Showmax is launching a new service – Showmax Pro – which will initially roll out in Nigeria and Kenya. The service will bundle the existing Showmax entertainment service with music channels, news and live sport streaming from SuperSport.
Showmax Pro features all Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and PSL games, as well as a wide range of other live sport events.
Here’s a closer look at Showmax Pro’s offerings:
| Showmax | Showmax Pro | |||
| Showmax | Showmax Mobile | Showmax Pro | Showmax Pro Mobile | |
| Series, movies, kids’ shows, documentaries | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| IAAF Athletics, pro boxing, major international marathons, & more | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Music channels Trace Urban, Trace Gospel | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| News channels Africa News, Euronews, Newzroom Afrika | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Football: all Premier League, Serie A, PSL and La Liga games | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Number of concurrent streams | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Smartphone and tablet apps | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smart TV, laptop, Android TV, Apple TV apps | ✓ | – | ✓* | – |
| Maximum video resolution | HD | SD | HD | SD |
| 14-day trial | ✓ | ✓ | – | – |
| *Supported smart TVs: Samsung Tizen (2017-2020), LG WebOS (2014-2020) |
Showmax originally launched in August 2015 and is available across sub-Saharan Africa. In June 2019, Showmax began testing sport live-streaming, and the new Showmax Pro service is based on the results of this.
Niclas Ekdahl, CEO of the Connected Video division of MultiChoice, says “the live sport test we ran on Showmax in conjunction with SuperSport has been well received, so that’s forming an integral part of our new Showmax Pro service.”
Another key development for African markets has been adapting the service for the data connectivity constraints on the continent and focusing on the most-used viewing devices.
In November last year, Showmax launched a mobile-only service for smartphones and tablets featuring all of the Showmax content but at half the cost of the standard Showmax service and consuming less data. This service has also proven popular, so in addition to the standard version of Showmax Pro there will also be a mobile-only version at half the price.
Talking about the role of a mobile-only option, Ekdahl asks “what else have we learned about operating an internet video service in Africa? Mobile usage is mainstream, so having a one-size-fits-all big screen service may not be the best solution here. With the mobile-only version of Showmax Pro, anyone with a smartphone in sub-Saharan Africa will be able to get the best African content, the best of Hollywood, and all of the best sporting action. This is something no other service is doing and we think it’s a game-changer.”
The pricing for Showmax and Showmax Pro in Kenya and Nigeria is as follows:
| Showmax | Showmax Pro | |||
| Showmax | Showmax Mobile | Showmax Pro | Showmax Pro Mobile | |
| Kenya | KSh 760 | KSh 380 | KSh 2100 | KSh 1050 |
| Nigeria | NGN 2900 | NGN 1450 | NGN 6300 | NGN 3200 |
Showmax Pro will begin to roll out in Kenya and Nigeria from 7 July. Additional countries will go live in the following weeks. The entire process is expected to be completed within 6-8 weeks with coverage across sub-Saharan Africa.
