DStv to cut more channels
MultiChoice has announced that it will cut two more DStv channels at the end of the month – Disney XD and Fox Life.
The company told TVwithThinus that these two channels will stop airing on the DStv platform on 1 October 2020.
“The change is as a result of ongoing review of channels by content providers and platform partners,” MultiChoice said.
The good news is that some of the popular Disney XD content will migrate to the Disney Channel.
This announcement follows MultiChoice’s decision to cut two of its M-Net Movie channels on 1 September.
DStv said while there are now fewer M-Net Movie channels, it will not impact the number of movies customers have access to.
MultiChoice has also cut the BBC First channel on DStv, which it said is part of a “refresh of its British entertainment lineup”.
Improved sports offering
While MultiChoice has reduced the number of DStv channels, it has enhanced its SuperSport offering.
DStv customers received two 24-hour ESPN channels on 29 July after MultiChoice signed a deal with The Walt Disney Company Africa.
Sports leagues which are available on ESPN and ESPN2 include the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), and Major League Baseball (MLB).
The channels also offer live football from the English Football League (EFL), Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL), Dutch Eredivisie, and Major League Soccer (MLS).
SuperSport has also dropped the numbering system it has used for its channels for the past two decades, replacing it with a thematic offering around individual sports.
There are now dedicated channels for leagues and sports, among them the PSL, the Premier League, La Liga, rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, and motorsport.
The new channels will go beyond live sport and also offer supplementary programming such as magazine shows and highlights.
The image below provides an overview of the SuperSport changes which kicked in on 1 September.