DStv Streama missing Disney+ at launch — but MultiChoice promises it’s coming soon
MultiChoice’s new DStv Streama media box does not support Disney+ at launch, but the company assures it will be added in the near future.
MyBroadband has been testing the Streama to get a first-hand impression of the box’s features and performance after its much-delayed launch on 1 October 2022.
The Streama connects to the Internet and lets MultiChoice’s subscribers stream DStv and access several other streaming apps.
After browsing through the Apps section, which features services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and YouTube Kids, we realised that Disney+ was missing from the line-up.
The box does not come with an app store, and we updated it to the latest version of its operating system to ensure we had the latest batch of apps.
We found the omission of Disney+ curious, given that the original announcement of the device in the days before launch claimed it would offer Disney+ alongside a host of other third-party streaming apps.
Google’s web cache also reveals that the Streama’s official listing on the DStv website showed Disney+ as being supported until recently.
In addition, the app was included in the operating system running on DStv Streama units at the MultiChoice Group’s 2022 Media Showcase and shown in its accompanying marketing material.
The Disney+ app between Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, running on the DStv Streama at the 2022 MultiChoice Group Media Showcase
Streama marketing material on display at the MultiChoice Group Media Showcase on 22 September 2022
Cached Google Search result showing Disney+ in the description of apps supported on the Streama
DStv’s partnership with Walt Disney Africa makes Disney+’s absence from the Streama even more curious.
The broadcaster has been offering free trials and discounted Disney+ memberships to subscribers and supporting Disney+ on the Explora Ultra decoder.
A MultiChoice spokesperson told MyBroadband that it would onboard the Disney+ app to the Streama “as soon as possible” as it continued to develop device functionality over time.
The spokesperson said further details on the app’s availability would be announced.
They did not provide additional information on why the app was initially listed as being supported.
Walt Disney Africa could not provide specific feedback but said it was working with its partners, including DStv, to bring Disney+ to as many platforms as possible.
DStv and Disney+ apps have performance problems
There are several possible explanations for the Disney+ app not yet being available on the Streama.
One option is that it was pulled from the Streama’s firmware or deactivated at the last minute before launch because MultiChoice or Walt Disney Africa felt it was not ready.
The Hotstar version of the Disney+ app available in South Africa has been panned by subscribers on various platforms for its plethora of bugs and performance issues.
DStv has also been ironing out kinks in a new version of its own streaming app affecting Android devices and media boxes.
The basic interface of the Streama’s operating system is very similar to the DStv app, with the addition of integrated third-party app support.
Another possibility is that the marketing teams had mistakenly included Disney+ in advertising and PR materials when it should have been omitted for now.
The prominence of Disney+ in DStv’s marketing material for the Streama may have contributed to more people considering buying the box, and they may be disappointed to discover it is not yet available.
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