ITV Choice heading to Africa
March 20, 2015
ITV Choice will launch across Africa for the first time following a deal between ITV Studios Global Entertainment and African pay-TV operator MultiChoice. The commercial channel will launch exclusively on DStv across the continent on May 5th.
ITV Choice will be exclusively available to DStv Premium customers on DStv channel 123. The launch means that ITV Choice will now be available in over 100 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Content will include entertainment series Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and Big Star’s Little Star, drama titles such as Poldark and Arthur & George, and popular British soaps operas Coronation Street and Emmerdale. All programming will air close to UK transmission dates, with the soaps airing within 48 hours of the UK.
Nic van Zwanenberg, channel director of ITV Choice, said: “We are delighted to bring ITV Choice to Africa for the first time with MultiChoice as our partners. Viewers across the continent will join 11 million households in over 40 countries and territories in the Middle East and Asia who already enjoy the best British entertainment and drama within days of it airing in the UK. This is a key element of our strategy to build the ITV Choice footprint, and we look forward to announcing further expansion in due course.”