Nigeria’s Super Network has appointed The European TV Guild to source around 100 plus channels for its IPTV service SuperTV.
The channels will consist of a mix of local and international networks sourced across all genres and will include children’s TV, entertainment, news, sport, drama, films, documentaries and current affairs among others.
SuperTV will also stream these live channels plus offer them through video-on-demand platforms in partnership with mobile network operators in Nigeria and throughout Africa. The service is expected to launch fully by April 2020 on the 9mobile and MTN networks in Nigeria. Subscribers will be able to stream on their connected devices even without an active internet plan.
In looking at potential markets, SuperTV is targeting a 25 million subscriber base from two of the country’s key mobile networks. Super Network says that the average SuperTV customer is a young, tech-savvy, middle to low income urban-dweller who desires affordable moments of respite from the grind of daily living. These consumers are said to prioritise affordability, need entertainment on the go, and appreciate good quality content.
Commenting on the deal, European Television Guild CEO and director Graham Pitman said: “We are honoured to work with Super Network in Africa. Sourcing and distributing and licensing channels internationally is one of our main skill sets. Five years ago we sourced approximately 100 channels for the terrestrial platform BAMBA in Kenya who reached approximately four million homes. There is always a need for high quality empathetic content and we are pleased to be in a position to make this happen for Super Network.”
Added Super Network Africa CEO Michael Ataga: “We are very happy and excited to be working with European Television Guild and look forward to launching this ground-breaking service in Africa. We believe that there is a large market for affordable entertainment on demand anywhere and SuperTV will serve this large unmet need in Nigeria.
“There is a large mobile penetration of about 140 million with significant smartphone penetration of about 40 million. Internet data is too expensive to stream for most of the market especially over mobile and there is also a limited number of entertainment options for the bulk of the market. [There is] also a very significantly erratic power supply disrupts traditional television viewing.”