DStv Easyview Subscribers Get Two New Channels

Since it's inception, DStv Easyview has been catering for budget sensitive households with it's offering comprising mainly of provincial and news channels. It also features BBC UKTV (British content), TNT (movies) and JimJam (preschool).

A few months ago, Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net opted to shutter Magic Showcase and CineMagic channels on their platforms. To top it off, DStv Easyview was removed from their website (only to be reinstated) following news of a DStv overhaul. 

Then you have Mzansi Music which is being shuttered and merged with Mzansi Bioskop and Mzansi Wethu to form Wethu+. This offering is locked away to DStv Starter consumers and higher.

Unlike MultiChoice's other packages, consumers here are actually paying more for less. With the closure of Magic Showcase and CineMagic, the only other means of getting local dramas or films was through SABC and provincial channels.

Now MultiChoice is set to expand the lineup on the package to include Moja 9.9. and Church TV.

Moja Love is a spin-off repeats channel by Moja Love owners Siyaya TV as we already mentioned it gives an open window to shows from Moja Love. This would include Start Somewhere, Uyajola 9/9, No Excuses, Pay Papgeld and Rea Tsotella.

They're also making this channel available to DStv Premium, Sports and Select consumers and with all the content being repeats. It's going to be noticeable and irritate viewers of Moja Love unless some restructuring is made with the programming.

Not much is known about Church TV aside from a programme guide which we were able to obtain and these are the confirmed shows: Chatting With Sarahina, Icilongo_Shiwo, Women In The Kitchen, SDASM and Concert Fountain View.

eMedia's channels on DStv

eMedia Investments currently distributes eExtra, eToonz, eMovies and eMovies Extra on DStv with eNCA part of a separate agreement. Plans were underway to expand this offering to include eSeries and eReality channels.

Several DStv consumers had spotted programme guides for both channels alongside France24 and Church TV. During this press conference, France24 and Church TV were the only announced channels with eMedia's channels being a no show.

With 3 channels out for the count, could MultiChoice be looking to make eSeries and eReality if not one of these two channels accessible on the package?

eSeries features a lot of DStv programming particularly from M-Net and Universal TV so this is bound to irritate a lot of DStv consumers from Select going up. But for DStv Starter and EasyView, it means access to premium drama series.

This would include crime dramas like NCIS: Los Angeles, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Chicago PD alongside comedies like King Of Queens, Madam & Eve and Just For Laughs Gags.

eReality is not perfect either as it repeats a lot of their programming which comprises of travel, court dramas, foodies and game shows. This would include shows like Divorce Court, MasterChef Australia, Catfish: The TV Show and Wipeout USA.

But compared to eSeries, the overlaps here are very tolerable so it's inclusion will benefit other DStv packages especially for the court block seeing as CBS Reality ceased distribution in Africa.