MTN to rival Showmax and Netflix with new video streaming platform
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African Telecom giant, MTN Group, plans to build a video streaming platform in partnership with video software provider Sybamedia. The service will compete with existing services such as MultiChoice’s Showmax and Netflix.
According to a statement by MTN, the platform will target mobile and fixed broadband subscribers across Africa while aiming to meet their diverse tastes.
“This collaboration aims to enhance digital content accessibility and provide a diverse range of viewing options to meet the evolving preferences of audiences throughout the continent,” MTN said in a statement on Monday.
MTN noted that through partnership with Synamedia, the service will bank on its advanced and cloud-based technologies to deliver video-on-demand content and linear television. The platform will also offer diverse monetisation models, such as subscriptions, ad-supported content, and free streaming channels with targeted advertising.
In addition, MTN said that every market where the media platform would be launched will benefit from a curated content strategy, thoughtfully adapted to local cultures, languages, and viewing habits, which are structured to ensure deep relevance and strong audience resonance across the continent.
See Also: A comprehensive list of new data prices for MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9Mobile.
Reacting to the project, Synamedia CEO Paul Segre said by leveraging its cloud-based services, the telecom giant will drive impact and revenues. “By taking advantage of the breadth of our integrated, cloud-based portfolio to quickly deploy new services at scale, MTN will be able to create a ground-breaking set of offerings for customers and viewers that will drive new revenues.”
Before joining Synamedia, Segre was CEO of Genesys for 12 years. In 2012, he led the US$1.6-billion spin-out of Genesys from Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia), backed by the Permira Funds and likewise oversaw the acquisition of 16 businesses and scaled Genesys to become one of the world’s 10 largest privately held software companies in the world, according to the Synamedia website.
While both companies are yet to say what content will be hosted on the platform, when it will be launched commercially, or how much it will cost, more details about the partnership are likely to be shared on Tuesday when MTN is hosting a media day with group CEO Ralph Mupita.
About Synamedia
Synamedia Ltd. (previously Cisco’s SPVSS business, formerly NDS Group Ltd., and later Cisco Videoscape) is a video technology provider headquartered in Staines-upon-Thames, UK. Its products cover content distribution and delivery, video processing, advanced advertising, broadband offerings, and video security. Synamedia was formed in 1988 as News Datacom in Israel, offering encryption technology for satellite broadcasts.
Synamedia’s clients include satellite and cable pay TV providers, media companies, and others involved in direct-to-consumer OTT distribution. It has over 200 pay TV and media customers. They include Astro, AT&T, beIN, Bharti Airtel, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Disney, Etisalat, Foxtel, Liberty Global, MNC Vision, OSN, Rogers, Sky, Tata Sky, Verizon, Vodafone, and YES.
Synamedia’s cloud-based platforms are for cable, satellite, and IPTV and streaming services, including Synamedia Go, Go.Aggregate, Go.Enrich and the Infinite platform. In September 2021, Synamedia announced pre-integrated security and business products with [buzzword] support for Android TV on its Infinite platform.
Is MTN’s video streaming going to be affordable?
The telecom giant’s plans come amid a recent hike implemented by video streaming platforms.
For instance, MultiChoice recently increased prices across its DStv satellite and Showmax streaming platforms in 2025 for customers in South Africa, with football fans facing the steepest hikes. While most DStv satellite packages increased slightly, some Showmax plans will rise sharply.
The biggest change was the 43.5 per cent price increase for the Showmax Premier League package, which will now cost around $5.45 per month instead of $3.80, marking the most significant increase. The company said the adjustment seeks to balance rising operational costs with consumer affordability.
Other Showmax streaming plans that also witnessed different price changes are Showmax Entertainment Mobile: Up 11.1 per cent, from $2.48 to R2.75, Showmax Entertainment Mobile and Premier League which increased by 21.2 per cent to $6.61 from $5.45, and Showmax Entertainment and Premier League rising by 7.1 per cent from $7.71 to R8.26.
While the increase seemed harsh, MultiChoice South Africa CEO Byron du Plessis said the company is mindful of the financial pressures on South African households noting that DStv Stream packages, Box Office movies, and Showmax Entertainment will see no price increases. The Add Movies premium was reduced to $2.70/month, a 38 per cent decrease.
Not only in South Africa, MultiChoice also increased subscription prices across various packages in Nigeria last month, where the cost of the DStv Compact bouquet rose from N15,700 to N19,000, representing a 21 per cent increase. The move was met with reactions from Nigerians with a lawsuit filed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The company attributed the price increase to Nigeria’s economic challenges such as naira depreciation, high energy costs, and inflation.
“Dear customers, please note that effective from March 1, 2025, there will be a price adjustment on all DSTV/GOTV packages. This is to enable us to continue to offer our customers world-class homegrown and international content, delivered through the best technology,” the DStv/GOtv parent company said in a statement.
Other DStv bouquets were also affected. The premium package surged to N44,500, the Family package increased from N9,300 to N11,000, and the Access bouquet rose to N6,000.
