MTN Group is planning to develop a new streaming video platform that may compete with the likes of Netflix and MultiChoice Group-owned Showmax.
MTN said the platform will be built in partnership with Synamedia, a video software provider, and will be targeted at mobile and fixed broadband subscribers across Africa.
Details are, however, scant.
“This collaboration aims to enhance digital content accessibility and provide a diverse range of viewing options to meet the evolving preferences of audiences throughout the continent,” MTN said in a statement on Monday.
“The service will leverage Synamedia’s advanced, cloud-based technologies to deliver both linear television and video-on-demand content. The platform will offer diverse monetisation models, including subscriptions, ad-supported content and free streaming channels with targeted advertising,” it said.
Each market in which the media platform is launched will “benefit from a curated content strategy, thoughtfully adapted to local cultures, languages and viewing habits – ensuring deep relevance and strong audience resonance across the continent”, MTN added.
‘New revenues’
Synamedia CEO Paul Segre said in the statement: “By taking advantage of the breadth of our integrated, cloud-based portfolio to quickly deploy new services at scale, MTN will be able to create a ground-breaking set of offerings for customers and viewers that will drive new revenues.”
Before joining Synamedia, Segre was CEO of Genesys for 12 years, where in 2012 he led the US$1.6-billion spin-out of Genesys from Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia), backed by the Permira Funds. He then oversaw the acquisition of 16 businesses and scaled Genesys to become one of the world’s 10 largest privately held software companies in the world, according to the Synamedia website.
Read: DStv price adjustments announced for 2025
Neither Synamedia nor MTN has said what content will be hosted on the platform, when it will be launched commercially or how much it will cost. MTN is, however, hosting a media day on Tuesday with group CEO Ralph Mupita where more details about the partnership are likely to be shared. — (c) 2025 NewsCentral Media
Get breaking news from TechCentral on WhatsApp. Sign up here.
