Tag Archives: Kwesé Free Sports

Kwesé TV viewers react to channel cuts

News, , , ,

Subscribers to the pay TV services owned by Econet Media have reacted with mixed feelings to the company’s decision to shutter satellite TV platform Kwesé TV and reduce of channels it offers elsewhere.

Earlier this week, Econet pulled the plug on its 18-month-old satellite pay TV service Kwesé TV as it aligns its business to growth in fixed broadband and mobile penetration on the African continent.

Johannesburg-based Econet is now focusing on free-to-air Kwesé Free Sports, mobile VoD platform Kwesé iflix and OTT service Kwesé Play.

Out of the 65 channels once carried on Kwesé, only about 14 are now being aired on the cable TV platform, including a collection of free channels, Kwesé sports and religious channels. This action took effect on November 1 and resulted in many comments by subscribers.

One Lagos-based subscriber, Mustapha Olaiya, said: “I am surprised at the sudden cancellation of Kwesé TV. I wasn’t expecting it. I was confused when I saw only 14 active channels. Why will Kwesé not inform its customers of this development because I only saw the news online?”

Another Kwesé TV subscriber, based in Ibadan, said: “I just got the decoder three months ago. So what should I do with it? What will happen if the company changes its decision on the new Kwesé Play offer?”

Industry analyst Temidayo Sesan said Kwesé TV’s shutdown was predictable due to stiff competition new entrants face in the pay TV space. He said: “The pattern is the same every time. They arrive, they promise a lot of things, they deliver for a couple of months, struggle for even more months and eventually shut down.”

Customers have been advised to get the new OTT box Kwesé Play in order to gain access to the company’s digital streaming services since the business is being repositioned to focus on mobile entertainment business.

tagged in: , , , ,

Kwesé TV aims to reinvent African TV

News, , , , , ,

Sub-Saharan pay TV platform Kwesé TV aims to change the narrative of Africa’s media, according to a top exec at its parent company Econet Media.

Zachary Wazara

Zachary Wazara, executive director at Econet, revealed that Kwesé is focused on ensuring Africa can access content without having to rely on pay TV.

“The free-to-air [FTA] business is intended to extend TV’s reach in Africa, recognising the fact that not everyone can afford pay TV. In Nigeria, for the Fifa World Cup, our [FTA channel] Kwesé Free Sports has signed up with Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria so that instead of 4.5 million pay customers watching the World Cup, we can now take the World Cup to between 100 million and 120 million people,” he said.

According to Wazara, Kwesé is changing the way people see pay TV, ensuring its sports channel is available to everyone on not just satellite TV but terrestrial as well.

In the past, Africa’s sports programming has been available on pay TV, but Kwesé Free Sports “gives the average African an opportunity to watch Formula 1, NBA and boxing at the highest level, to watch every single sport that is out there,” whereas before they were restricted to soccer, he said.

“Our objective is to begin to introduce different types of sports at international level, so we can also inspire our kids, by saying, ‘It’s not just about running, but more. Like tennis and rugby.’ Which is primarily why we introduced Kwesé Free Sports in 23 countries,” Wazara explained.

“Kwesé TV, which is our satellite business, competes against other brands that you know out there in the market. In Nigeria, our satellite TV has got the best clarity.

“Our objective is to do with satellite TV what was done with prepaid mobile – ensuring that anyone out there can have satellite television.”

In related news, Kwesé has just launched mobile app Kwesé iflix, which allows for flexible in-app subscriptions.

The subscription plans include three days for N250, seven days for N500 and 30 days for N1,000. Customers who download the app now get an opportunity to view 32 World Cup matches for free.

tagged in: , , , , , ,

Kwesé Free Sports serves up WTA

News, , , ,

Kwesé Free Sports will broadcast the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour in Acapulco, Mexico, live on its cable network from this weekend.

The competition runs from February 25 to March 3 and will follow Kwesé’s airing of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships from February 19 to 24.

The tournaments will air live on ESPN channel 310 and on Kwesé Sports 2 channel 305.

Kwesé TV exclusively broadcast the WTA Qatar Total Open, held in Doha, last week.

Kwesé TV is currently covering the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, where the first Nigerian bobsled team is competing.

Kwesé TV has exclusive free-to-air broadcast rights to the Tokyo 2022 Olympic games, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the Paris 2024 games.

Kwesé Free Sports is also the official broadcaster of the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

tagged in: , , , ,

Kwesé plays African athletics tournament

News, , ,

Kwesé TV is airing the 21st African Senior Athletics Championship, which kicks off today in Nigeria’s Delta State.

Chichi Nwoko

Live coverage of the competition can be viewed on Kwesé Free Sports (KFS) from now to August 5.

The championship is being held in Asaba at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, with more than a 100 athletes from across Africa competing in a variety of events. Nigerians taking part include Divine Oduduru, Blessing Okagbare, Yinka Ajayi, Queen Obisesan and Seye Ogunyele.

KFS will also provide viewers with analysis from personalities including Mimi Fawaz, Ato Boldon, Lewis Johnson, Femi & The Gang and Enefiok Udo-Obong.

Chichi Nwoko, general manager of Kwesé Free Sports Nigeria, said: “Viewers should look forward to world-class coverage of the 21st African Senior Athletics Championship on Kwesé Free Sports. Wherever you are in Nigeria, you can watch the games at home on our satellite TV platform, Kwesé TV, which covers the entire country, and Lagos residents can simply tune your television sets to KFS on UHF channel 32.”

KFS launched in November 2017 and has gone on to become one of the most popular sports channels in Nigeria. It was one of four broadcast channels selected to air the recently concluded FIFA World Cup.

This is the second time Nigeria has hosted the African Senior Athletics Championship – the first coming in 1989 – and the first time that Asaba has hosted a major sporting event.

tagged in: , , ,

Kwesé TV gets to work in Taraba

News, , , , , , ,

Pan-African cable network Kwesé TV has commenced operations in Jalingo, Taraba State, reports Gabriella Opara.

Emeka Chinweokwu, a Kwesé TV dealer in Taraba, said: “The official inauguration is an attempt to keep Taraba’s people abreast of the competitive digital world, which offers a lot of opportunities. Kwesé TV offers customers a unique package where they can pay for three days, seven days or 30 days.’’

Mazeli Joseph, Kwesé TV’s head of sales, said the move ensured that customers are guaranteed all-round entertainment from the convenience of their home.

Kwesé TV, which is owned by Econet Media, launched in Nigeria in October and has since added more channels to its platform and collaborated with MTN Nigeria to offer more of its services to subscribers.

Kwesé Free Sports holds exclusive free-to-air rights to the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia and the UK’s Premier League. It is also a broadcast partner of the National Basketball Association in sub-Saharan Africa.

tagged in: , , , , , , ,