Is Openview Stream Rivalling With The Openview Platform As eMedia Debuts New Channels?

During the week, eMedia Investments debuted a new streaming service in select African markets with South Africa being ommited from the launch. With channels ranging from SABC 1-3, People's Planet and SA Music excluded from the lineup.

This is because the broadcasting license for those channels covers consumers in South Africa and eMedia Investments has since explored alternatives. These range from brands like eXplore, eEscape and eAction with Runntv assisting with some content.

Openview consumers rely on SABC 1-3 and eMedia's channels bouquets of channels like e.tv, eExtra and eReality for local programming. This is still the case for Openview Stream but with older programming like Madam & Eve, Scandal! and Rhythm City.

This comprises of just two channels, eEscape and eXperience.

The Home Channel+, People's Planet and eReality are meant to fill up the reality and lifestyle aspects of the Openview platform. For Openview Stream, those responsibilities have burdened onto eXplore, Journy, KCM and Outdoor Channel.

Excluding eReality and eXplore, both platforms offer a different set of programming with more food and decor on Openview and celebrity themed programming on Openview Stream.

The movie front is probably the most confusing aspect in this situation as eMedia Investments markets separate brands within the African space. You have eAction which is eMovies Extra in South Africa followed by eFilm which is just eMovies.

Openview garners a portion of its popularity from its Bollywood offering being Zee One and Star Life. Unlike most of the channels mentioned so far these two are broadcast in other African markets yet Openview Stream relies on Eros.

Eros comes from Eros Now which is a massive South Asian streaming platform dedicated entirely to Indian cinema and Bollywood entertainment.

Finally, Openview offers Sporty TV, SABC Sport, France24 and eToonz while it's streaming counterpart has no alternatives here. This is because Openview Stream is still in the early stages as eMedia is looking to source more TV channels.

If anything, I think the question that comes to mind now is how Openview Stream service would look once it launches in South Africa. Because a lot of consumers would expect for it to follow a similar structure DStv Stream has with the DStv platform.

This is bound to cause an uproar for the company's linear subscribers who will feel like they're deprived of certain services. Despite Openview looking like the superior offering as it comes with more Bollywood content, sports and a news channel.

Canal+ was entangled in a similar scenario with DStv and the defunct Showmax streaming service. Because such often lead to additional resources being used to secure duplicate content and you'd still be required to pay for separate offerings.

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