BBC Worldwide content for South Africa VoD
September 23, 2015
Premium content services provider Vubiquity and BBC Worldwide have signed a deal to deliver original television content to South African video-on-demand (VoD) service MTN FrontRow. The new shows include the BBC’s BAFTA award-winning Sherlock series and David Attenborough’s Planet Earth.
MTN FrontRow was the first OTT VoD service to be launched by a South African-based telco live in December 2014, in a partnership between Discover Digital and MTN. The service offers both subscription and transactional VoD, via its FrontRow Club and FrontRow Premiere brands.
The new deal brokered by Vubiquity allows MTN FrontRow Club subscribers to watch the latest BBC Worldwide series. Along with Sherlock and Planet Earth, the deal also includes Golden Globe-winning crime drama Luther, and popular period drama Call the Midwife. Customers will also be able to watch leading new-release documentary Africa, and children’s TV programming including Charlie and Lola.
MTN FrontRow Club subscribers can stream content instantly via their Internet browser to their mobile device or computer, or through its Android or iOS apps. The service is available to everyone regardless of their current operator, and users can sign up to the service from R119 per month. MTN zero-rates its data for FrontRow for all MTN customers.
Adam Poulter, MD for EMEA at Vubiquity, noted that BBC Worldwide produces some of the world’s most popular and cutting-edge content, with MTN FrontRow bringing this to South Africa. “They are responding to the growing demands of customers who want to view the latest films and TV series whenever they want and wherever they want. Vubiquity has the proven platform solution that enables any type of business, not just traditional broadcasters, to meet their customers’ constantly evolving expectations and provide viewers with top-quality content across a wide ecosystem of devices. It’s a pleasure to work with companies like Discover Digital and MTN that are pushing the boundaries and delivering innovative services tailored to their customers’ needs.”
Stephen Watson, Managing Director of Discover Digital, said that MTN’s commitment to build on its premium content offering ensured the consumer woud continue to enjoy world class content. “The BBC brand sits well within the existing catalogue of the top six Hollywood studios whilst adding an alternative of much-loved British film and series flavour,” he added.N.