MultiChoice-owned video-on-demand provider Showmax has added seven live news channels to the platform to keep subscribers up to date during South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown.

The channels are:

  • BBC World News
  • SABC News
  • Sky News
  • CNN
  • Newzroom Afrika
  • Al Jazeera
  • Euronews

The channels are available in South Africa on Web (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), Samsung (2017+) and LG (2014+) smart TVs. Android (4.4.0 or higher) and Android TV should go live later on Thursday, Showmax said, while iOS and Apple TV will be added “shortly”.

The development came after pay-television service DStv, also owned by MultiChoice, said it would offer free access to its 24-hour news channels, including to non-subscribers, through its DStv Now streaming service.

The move came ahead of the rumoured imminent launch of the company’s “dishless” streaming product.  — (c) 2020 NewsCentral Media