State-owned broadcasting company Sentech has launched Freevision Play, a free streaming television platform that may compete with the likes of SABC+ and eMedia’s Openview.

Described by the company as a “ground-breaking over-the-top video streaming platform”, Freevision Play will offer free access to a “wide array of local and community TV and radio channels”.

“Freevision Play is available to everyone with an internet connection and can be accessed via smartphones, tablets and smart televisions,” Sentech said in a statement on Wednesday. The service is available through freevisionplay.co.za, the company said. A Freevision Play app is also available for major smartphone operating systems.

When TechCentral visited the Freevision Play website on Wednesday, none of the SABC channels was available, although it was offering a range of community channels, including Soweto TV and Cape Town TV as well as something called the Brics Africa Channel. There was also a limited number of radio stations available to stream, but again none of the SABC channels is offered. No major commercial channels are available either.

“The platform empowers users with access to educational, informational and entertainment content, thereby fostering learning and engagement across the nation,” Sentech said in its statement.

“For broadcasters, Freevision Play offers an innovative solution to reach a broader audience without the high costs associated with creating and maintaining their own OTT (streaming) platforms and the challenge of aggregating audiences,” it said.

Platform play

“By joining Freevision Play, broadcasters can expand their viewership, engage with their audience more effectively, and generate additional revenue through advertising. Freevision Play takes care of the upfront investment costs. It creates a multi-tenant platform, giving viewers and listeners a diverse range of choices while providing broadcasters with new audiences and viewers.”

Sentech emphasises that Freevision Play is “completely free to access”. It said users can also get access to on-demand catch-up content without a subscription.

“This ensures that everyone, regardless of their economic status, can benefit from the wealth of content available on the platform,” it said.

The launch builds on Freevision, a Sentech brand that already offers a direct-to-home satellite television service. It’s unknown how many viewers the Freevision satellite service has, although it’s likely to be limited. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media