Streaming TV service Showmax, whose Pro product has been around for some time now, has revealed that the service has grown 111 percent YoY. This follows a report released by MultiChoice, which owns Showmax.
The entertainment plan appears to be popular with paying subscribers growing 50% year on year across Africa.
This development comes at a time when Showmax Pro is ramping up for its biggest broadcasting event yet – the FIFA World Cup Qatar. The matches started yesterday and will conclude a month from now after 64 games.
It is also worth noting that this is the first time that the platform is airing content in 4K. Showmax and Showmax Pro have been broadcasting shows, TV programs, and other content in 720p, whereas rivals such as Netflix have been doing 4K for years.
The 4K streams have up to 50 frames per second (fps), double the standard 25 frames per second (fps). Successful 4K tests have already taken place on selected Premier League matches.
However, Showmax gains points through its Pro plan that gives users access to live matches and news, but you have to pay a premium for the feature. Let’s also not forget that it still limits concurrent streams to two screens in a market where 4 screens are the norm.
“This will be a significant landmark for the whole Showmax Pro team,” says Barry Dubovsky, Chief Operating Officer of MultiChoice Connected Video. “We’re offering our sports fans the opportunity to watch the world’s greatest sports spectacle in 4K, HD, and on two devices concurrently at an exceptional price point.”
When streaming live sports, including FIFA World Cup games on Showmax Pro, subscribers are able to pause at key moments and rewind for up to five minutes so that they don’t miss a second of the action, before going back to watching live.
This is a handy feature that makes a lot of sense during this World Cup period, and will surely be used by many.
Showmax Pro costs KES 2100 per month.
