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Showmax Pro Records Massive Year on Year Growth Ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

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As Showmax Pro ramps up for its biggest broadcasting event yet – the FIFA World Cup Qatar, where all 64 matches will be streamed live, courtesy of SuperSport, the African streaming service has just announced a 111% year-on-year growth.

Showmax Pro is a streaming service available for subscribers in Africa that bundles the existing Showmax entertainment offering with music channels, news, and live sports streaming from SuperSport.

For the first time since the platform was launched in 2020, Showmax Pro will offer a 4K streaming experience to subscribers for the World Cup, the biggest sports tournament in the world, scheduled to start this weekend, on Sunday, November 20, 2022. The 4K stream will have up to 50 frames per second (fps), double the standard 25 frames per second (fps). Successful 4K tests have already taken place on selected Premier League matches. Showmax made history by becoming the first streaming service in Africa to make mobile downloads possible for offline viewing and launched the lowest data streaming option in Africa last year on iOS devices, a feature that will help fans not to miss out on any of their favourite matches.

Speaking on the game’s debut, Barry Dubovsky, Chief Operating Officer of MultiChoice Connected Video said: “We’re offering our sports fans the opportunity to watch the world’s greatest sports spectacle in 4K, at an exceptional price point. This time of year is all about bringing communities together, through sport and entertainment.”

According to the recent integrated report released by MultiChoice on November 10, 2022, Showmax Pro has grown 111% year on year. Showmax’s entertainment plan is hot on its heels with paying subscribers growing 50% year on year across Africa. “This will be a significant landmark for the whole Showmax Pro team,” says Barry Dubovsky, COO of MultiChoice Connected Video.

Showmax is offering some features that will give an exciting experience to subscribers. When streaming FIFA World Cup games on Showmax Pro, subscribers will be able to pause at key moments and rewind for up to five minutes to ensure they don’t miss a second of the action before returning to live viewing.

Showmax Pro also features wildly popular sports documentary series such as Moment of Truth, which recounts the most iconic moments of the FIFA World Cup; HBO’s Emmy-winning 100 Foot Wave, about big wave surfing; and Tiger, a Critics’ Choice nominated look at golf legend Tiger Woods’ life, success, and scandals.

The platform also provides a wide range of other live sports events, such as athletics, professional boxing, and the world’s biggest marathons.


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Broadcasting

MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

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MTN Group has begun rolling out MTN One TV, a new entertainment proposition designed to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets.

MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options tailored to how customers across the continent access and pay for digital entertainment.

The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content, with viewing models that may vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.

Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping to reduce common barriers to streaming access.

Beyond enhancing customer experiences, MTN One TV creates new opportunities for African creators, broadcasters, advertisers, and ecosystem partners by helping connect content to wider audiences through MTN’s scale across connectivity, payments, and digital services.

By bringing together a broad mix of content experiences under a single proposition, MTN aims to support greater content discovery, broader audience reach, and sustainable growth across Africa’s digital entertainment ecosystem.

Anchored in MTN’s strategic platforms of Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, MTN One TV forms part of the Group’s broader ambition to build digital experiences that create value for customers while enabling participation and growth across Africa’s digital economy.

“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN group chief commercial, strategy and transformation officer.

“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”

MTN One TV is being introduced progressively across MTN markets through a phased rollout approach that reflects local market needs, existing services, and partnership opportunities.

Over time, MTN will bring together a combination of video capabilities, content partnerships, and customer experiences under the MTN One TV brand to create a more consistent and scalable entertainment proposition across its footprint.

Through MTN One TV, MTN continues to extend its role beyond connectivity by combining entertainment, payments, and digital services to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of African consumers.

The rollout supports MTN’s Ambition 2030 vision of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress while expanding access to digital entertainment across the continent.

 


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IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

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International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.

IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World's Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.

Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.

According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.

He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.

Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.

According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.

He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.

Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.

IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.


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NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

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The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.

NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.

 The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.

 Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.

Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.


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