Subscription video on demand, a new way to stream TV series and movies via the internet, is set to take off in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – 02 December, 2015 – Samsung, the leader in Smart TVs in South Africa, has entered into a partnership with ShowMax, the newly-launched subscription video on demand service with the largest online video catalogue in Africa. This partnership will see all 2015 Samsung Smart TVs purchased at participating retailers being supplied with a voucher for three months’ complimentary access to ShowMax.
Subscription video on demand viewing is booming globally, with around 100 million people using online services to stream TV shows and movies via the internet. Samsung Smart TVs, which come with a multitude of features including full connectivity, smart functionality and complete control over the entertainment experience, are designed to make the most of video on demand services and connect to Naspers’ new ShowMax service via a dedicated app.
ShowMax’ video catalogue has more than 20,000 TV show episodes and movies including Hollywood favourites, the best of British and popular local programming from Mzansi Magic and kykNET. This new partnership is expected to accelerate the adoption of video on demand in South Africa.
“The Samsung Smart TV range has been designed to make home entertainment as thrilling and dynamic as possible for our consumers,” says Matthew Thackrah, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Electronics SA. “Its ground-breaking technology and array of apps make viewing utterly compelling and the ShowMax app will undoubtedly become one of the most popular amongst our Smart TV viewers. Samsung is always looking for fresh innovations and this exclusive offer adds to the many advantages of owning a Samsung Smart TV.”
ShowMax is equally committed to providing quality digital content to its users. “Subscription video on demand services and Smart TVs are changing the way people experience video entertainment,” says John Kotsaftis, General Manager of ShowMax South Africa. “Our viewing statistics show that Smart TVs are one of the most popular ways people choose to watch ShowMax as the convenience and ease of use are compelling. It’s one of the reasons why we’re excited to be working with Samsung – we think that this partnership has the potential to drive a change in viewing habits in South Africa.”
ShowMax is normally priced at R99 per month for unlimited viewing. Each subscription allows customers to view different content on two separate devices simultaneously. No special hardware is needed to access ShowMax other than an internet connection. A minimum connection speed of 2 Mbps is recommended, with 4 Mbps being preferable. Data charges are not included in the subscription fee, so an uncapped data package is recommended. The service typically consumes in the region of 1GB of data per hour of viewing.
Each Samsung Smart TV purchased at participating retailers before 30 April 2016 will be supplied with instructions on how to redeem a unique voucher code for a three month complimentary subscription to ShowMax worth R297. Customers will need to complete a once-off sign-up process on www.showmax.com and enter the voucher code. Once signed up, ShowMax can be accessed via the dedicated app for Samsung Smart TV, via web browser, and via smartphones and tablets using ShowMax apps for Android and iOS.
