SABC+’s Shocking Rise to Prominence: The Battle for Streaming Supremacy
The Public Broadcaster’s Dirty Little Secret
SABC+, the streaming platform launched by the embattled South African public broadcaster in 2021, is on the verge of a major breakthrough – with a staggering 4.6 million unique views in just 20 days! But is this success a fluke, or a sign of things to come?
The Unholy Alliance
As the SABC continues to grapple with the fallout from its botched Rugby World Cup broadcast, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown between the public broadcaster and its new nemesis, Sentech, the state-owned entity that launched its own streaming platform, Freevision Play, earlier this month.
A License to Print Money?
The SABC’s acting group executive, Mmoni Seapolelo, insists that the platform will not be generating revenue through TV licence fees, despite speculation to the contrary. But with Sentech’s Freevision Play breathing down its neck, can the SABC afford to ignore the temptation of lucrative licence fees?
A House Divided
Meanwhile, the SABC’s former executive board member, Michael Markovitz, has come out swinging against the public broadcaster’s decision to supply its channels to Sentech’s new platform. "The SABC should not provide its channels to @FreevisionPlay," he tweeted, fueling the fire of controversy surrounding the two state-owned entities.
A New Dawn for OTT?
But as the battle for streaming supremacy rages on, is there a glimmer of hope on the horizon? Mangomolo, a streaming platform developer based in the UAE, has partnered with the SABC to scale its OTT video experiences. With over a billion streams a month, Mangomolo’s technology has the potential to revolutionize the way South Africans consume their favorite shows and movies.
The Bottom Line
Will SABC+ continue to ride the wave of success, or will Sentech’s Freevision Play send it crashing back down to earth? Only time will tell. One thing is certain, however – the war for streaming supremacy in South Africa has just gotten a whole lot more interesting.
