This partnership will form the new Showmax group which is expected to be 70% owned by MultiChoice and 30% owned by NBCUniversal. The company added that “It will build on Showmax’s success to date and aim to create the leading streaming service in Africa,”
“Powered by Peacock’s leading, globally-scaled technology, Showmax subscribers will have access to an extensive premium content portfolio, bringing African audiences the best of local and international programming.” The company said.
This streaming service will also combine MultiChoice’s investment in local content with international content which will be licensed by NBCUniversal and Sky, as well as third-party content from HBO, Warner Brothers International, Sony, and others, including the live English Premier League soccer matches.
The company disclosed that “The partnership will also provide access to all the best African content, such as Showmax Originals and local content from MultiChoice’s proprietary channels, including Mzansi Magic, Africa Magic, and Maisha Magic.”.
The partners highlighted that NBCUniversal and Sky will be providing ongoing support through licensing of both technology and content.
CEO of MultiChoice, Calvo Mawela said “We launched Showmax as the first African streaming service in 2015 and are extremely proud of its success to date,”
While he added that “This agreement represents a great opportunity for our Showmax team to scale even greater heights by working with a leading global player in Comcast and its subsidiaries.The new business venture deepens an already strong relationship.”
CEO of Sky, Dana Strong also added that “This new collaboration in streaming and content with MultiChoice, NBCUniversal, and Sky takes our partnership to the next level in one of the world’s most vibrant, fastest-growing markets. Last year, we announced MultiChoice as a customer of the Sky Glass platform, and now we are excited to help innovate its Showmax streaming service.”.
Commenting finally on the partnership, the Chairman, of direct-to-consumer and international at NBCUniversal, Matt Strauss said “This partnership is an incredible opportunity to further scale the global presence of Peacock’s world-class streaming technology, as well as to introduce millions of new customers to extensive premium content from NBCUniversal and Sky’s stellar entertainment brands.”
