New on-demand video streaming service launched in South Africa
E-tv and Openview owner eMedia has launched an on-demand video streaming service called eVOD.
Launched with MTN as the technology partner, eVOD features E-tv’s original soaps and telenovelas as well as local and Hollywood movies.
The service will be available in a free and subscription tier, with much of E-tv’s free-to-air content available to stream for free through the eVOD app.
eVOD will also offer movie rentals separate from the subscription service.
Subscriptions will be available for R29.99 per month, R15 per week, and R5 per day.
eVOD will have over 2,500 hours of content at launch.
The subscription service will grant access to shows and movies that are off-limits to free users.
Examples of premium content at launch include movies like Transporter 3, and shows like Atlantis and Voëlvry.
Khalik Sherrif, the CEO of eMedia Investments, said that eVOD will feature hundreds of movies at launch and aims to add at least 10 original movies per year.
A subscription will also unlock “Fast Forward” — a unique proposition that lets viewers watch five days’ worth of their favourite soap in advance.
MTN’s chief digital officer Ernst Fonternel said that they partnered with a world-class video provider to develop the technology behind eVOD.
As part of eVOD’s partnership with MTN, all MTN subscribers will receive 4GB per month to use on eVOD until 31 January 2022.
The companies estimated that this comes to around 14 hours of streaming.
Videos will be streamed using an adaptive bitrate with resolutions varying from 360p to 720p.
Free users will be locked to the lowest resolution, while subscribers will be able to see content in up to 720p.
The eVOD app is available on Android and iOS, and streaming will also be available via web browser.
While they would like to support additional platforms such as smart TVs and Apple TV, as well as Chromecast, and AirPlay, Sherrif said that they don’t have anything more to announce yet.
Sherrif said that if they get to 300,000 viewers after a year, he believes they would have done well.
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