What Happened To The Two Additional Channels SABC Failed To Launch On Openview With SABC Education On DStv?

In 2021, SABC and eMedia Investments announced the additions of SABC Sport and their 19 radio stations to Openview. This deal was suppose to be accompanied by two additional channels in which SABC planned to source content from its archives.

Prior to this, SABC was already working with MultiChoice on separate deal for SABC Education after packaging SABC News on their platforms.

With no further updates from the SABC, eMedia Investments or MultiChoice about these channels it's safe to bet that these deals were quietly shelved. As SABC has been going through financial constraints in the years leading up these deals.

SABC already packages SABC News exclusively to MultiChoice's DStv and earned millions from this deal. Because these channels were non-exclusive, it would mean SABC was responsible for majority of expenses associated with these channels.

Neither MultiChoice or eMedia Investments want to pay millions for outdated content this is why SABC Encore was removed in the first place. Same goes with advertisers, they aren't going to pay high rates to the SABC for old content.

Another thing about SABC and MultiChoice is that the two were caught up in a commercial dispute for SABC 1-3. While MultiChoice pay nothing for them, regulators had given SABC permission to charge them and that could have delayed things.

While the SABC hasn't gotten these channels on Openview or DStv, they have however managed to expand in the years of these deals. They now offer SABC Lehae and SABC Variety on DTT, as well as their own streaming service, SABC+.

Instead of launching new channels, the SABC shifted its focus toward its own streaming platform, SABC+. They also intend to and are still trying to launch a rival platform to Openview for this content.