Boomplay

Boomplay Extends Its Service to Côte d’Ivoire.

by with No Comment Ivory CoastMobile TechnologyTechnology

Boomplay has announced the establishment of an office in Côte d’Ivoire in order to improve the music streaming of Ivorian musicians.

Boomplay, Africa’s most popular and comprehensive music streaming app, has opened a Côte d’Ivoire office to improve music streaming and help Ivorian musicians reach a wider audience both within and outside the continent.

The launch of its Côte d’Ivoire office, which is ranked as Africa’s first and most extensive music streaming app, would improve music streaming and assist Ivorian musicians to reach a wider audience both within and outside the continent.

Boomplay says it is committed to helping the African music ecosystem unlock its full potential by providing a service that gives music lovers easy access to their favourite songs while activating various promotional strategies and initiatives that benefit artists and the industry at large, with over 70 million monthly active users, 80 million songs, and thousands of playlists available on the service.

Boomplay continues its expansion after Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, and Cameroon by opening offices in Abidjan, a major cultural centre in the sub-region, the Ivorian commercial capital, and a market with significant potential for music streaming.

Mrs. Paola Audrey Ndengue, General Manager of Boomplay Côte d’Ivoire, said of the inauguration, “We’re especially happy to establish a presence in Abidjan, a creative and cultural hotspot in the region.” The positive response our team has gotten from artists, local partners, and stakeholders bodes well for the future.

“Boomplay is committed to contributing to the dynamism of the Ivorian music industry.”

‘This physical presence extends Boomplay’s mission to promote local talent by providing them with a platform and resources within and outside of the service, allowing them to reach a wider audience of music lovers across the continent,’ says Boomplay’s Director of Artist & Media Relations, ‘Tosin Sorinola. “We are delighted to provide a transparent service which ensures that artists get due revenue from their music streaming.”

The Boomplay app was first released in Nigeria in 2015, and it comes pre-installed on TECNO, Infinix, and iTel phones, offering a diverse range of local and international songs in many genres available to music fans across Africa.

The streamer, which has collaborated with music industry titans such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Music Group, and many homegrown music aggregators and content providers across the continent, aims to build and connect with industry stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire in order to replicate and improve on successes achieved in other markets where it is present.

The Boomplay app is available for free download in the Google Play store for Android, the App Store for iOS, and on the web at www.Boomplay.com, enabling free ad-supported and subscription-based premium streaming, as well as offline play.

Kwesé TV

Kwesé TV To Stop Pay-TV Services to Refocus on Digital Streaming

by with No Comment Digital InnovationGhanaNigeriaRwandaStreamingTechnology

Pay television service provider, Kwesé TV, has concluded plans to reduce the number of channels on its platform to focus on streaming services for it 11 markets.

Dynamic pan-African satellite TV network Kwesé TV, part of Econet Media is refocusing its business strategy and service offerings, to align them to changes in the global digital and satellite broadcasting sector, and growth in access to mobile and fixed broadband on the continent.

The strategy review will see Africa’s leading multi-platform broadcast network focus on three core services; Kwesé Free Sports (KFS), Kwesé iflix and Kwesé Play.

KFS is Africa’s largest free-to-air TV service, Kwesé iflix is Africa’s leading mobile video-on-demand sports and entertainment platform while Kwesé Play is a leading edge video streaming service with more than 200 sports, entertainment, kids and news channels including Red Bull TV, NBA, YouTube, TED and Bloomberg.

With increased focus on these three services, Econet Media will streamline its direct-to-home satellite television service. This will see the reduction of third-party channels available on the bouquet, as well as the removal of Kwesé branded sports (excluding KFS) and general entertainment channels.

The broadcaster’s new bouquet will carry FTA, religious, and news channels which will be available to viewers for a minimal fee, as the broadcaster will waive monthly subscription fees. Kwesé subscribers who have already paid their subscriptions for the month of October, or in advance, will receive a full refund.

Kwesé was launched at a time when the global pay television industry was in transition. Business models were evolving from traditional content rights linked to linear broadcast channels, to premium content rights moving towards digital media platforms.

Kwesé has built a satellite TV business with presence in 11 markets, a free-to-air business across 27 countries, delivered the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ across Africa to a network of 115 sub-license broadcasters across 37 countries – reaching over 200 million households, acquired a controlling stake in a leading mobile video-on-demand service, and launched its own OTT service Kwesé Play.

The business has also managed to secure leading sports rights and general entertainment channels to build a compelling content offering across its platforms, making a significant shift in the continent’s complex and competitive media industry.

Having recognized the importance of carrying original local content, Econet Media will also establish its own content creation hub, Kwesé Studios.

Through Kwesé Studios, Econet Media will invest in developing its own original programming and provide a platform for African producers, script writers, actors and directors to tell authentic African stories on a pan-African broadcast network.

These changes are in keeping with Kwesé’s commitment to providing affordable premium content, maintaining an innovative approach to content delivery and being attuned to audience viewing and purchasing habits.

As a consequence of the revised business model, Econet Media is reviewing its operational structures across all markets where Kwesé TV has presence which may result in changes to the company’s various business units.

Joe Hundah, Group President and Chief Executive of Econet Media, says the business’ repositioning is perfectly timed in response to market trends.

“We believe these changes will safeguard the future success of our business as we continue to make an indelible impact on Africa’s media industry. The revised business strategy will also ensure that Kwesé TV continues to remain competitive within the industry. Refocusing our business offering across markets is a strategic move which aligns our business to OTT and video-on-demand trends which present significant growth opportunities for Kwesé. This renewed focus on digital services will see us provide new compelling offers for our customer’s enjoyment.”

“Additionally, through the development of the Kwesé Studios content hub, Econet Media will now have a legitimate claim to being the home of African content, as we will now create a place where Africans can tell their own stories and shape their own narrative.”

“Kwesé’s entry into the market had a game changing impact on the media industry. With these changes, we believe Kwesé will continue to positively disrupt the industry for the benefit of African consumers, as we continue to provide affordable premium content through digital media services.”