Showmax 2.0 launching with slew of new shows and movies

MultiChoice has announced some of the local and international content launching on its revamped Showmax platform when it goes live in February.

MultiChoice said its partnership with Comcast guarantees an ongoing supply of hit content for fans of international shows and movies, as the media giant owns Universal Pictures, NBC, Peacock, Sky, DreamWorks Animation and Telemundo.

“Already home to the three most nominated shows at next week’s Emmys and the TV drama winner at last night’s Golden Globes, Showmax will continue to draw titles from Banijay, BBC, eOne, Fremantle, HBO, ITV, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. Discovery,” it stated.

At launch, international highlights will include:

• Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
• Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
• The second season of Halo, express from the US
• Lawman: Bass Reeves, from Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan and starring David Oyelowo in a Critics Choice- and Golden Globe-nominated performance
• Missing persons procedural Found, which was NBC’s biggest launch on Peacock yet;
• Gran Turismo, Neill Blomkamp’s US box office hit
• Box sets of classic NBC comedies like The Office and Parks and Recreation.

Box sets of HBO’s House of the Dragon and the second season of The Last of Us are confirmed for Showmax.

New international content like Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, and Halo will be available in HD with Dolby 5.1 surround sound — one of the benefits of Showmax’s migration onto the global Peacock streaming platform.

In addition to its international content slate, Showmax 2.0 will launch with an expanded local catalogue, including 21 Showmax Originals from four African countries.

“More than 1,300 hours of new Showmax Originals will be released in 2024 across Africa, so viewers will be able to watch an average of more than 3.5 hours of fresh local content on Showmax every day of the year,” MultiChoice stated.

“The diverse launch lineup includes adaptations of two local bestsellers: Angela Makholwa’s serial killer thriller Red Ink, and international co-production Catch Me A Killer, based on the memoir of Micki Pistorius, South Africa’s first serial killer profiler.”

Reality TV fans will get Widows Unveiled; Sadau Sisters, led by Nigerian actress Rahama Sadau; Chocolate Kings, about male exotic dancers; Ghana-set dating show What Will People Say?; and new seasons of favourites like The Mommy Club and The Real Housewives of Durban.

There’s also high school drama Youngins, from iEmmy nominees Tshedza Pictures; university drama Wyfie; an epic drama series set in Igboland, Cheta’m; crime drama Koek; comedy Ekhaya Backpackers; Nigerian documentary series Free Men; and new seasons of Flawsome (Nigeria), Single Kiasi (Kenya) and ENO (Ghana).

Showmax will release four films for Valentine’s Day: Forever Yena, Intlawulo, and Matilda en Matthys from South Africa; and The Counsellor from Nigeria.

For football fans, Showmax is launching Africa’s first standalone Premier League plan powered by SuperSport.

Showmax Premier League will offer live streams of all 380 matches for viewers who primarily watch on their mobile devices, as well as in-depth analyses and highlights.

The Premier League plan can be bundled with the Showmax Entertainment plans.

The new Showmax will have three plans — Showmax Entertainment, Showmax Entertainment Mobile and Showmax Premier League Mobile.

MultiChoice said details on pricing and launch dates will be revealed soon.