Naspers’s new online video-on-demand (VOD) platform ShowMax will have all the seasons of Game of Thrones and other top television series and movie titles at launch. It has also been confirmed that ShowMax will cost R99/month and there will be a seven-day free trial period.
This information is contained in the smartphone app, which is now available for download on Android devices in Google Play and on Apple devices in the App Store. Naspers is scheduled to launch ShowMax to the media later on Wednesday.
The content available to subscribers is divided into five categories, namely Hollywood, Best of British, KykNet, Mzansi and Kids. Users can also dive into “movies” and “series” subcategories.
Some of the blockbuster shows on offer include Sherlock, Entourage, Suits, Dexter, The Big Bang Theory, Chicago Fire, Ray Donovan, The Newsroom, Under the Dome, True Blood and Fargo. The service has a wide selection of movies, too.
TechCentral revealed last week that the service is likely to cost R99/month and offer access to thousands of titles. This was after Shaun Trennery, a developer, uncovered that many of the pages on ShowMax’s password-protected website had been cached by Google.
The cache revealed that ShowMax will have a free basic tier as well as the premium, R99/month tier. Premium subscribers will be able to watch on two devices simultaneously. Up to five devices can be registered.
The cache also appeared to show that ShowMax will be available only in South Africa. Also, content will be provided using “adaptive streaming” up to a resolution of 720p.
ShowMax subscribers will be able to use the service on PC-based Web browsers, on iPhones and iPads, on Android phones and tablets, on Samsung Smart TVs (including Tizen Smart TVs), and on LG NetCast Smart TVs and LG WebOS Smart TVs.
The launch of ShowMax comes about six months after Netflix announced it was expanding to 200 markets around the world, including South Africa, by the end of next year. — (c) 2015 NewsCentral Media
