobs, CFO.
MultiChoice’s share price responded well to this news and closed 8.5% higher at R102.62 on Wednesday, the highest in nearly four months.
MultiChoice’s subscribers rose 5% in the year to end-March to 19.5 million households. Demand sprung up at the end of March when South Africa, its largest market, entered a state of containment.
