TV viewing habits are changing with more than 100 million people worldwide subscribing to internet TV services. These services allow users to pick exactly what and when they want to watch, and do this without intrusive advertising breaks. Usage levels in Kenya, however, have been low. ShowMax, in conjunction with Safaricom, is set to change this with today’s launch of a new mobile video concept that directly addresses the needs of Kenyan customers.
“We’ve launched something in Kenya we’ve not tried anywhere else, and if we get it right it’ll become a blueprint for how to become a local service in every country we operate. It also means we might just put a dent in piracy and get more people on the internet TV bus,’ says Richard Boorman, head of communications for ShowMax.
ShowMax has launched a two-tier service for watching TV shows and movies via the internet. This is a first-of-its-kind video concept that directly addresses the needs of Kenyan internet TV consumers.
ShowMax Premium, priced at KSh 880 per month, has a full range of international and local content.
ShowMax Select, priced at KSh 330 per month is a mobile-first, data optimised product that offers reduced data consumption with savings of up to 75 per cent, has a specific focus on local content, and is paid for using M-PESA. Kenya is the first country to have this second tier added to ShowMax.
Both tiers allow subscribers to either stream content or to download up to 25 shows to watch offline. Downloaded content is valid for 30 days. Data usage is charged separately and works with a customer’s existing data bundles.
John Kotsaftis at ShowMax says, “We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Kenya has different needs and tastes to other countries and deserves something designed specifically for Kenyans. ShowMax is the first international internet TV service that’s priced in KSh and paid for using M-PESA. It’s the first to put strong emphasis on local content including having sports clips.’
ShowMax features local favourites such as Real Househelps of Kawangware, Churchill Live, Auntie Boss, and Kona.
Subscribers can choose from a number of different download video quality levels. Using the most data-efficient setting, downloading a 20-minute TV show will use approximately 80 MB. This means that a 7.5 GB data bundle would be enough for more than 90 episodes.
“Kenya has all the right ingredients: tech-savvy consumers, rapidly expanding internet connectivity, and an appetite for quality TV shows and movies. So why hasn’t internet TV taken off yet?’ says Kotsaftis. “It doesn’t matter how good your service is if you don’t first solve the data challenge for customers, particularly for the majority of people who rely on mobile internet. That’s why we designed data-saving features and the ability to download content into ShowMax from the outset. With these features and a strong focus on local content, we think ShowMax will finally crack the internet TV model in Kenya.’
