We build South Africa’s ultimate streaming package

Internet streaming is the future of audiovisual media. The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa estimates that about a third of the country’s TV viewing now happens online, with more than eight million people having access to streaming services.

An advantage of streaming services is they tend to be cheaper than a traditional satellite subscription.

The downside of a more federated market, however, is that viewers often find themselves conflicted when having to choose between streaming platforms because the content they want to consume is usually not all available on just one or two of them.

For those who want unfettered access to all the mainstream streaming content available in South Africa, TechCentral has a look at what the ultimate streaming package will cost consumers.

The analysis is twofold, with one view inclusive of the most expensive streaming package available in the country, DStv Stream Premium, which costs R799/month, and the second excluding it. See the tables below for details.

Showmax, the recently relaunched streaming platform and subsidiary of MultiChoice, is excluded from the list that includes DStv Stream because a DStv Stream Premium subscription comes with Showmax free of charge.

DStv Stream allows viewing on up to two devices at the same time. Additional devices can be added for an extra monthly fee. Adding a Premium stream option costs R99/month. DStv Stream has a strong competitive advantage through SuperSport.

What’s offered

When not using the bundled option that comes with DStv Stream, the best Showmax bundles include a Premier League package for fans of top-flight English soccer. The package allows for two concurrent streams with Premier League content limited to mobile devices only.

A premium Netflix subscription, meanwhile, allows concurrent viewing on up to four devices in 4K quality, with downloads allowed on up to six. Only users who live in the same household may share a Netflix account.

Hong Kong-based content provider Viu offers HD streaming qualities on up to three devices (phone, tablet, smart TV) and a PC at the same time.

The Disney+ Premium subscription supports 4K streaming quality on up to four devices at the same time. Ten devices can be logged in at once with up to seven different viewing profiles available.

Amazon Prime Video, on the other hand, offers up to three concurrent streams in 1080p or 4K as well as downloads via the Prime Video app.

Apple TV+ offers four concurrent streams in up to 4K video quality.

eVOD, owned by local broadcaster eMedia, allows three devices to be registered to one account, with streams limited to two devices at a time.

A YouTube Premium Family plan allows users each to have their own separate accounts to use the service ad-free for R110/month. A YouTube Premium account for individuals costs R72/month. Both plans offer ad-free access to YouTube Music.

The SABC Plus streaming service is available to all South Africans at no charge.  – © 2024 NewsCentral Media

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