SVoD demand surges in Africa


By Content Nigeria reporter
February 14, 2024

News
African SVoD subs by platform in 2029 (000)

Sub-Saharan Africa will have 16 million paying SVoD subscribers by 2029, up nine million from the end of 2023, according to Digital TV Research.

South Africa and Nigeria will supply 59% (9.4 million) of the region’s total, the UK-based analysis firm said.

However, African SVoD penetration is still expected to be comparatively low by 2029, with only 7.1% of TV households paying for at least one subscription – although this is up from 4.7% at the end of last year.

Netflix will remain the most popular streamer, with 6.9 million subs by 2029, Digital TV Research said. It also predicted that local OTT service Showmax will be in second place with 3.7 million paying members.

Meanwhile, Disney+ will only have 905,000 subscriptions by 2029, as its roll-out on the continent is expected to be limited to South Africa.

Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “SVoD is a battle between Netflix and regional player Showmax. Rich in local content and sports rights, Showmax now has access to NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures and HBO content. Showmax’s parent MultiChoice recently rejected a takeover bid from Canal+.”

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