ShowMax and Vodacom in talks: report

Vodacom is in discussions with Naspers about streaming ShowMax over the mobile operator’s networks in Africa, Bloomberg reported.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the agreement would give Naspers additional distribution channels for its fledgling video on demand (VOD) service – which is set to launch on 19 August 2015.

Initially, ShowMax will target South Africa’s fixed-line broadband subscribers, but Bloomberg’s sources said that in three years it will be accessed mostly by smart device users across Africa.

A spokesperson for Vodacom told Bloomberg that the discussions were still ongoing, and that they are in line with the operator’s business strategy.

News that Naspers will launch a Netflix competitor emerged last week, along with details that the group had invested in UAE-based VOD platform Icflix.

It is believed that Naspers will officially unveil ShowMax this week, and it is expected that the service will come in a free and premium tier.

The free tier – ShowMax Basic – will offer a limited selection of the service’s content, while ShowMax Premium is set to cost R99 per month and allow two devices to stream from the service simultaneously at resolutions of up to 720p.

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