A partnership with On Demand Group has facilitated Vodacom's second mobile TV offering in as many weeks.
Called TV:On Demand, the new service allows the on-demand streaming of a variety of series and videos to subscribers at R75 per month, or R20 per week. The service will become available shortly after television release and can be accessed through Vodafone Live at any time, with no additional data charge and no cap.
Last week, Vodacom and MultiChoice announced a partnership that provided monthly or weekly subscriptions to 11 DStv channels via 3G. While users likewise do not pay data charges, the service is limited to 180 minutes of viewing per month, or 45 minutes per week.
The subscription prices for both services are similar: the DStv service being R75 per month and R19 per week, but TV:On Demand says it will not cap usage and the content can be accessed at any time, and can be paused and resumed later.
Says TV:On Demand representative, Charles Miller, of Cow Africa PR Agency: “This service is not meant to compete, but rather to complement the Vodacom-MultiChoice offering.”
However, GM of TV:On Demand SA Victor Borges says: “We've seen linear mobile TV fail in so many territories worldwide, so when Vodacom invited us to pitch for a new service we focused on choice, convenience and control.”
Independent telecommunications analyst Richard Hurst says it makes sense for Vodacom to be increasing its mobile television offering. “Cellular providers want to be more than a mere connection. Vodacom is hedging its bets in case one solution does not work or attract customers.”
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