8 January 2020
South Africans win the year-end binge-fest
We’ve done a quick trawl of holiday viewing data to see if we could spot any trends in how people used their downtime. First off, top marks go to South Africa. The nation collectively viewed more than 100 years’ worth of video on Showmax over Christmas and New Year.
More people than ever before got on the streaming bandwagon, and those who were watching streamed more than usual. The net effect was a 30% increase in viewing hours compared to the average seen in previous months.
When did we hit peak couch time? We thought the day after Christmas would see the most people retreating under a duvet to watch TV, but viewing activity actually maxed out on Sunday, 29 December.
What time of the day? It’s no surprise that evenings are the most popular time to watch TV, but interestingly, the peak over the holidays was earlier than we see during the rest of the year, hitting a high at 6pm.
Did people use the holidays to binge more than usual? Oh yes – there was a big jump in bingeing. For our most popular series, once people had locked on they watched on average more than 30 episodes of the same show over the holiday period. The peak binge by a single account was more than 200 episodes of the same show!
The most watched
The most-watched local genre? People can’t get enough of local reality shows, with a particularly strong showing from The Real Housewives of Johannesburg.
Which live sport got the most views? More people watched Wolves beat Manchester City 3-2 on 27 December (and all but end City’s title hopes) than any other game.
Which series genres were the most-binged? Comedy, medical drama and crime drama were all really popular binge destinations (people watching multiple successive episodes).
What were the most-binged local series? The River, Binnelanders and Getroud Met Rugby stood out in terms of the number of successive episodes watched.
Any other content trends? People watched way more movies than usual, which could be a reflection of having more opportunities to sit still for several hours at a time.
And how do the trends stack up around Africa? South Africans clearly take their leisure time seriously, with average hours per viewer up 21% compared to normal activity, while in Nigeria that increase was just 10%, and in Kenya an even smaller increase of 7%.
Looking back over the year just finished, these were the most viewed series on Showmax in 2019 (in no particular order):
10 most-streamed international series on Showmax
- HBO’s Euphoria
- HBO’s Game of Thrones
- HBO’s Chernobyl
- Younger
- HBO’s Big Little Lies
- Vikings
- Billions
- The Girlfriend Experience
- Siren
- The Handmaid’s Tale
10 most-streamed South African series on Showmax
- Trackers
- The Real Housewives of Johannesburg
- Being Bonang
- The River
- The Queen
- Die Spreeus
- Die Byl
- The Girl From St Agnes
- The Bachelor SA
- Boer Soek ‘n Vrou
What’s next?
In the coming year, Showmax will be ramping up local content starting with The River S3 on 27 January, followed with Lockdown S5 on 30 January, coming exclusively to Showmax.
Hollywood will continue to feature strongly, with Ray Donovan S7 starting 20 January and more blockbusters like A Star is Born and Aquaman for movie fans. Our recently expanded Kids’ selection includes everything from Paw Patrol to Star Wars Resistance. Finally, 2020 will see more top-flight sport, including more football from major local and international leagues, coming live to Showmax.
This January, we’re watching
Original African stories by local talent
Untying Kantai
Untying Kantai follows King Kantai, a man who has spent 30 years of his life working hard to provide for his family, only to be conned out of his life savings. Stream from 9 May, with new episodes weekly.
Big Girl Small World
Stream the new Kenyan romcom series Big Girl Small World from 8 May, with new episodes every week.
Empini S1
Stream the Showmax Original drama series Empini from 23 May 2024.
Original Sin: My Son The Killer
Original Sin: My Son The Killer follows the murder of Andrea Venter by Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren, who then went on the run from South Africa to Brazil.
Tracking Thabo Bester
From the makers of Devilsdorp and the director of Convict Conman comes the true-crime documentary South Africa has been waiting for. All the episodes are streaming on Showmax.
The Illuminated
The Showmax Original docuseries The Illuminated explores different religious movements in South Africa. All episodes now streaming.
Koek S1
The crime comedy Koek, starring Cindy Swanepoel. All the episodes are streaming on Showmax.
Ekhaya Backpackers S1
Stream the Showmax Original comedy series Ekhaya Backpackers. All the episodes are now streaming.
What will be the cost of vengeance? Empini S1, coming soon
The Roast Of Minnie Dlamini, now streaming
More Mzansi gold
9 most shocking moments in The Illuminated
Are you strong enough to binge Showmax Original documentary series The Illuminated? Here’s what you’ll need to prepare yourself.
Youngins Season 1 Episode 37-39 recap: Expelled!
While the five’s video goes viral, they’re swiftly expelled and forced to return home following a disciplinary hearing in Episodes 37-39 of Showmax Original Youngins.
What to watch on Showmax in May 2024
Stream Barbie and Oppenheimer in South Africa now, only on Showmax. Plus a ton more great stuff coming in May.
The Mommy Club Season 2 Episode 11 recap: Cutting through
In episode 11 of The Mommy Club S2, Hermajesty hosts a ‘Healing with Hermajesty’ night picnic that turns sour. New episodes every Monday.