Somizi’s Wedding Special Makes Streaming History!
Somizi’s power is felt as a African queer wedding breaks streaming records.
Somizi and Mohale: The Union has taken the crown as the show with the most views ever on its first day on Showmax, bigger than any Hollywood blockbuster show.
This demonstrates just how important local content is to succeeding in streaming video in South Africa, and why it’s so significant that more than half of Showmax’s catalogue is now made up of local shows.
More than half of the catalogue of TV shows and movies on Showmax, whether measured in hours or number of episodes, is now local content.
This deliberate shift to local started more than a year ago with shows like The River and The Queen, and more recently with Lockdown and Kwa Mam’Mkhize. And now the latest Showmax Original, Somizi and Mohale: The Union, is breaking viewing records.
If you like it put a ring on it! Somhale: The Union Wedding Special will premiere on February 24th on Showmax.
Why does this matter? Local content drives views. The Somhale wedding just broke the all-time record for the number of views on its first day on Showmax, ahead of both the Showmax Original The Girl From St Agnes and the most popular international series ever screened on Showmax.
Local content doesn’t just get views, it also brings in new subscribers. Showmax tracks first-views statistics – what’s the first show people watch after signing up for Showmax – under the assumption that this show influenced the decision to subscribe. Currently, six out of the top 10 most popular shows as ranked by first views on Showmax are local.
Subscription video on demand (SVOD) is rapidly growing in popularity. Showmax now has almost half-a-billion play events (somebody watches a show, movie or live sporting event) annually, streaming around 200 petabytes (one petabyte = 1 billion megabytes) of data per year.
Viewing patterns are changing, with mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) becoming the dominant way to watch. Looking at viewing hours, mobile devices make up around 45% of the total, with lean-back (smart TV, media player, etc…) making up around 35%, and web viewing accounting for the remaining 20%.
Somizi and Mohale will give viewers access to their spectacular wedding. Photo: Showmax
Interestingly, Android completely dominates mobile viewing, making up around 80% of the total, versus just 20% for iOS.
Speaking about the importance of local content, Niclas Ekdahl, CEO of the Connected Video division of MultiChoice said:
“We expected Somhale to do well but the response was even bigger than we’d hoped, and it goes to show how our shift to local content is paying dividends. In fact, the views of local content are up more than 40% in less than a year.
“The key to supplying local content is realising it’s a marathon. Bringing on new shows and new episodes day in, day out, week in, week out is what our customers are looking for. And thanks to the decades of local content commissioning and production expertise sitting in this company, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing.”
Some of the most popular local content on Showmax, in alphabetical order
Black Tax
Binnelanders
Getroud Met Rugby
Lockdown
Kwa Mam’Mkhize
The Queen
The Real Housewives of Johannesburg
The River
Somizi and Mohale: The Union
Suidooster
Trackers
Somizi and Mohale: The Union started this Monday with an episode celebrating their traditional wedding, which merged their respective Zulu and Sotho cultures in a flamboyant celebration full of romance, gorgeous decor, dazzling chandelier cakes, G.H. Mumm champagne and multiple costume changes…
A new episode drops every Monday, from the road to their wedding, to their individual bachelor parties, and then their white wedding as the finale on 16 March 2020.
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are in for a treat. Disney+ has announced that 1 February marks the arrival of Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The blockbuster will be joining 16 other on the streaming platform.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death.
As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor, ruler of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, is now playing in theaters.
They are one of South Africa’s most revered music duos.
Their discography packs both blockbuster club bangers and lush delights for lovers of House with a transcendental African sonic flair. And the explosive fallout of Black Motion, which has been splashed across the internet long before reaching the courts, has shocked many.
Loved for their electrifying live performances and awe-inspiring chemistry, Mörda and Smol have always seemed like musical soulmates. But that relationship seems to have reached a bitter end.
In 2022, rumours of their reported split triggered a frenzy on the internet. Following the uproar, the group’s members Bongani Mohosana, who now goes as Mörda, and Smol (real name Roy Thabo Mabogwane), jointly calmed fears that they had fallen out.
It had been said the break would be temporary, as Mörda moved to focus on the release of his solo studio album.
Far from it, it now seems. The parties have escalated things to court.
According to reports, Black Motions have confirmed that they had pressed charges against Mörda for alleged housebreaking and theft.
A court order by the High Court in Gauteng posted on social media has ordered Morda to “restore possession of a recording studio apparatus” to the group by 13 January, at 5pm.
Black Motion shared snaps of the alleged damage caused by Morda – a broken door and stolen equipment.
Tick – Tock
— Black Motion (@black_motion) January 11, 2023
“Always enter like a kitten and leave like a lion. But NEVER enter like a lion and leave like a kitten. Always be humble." #TheRestIsHistory#RemainHumble pic.twitter.com/4R4yI0RGS0
It looks like we won’t be getting a new Black Motion album with Mörda anytime soon.
Reality Shows
Inside the Big Brother Titans Premiere!
South Africa and Nigeria unite under Biggie’s roof.
Sunday, 15 February 2023, marks the roaring arrival of BBTitans.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.
The highly anticipated social experiment brings under Biggie’s roof housemates from both South Africa and Nigeria. And for 72 days, we will be splashed with the finest in South African and Nigerian swag, banter, romance and all the trappings of a fun-filled, dramatic and – we’d hope – an entertaining show.
A first of its kind, the social experiment assembles the most colourful personalities from the two nations to outwit, outplay and outsmart each other in a bid to get their hands on a massive bag, life-changing bag!
In addition to a number of lofty prizes that will likely be on the line throughout the season, the winner of the show will also be walking away, a whopping grand prize of US $100 000 (over R1,7 million) is up for grabs for the one who trounces his Housemates to charm audiences across the continent.
That’s not all; the amount of social capital, celebrity and opportunities for lucrative brand deals after the show, all form part of the career-launching lift-off that comes with being on the popular franchise.
Both Big Brother Mzansi host Lawrence Maleka and Big Brother Naija’s Ebuka Obi-Uchendu will co-host this debut season.
Fans of Big Brother Mzansi and Big Brother Naija in the diaspora are not left out as Showmax will stream the show in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and about 50 other countries.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to land on Disney+ in February
The Shocking Fallout of Black Motion
Inside the Big Brother Titans Premiere!
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