How Netflix helped ShowMax in South Africa

Netflix launching in South Africa has been positive for ShowMax, with a spike in activity on the ShowMax website following the launch.

This is word from ShowMax spokesperson Richard Boorman, who said the great thing about having strong competition is that it raises the profile of Internet TV as a class of service.

“One of our major challenges is raising awareness of what Internet TV is all about and why you’d want it, so all the media coverage and buzz around Netflix has also helped get more people looking at ShowMax,” said Boorman.

He said people in countries with an established Internet TV market sign up for two or more services to get access to new content.

This means that people in South African may start to use both Netflix and ShowMax to ensure they get all the movies and TV series they are interested in.

While ShowMax cannot disclose subscriber numbers, Boorman said their growth has been good so far. “Uptake has been in line with our pre-launch expectations,” he said.

How ShowMax is competing against Netflix

Boorman said their strategy to compete in the Internet TV market is focused on getting the right content, developing and refining delivery platforms, and leveraging local partnerships.

“We’re a small start-up that’s been in business for less than nine months, so being considered in the same breath as Netflix that’s been around for almost 20 years is flattering,” he said.

“We’re embracing a wider audience with features like downloads, prepaid vouchers, partnerships with ISPs and equipment manufacturers, and by having a large selection of local content.”

Boorman said they have also seen that customers value the fact that ShowMax has the largest Internet TV content catalogue in South Africa.

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