31 August 2020
Showmax launches new live-streaming service in Ghana
Showmax is launching a new service, Showmax Pro, which bundles the existing Showmax entertainment service with music channels, news, and live sport streaming from SuperSport. Showmax Pro features all Premier League, Serie A, La Liga matches and a wide range of live sport including pro boxing, international marathons and IAAF athletics on top of the full Showmax entertainment catalogue. Showmax originally launched in August 2015 and is available across sub-Saharan Africa.
It is an African video-on-demand service with many years’ experience operating on the continent. Showmax is local-first, which means listening to customers and delivering African stories told in familiar voices as well as the best that Hollywood has to offer. Its local-first strategy is an advantage because it allows it to tailor content, apps, packages, and partnerships, specifically to what’s most important in Africa.
Speaking about the new service Cecil Sunkwa Mills, Managing Director, MultiChoice Ghana said: “Last year Showmax launched a mobile-only service for smartphones and tablets featuring all of the Showmax content but at half the cost of the standard Showmax service and consuming less data. This service has also proven popular, so in addition to the standard version of Showmax Pro, there is also a mobile-only version at half the price.”
He adds, mobile usage is mainstream in Africa, so having a one-size-fits-all big screen service may not be the best solution. With the mobile-only version of Showmax Pro, anyone with a smartphone in sub-Saharan Africa will be able to get the best African content, the best of Hollywood, and all of the best sporting action. This is something no other service is doing. Another key development for African markets has been adapting the service for the data connectivity constraints on the continent and focusing on the most-used viewing devices.
Showmax also brings you popular Ghanaian series and movies from the likes of Shirley Frimpong-Manso (including her Africa Movie Academy Award-winners Potato Potahto and The Perfect Picture and her hit series Shampaign, with Jocelyn Dumas); Leila Djansi (including her multi-award-winning films Like Cotton Twines and her hit series 40 & Single); Juliet Ibrahim (Every Woman Has a Story) and Kwah Ansah (FESPACO Grand Prize Winner Heritage Africa).
International shows feature the best of HBO like Game of Thrones, Insecure and Emmy nominees Succession, Watchmen, Little Fires Everywhere, Big Little Lies, and more. Kids favourites include Paw Patrol and Doc McStuffins. Hollywood blockbusters include Bombshell (2019), starring Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman, and John Cena in Playing with Fire (2019).
What sets Showmax apart is a unique combination of African hit content, first and exclusive international series, Hollywood blockbusters, kids’ shows, and live sport from SuperSport. Movies are updated regularly plus in Ghana; customers will be able to pay in local Cedi via MTN’s Mobile money service as follows:
| Showmax | Showmax Mobile | Showmax Pro | Showmax Pro Mobile | |
| Ghana | GHC 45.99 | GHC 16.99 | GHC 119.99 | GHC 59.99 |
This table gives details of the Showmax service in Ghana.
| Showmax | Showmax Mobile | Showmax Pro | Showmax Pro Mobile | |
| Football: all Champions League (South Africa only), Premier League, Serie A, PSL and La Liga games | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Athletics, pro boxing, major international marathons, & more | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Music channels Trace Urban, Trace Gospel | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| News channels Africanews, Euronews, Newzroom Afrika, SABC News (SA only) | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Series, movies, kids’ shows, documentaries | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Number of concurrent streams | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Smartphone and tablet apps | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smart TV, laptop, Android TV, Apple TV apps | ✓ | – | ✓** | – |
| Maximum video resolution | HD | SD | HD | SD |
Showmax can be downloaded on iOS and Android. For more information, visit www.showmax.com.
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