Streamers Battle: Showmax vs. Netflix vs. Amazon Prime in Africa

Highlights

• The battle for streaming in Africa is turning into a three-horse race as key players ramp up investment in local content, tap top talent, and enhance viewer experiences.
• Data from Digital TV Research puts Netflix in the lead with a projected 7.4 million subscribers. In second place is MultiChoice-owned Showmax with 4.4 million subscribers followed by Amazon Prime Video with 3.14 million viewers.
• By 2029, Africa will add 10 million new subscribers, pushing video-on-demand subscriptions to 18 million. While Netflix is nearly doubling its subscriber base, Showmax is expected to more than triple.

Source: TechCabal

Our Takeaway

The three-way batter for African viewers comes as the continent approaches an inflection point in terms of broadband connectivity and affordability, which means more people are likely to be open to streaming entertainment content. The continent is increasingly becoming an important growth area for streaming services, which explains why tech giants like Amazon and Netflix as well as regional players like Multichoice are launching an offensive push to capture the region’s on-demand streaming subscribers.