Video-on-demand platform FrontRow, launched earlier this by MTN in partnership with Discover Digital, has been rebranded as VU, effective 1 December, and has cut its prices to match the competition.

As with FrontRow before it, MTN subscribers’ data will be zero-rated (provided free, without eating into their data allowance) when they stream content from VU using an MTN Sim card, providing they are connected to the “myMTN” or “internet” access point names.

Current registered customers of MTN FrontRow will automatically be moved across to the MaxVU subscription service.

The newly rebranded platform has content from all six big Hollywood studios, along with programming from BBC Worldwide, Endemol and Freemantle.

VU, which is pronounced “view”, claims to have the widest range of content among video-on-demand players in South Africa, along with flexible packages and a range of payment options.

Customers can subscribe to the service or opt for a pay-as-you-go option. Payment can be done via credit card, billed to an MTN account or deducted from prepaid airtime, provided the airtime balance is sufficient.

There are three main packages available on the relaunched service.

The first is MaxVU, which costs R99/month on a month-to-month subscription basis and provides access to the full range of content on offer, and which provides access to movie rentals for between R15 and R27/title.

The R99/month subscription fee, which is valid on a promotional basis until 31 January 2016, represents a R20/month price reduction over the old FrontRow monthly fee and is line with the prices of rival players, such as Naspers’s ShowMax. It’s not clear, however, whether existing FrontRow customers will benefit from the lower promotional price.

The second package is called PremiereVU. This has no monthly subscription, meaning users can’t access the content available through MaxVU, but they can rent movies, again for rates ranging from R15 to R27 per title.

The final offer is called WeekendVU, which provides full access for R39/weekend, along with access to movie rentals.

All package options stream content in standard definition. Up to five mobile devices can be linked to a single account.