Passionate Nigerian fans hoping to catch more of their football superstars in the English Premier League and LaLiga have been handed one more reliable option.
Showmax is launching a new service, Showmax Pro, which bundles the existing Showmax entertainment service with music channels, news, and live sport streaming from SuperSport.
Showmax Pro features all Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, and PSL games as well as a wide range of live sports events including IAAF Athletics, professional boxing, and the world’s biggest marathons.
This service officially rolled out in Nigeria from 7 July with additional countries expected to join in the coming weeks.
Speaking about Showmax’s history and what sets it apart, Niclas Ekdahl, CEO of the Connected Video division of MultiChoice, said:
“Showmax is an African video-on-demand service with many years’ experience operating on this continent. We’re local-first, which means listening to our customers and delivering African stories told in familiar voices as well as the best that Hollywood has to offer. Our local-first strategy is an advantage because it allows us to tailor our content, apps, packages, and partnerships specifically to what’s most important in Africa.”
In June 2019, Showmax began testing sport live-streaming, and the new Showmax Pro service is based on the results of this. Ekdahl said about sport streaming:
“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.”
Talking about the role of a mobile-only option, Ekdahl said:
“What else have we learned about operating an internet video service in Africa? Mobile usage is mainstream, so having a one-size-fits-all big screen service may not be the best solution here. With the mobile-only version of Showmax Pro, anyone with a smartphone in sub-Saharan Africa will be able to get the best African content, the best of Hollywood, and all of the best sporting action. This is something no other service is doing and we think it’s a game changer.”
In Nigeria, the pricing for Showmax is pegged at N2900 and N1450 on mobile while Showmax Pro is N6300 and N3200 on mobile.