Tag Archives: Niclas Ekdahl

CEO Ekdahl quits MultiChoice

July 15, 2020NewsDSTV, MultiChoice, Niclas Ekdahl, ShowmaxGary

Niclas Ekdahl, CEO of connected video at African pay TV group MultiChoice, has left the company less than two years after taking the job.

Ekdahl who has more than 19 years of executive leadership experience in the audiovisual services industry, was appointed in 2018 to handle several projects.

These included redesigning the DStv Now interface, the launch of OTT service Showmax’s mobile-only plan, and Showmax’s field tests performance for its standalone streaming service, which will offer DStv content over the internet without requiring an installed dish or decoder.

Yolisa Phahle, currently CEO of general entertainment at MultiChoice, will add Ekdahl’s role to her’s for the time being.

Joe Heshu, MultiChoice Group executive for corporate affairs, said: “Ekdahl decided to leave MultiChoice to pursue personal interests. We are grateful for his contribution in which he oversaw the growth of the Showmax and DStv Now platforms.

“Yolisa Phahle will take over Ekdahl’s position, in addition to running the general entertainment division. However, the work of our connected video business unit continues.”

MultiChoice’s video streaming service Showmax recently launched a new sports-themed streaming service called Showmax Pro. In addition, it intends launching a new service called DStv Explora that will carry SVOD platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

tagged in: DSTV, MultiChoice, Niclas Ekdahl, Showmax

MultiChoice unveils Showmax Pro

July 7, 2020NewsMultiChoice, Niclas Ekdahl, Showmax ProGary

Pay TV operator MultiChoice has launched a new sports-themed streaming service called Showmax Pro, aimed at improving its online streaming presence in Africa.

MultiChoice’s five-year-old streaming service Showmax offers both VoD entertainment programming and live-streamed sports from MultiChoice-owned sports channel SuperSport as well as music channels and news.

Showmax Pro’s football offering will include all games from the UK’s Premier League, Italy’s Serie A and La Liga, and South Africa’s premier soccer league, and starts streaming today.

According to the pay TV company, the new service will be rolled out in Nigeria and Kenya with additional countries to be added in six to eight weeks, creating coverage across Sub-Saharan Africa. Showmax Pro will cost from US$8 a month in Nigeria and US$10 in Kenya.

In June 2019, MultiChoice’s South African SVoD service Showmax began testing live-streamed sports on its platform, and the new Showmax Pro service is based on the results of the trial.

In a statement, Niclas Ekdahl, CEO of the connected video division at MultiChoice, said: “The live sport test we ran on Showmax in conjunction with SuperSport has been well received, so that’s forming an integral part of our new Showmax Pro service.

“This is the biggest thing we’ve done at Showmax in the five years since we first launched. Africa is an incredibly diverse continent, so offering a single monolithic product may not be the best solution. Our approach is to standardise where we can and tailor where we need to. That’s why you’ll see different local content on Showmax in Nigeria than you will in Kenya, and South Africa’s content is different again.”

The deal will help US companies gain a bigger foothold in Africa, where MultiChoice has nearly 20 million customers in 50 countries, while helping MultiChoice to keep subscribers on its platforms with a variety of content from Netflix and Amazon.

MultiChoice is yet to announce when the service will become available.

tagged in: MultiChoice, Niclas Ekdahl, Showmax Pro

Showmax rolls out with BB spin-offs

July 23, 2019NewsBasketmouth, Big Brother Naija Extra View, Big Brother Naija Hot Room, Bovi, MultiChoice Group, My Flatmates, Niclas Ekdahl, Showmax, The Johnsons, TinselGary

MultiChoice Group’s video-on-demand service, Showmax, has launched in Nigeria with two new Big Brother Naija spin-off shows.

The shows, hosted by comedians Basketmouth and Bovi, have been produced exclusively for Showmax.

They are Big Brother Naija Extra View, a 25-minute compilation of unseen footage, and Big Brother Naija Hot Room, a 25-minute satirical commentary on the week’s main drama and action.

The company said: “Showmax Nigeria offers a dedicated slate of Nigerian television shows and movies, international hit series, Hollywood blockbusters and a Big Brother Naija partnership with live streaming and exclusive new BBNaija shows.”

Niclas Ekdahl, CEO of MultiChoice’s Connected Video division, said: “We’re aiming for the sweet spot that other services may have missed. Taking a generic service and taking on a few Nollywood movies won’t cut it, so we’re coming in with a strong mix of up-to-date Nigerian shows, international hits and favourites from across Africa, and now, as something completely new: on-demand and live Big Brother Naija content.”

Other shows to be added on the Showmax service will include Tinsel, The Johnsons, My Flatmates other Nollywood movies, Bollywood shows, telenovelas and shows from Kenya and South Africa.

tagged in: Basketmouth, Big Brother Naija Extra View, Big Brother Naija Hot Room, Bovi, MultiChoice Group, My Flatmates, Niclas Ekdahl, Showmax, The Johnsons, Tinsel