Telkom and SABC partner to launch mobile streaming service in South Africa
Telkom has partnered with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to launch a new streaming channel, TelkomONE. The mobile operator channel will house the public broadcaster’s free-to-air radio and TV channels.
The five-year partnership, a first-of-its kind digital carriage agreement for the SABC, will showcase South Africa’s most-watched TV programmes and most listened to radio platforms, on one online platform. TelkomONE will stream live SABC’s television channels 1, 2, Sport and Education as well as all 19 SABC radio stations.
“We are excited about the opportunity to provide South Africans with free access to watch their favourite SABC content, online, when and wherever they want,” said Telkom’s group chief executive officer, Sipho Maseko.
“TelkomONE will make it possible for subscribers to pause, go back into the programme guide (time-shift) and instantly watch a scheduled TV show they may have missed. Telkom is making digital TV functionality available to all.”
The SABC will provide its content to Telkom on a non-exclusive basis. In exchange, the SABC will receive a carriage licence fee as well as share in the advertising revenue generated on the TelkomONE platform.
“The partnership is significant in ensuring that our content, in all its formats, reaches consumers everywhere at anytime. The SABC has a wealth of content – both acquired and produced by local talent – that we broadcast on our free-to-air channels,” Madoda Mxakwe, the SABC’s group CEO said, adding that Telkom was a natural partner for the public broadcaster.
”The SABC has a wealth of content – both acquired and produced by local talent – that we broadcast on our free-to-air channels. Through the new streaming channel, we will further promote universal access to popular SABC content for audiences and customers, in an affordable manner and with ease of access on mobile. ” Madoda added.
He said the new partnership will also create added opportunities for talented local producers to showcase more of their work on a platform on which content can live longer than on traditional media platforms.
”The TelkomOne partnership is part of the SABC’s overall strategy of becoming a competitive multichannel and multiplatform public content provider.” he said.
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