BritBox launching in South Africa
July 29, 2021
By Chris Forrester
BritBox, the ITV/BBC OTT joint-venture, will launch on August 6th in South Africa with a charge of R100/month (€5.70).
Customers who sign up for a one-year subscription – a Rand 999.90 commitment — will get two months free. There is also a free, seven-day trial with no obligations to subscribe.
BritBox says that its output will be available online as well as on mobile and tablet devices. Some Samsung and LG smart TVs will also be able to receive transmissions, as will Apple TV devices.
CEO Reemah Sakaan said at an online press conference, said that there is a “massive loyal fan base for British television” in South Africa. Most of the content on the platform will be exclusive to BritBox.
“Streaming allows us to bring shows straight to streaming. Premieres will regularly arrive within hours of their UK transmission. We are the fastest from UK screen to BritBox stream,” Sakaan added.
While BritBox might well appeal to expat viewers it also faces some major rivals in the region, not least Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, YouTube Premium and MultiChoice Group’s Showmax and DStv Now..