• Showmax has revealed its next form and it will now only cost R89 per month to watch content on a TV or computer.
• Showmax Premier League Mobile will cost R69 per month while access to entertainment on mobile will remain at R39 per month.
• Existing subscribers will be transitioned to the new platform starting 23rd January.

Today, after nearly a year, Showmax has revealed its next evolution and there was good news to be found at an event in Johannesburg this morning.

Showmax 2.0 or New Showmax as the marketing is pushing, will have four subscription options namely: Showmax Entertainment, Showmax Entertainment Mobile, Showmax Premier League Mobile, Showmax Premier League and Entertainment Mobile.

The content, as we’ve covered in the past, will include the existing library of content but this will now be expanded upon thanks to the deal with NBCUniversal as well as content from Sky and Peacock. Of course, that’s only about the Entertainment product. The Showmax Premier League offering gives subscribers access to all games in the Premier League as well as other content centred around the sport. This content, including live Premier League games, will only be able to be watched on a smartphone. The Showmax Premier League and Entertainment product combines both live Premier League games and the Entertainment offering into one subscription for mobile subscribers.

Interestingly, those who just want Showmax with the shows and movies they’re used to will enjoy a discounted price compared to the current Showmax.

Pricing for the new Showmax slate of products is outlined below:

• Showmax Entertainment – R89 per month (current price of R99 per month)
• Showmax Entertainment Mobile – R39 per month (current price of R39 per month)
• Showmax Premier League Mobile – R69 per month (new product)
• Showmax Premier League Mobile + Entertainment – R99 per month (current price for Showmax Pro Mobile which includes news of R225 per month)

So what happens to existing subscribers?

That is a good question. Showmax says that existing subscribers will be migrated to the new platform starting 23rd January, with the hope of completing this transition by 12th February. The all-new Showmax looks set to launch on 12th February.

At the event the firm showed off a refreshed user interface, thanks to it being built on the Peacock platform. It’s an improvement on the existing user interface but quality is still missing the elusive 4K option.

As for content, we’re told that while some shows and movies will be available on the same date and time as it is internationally, other content will still have a “Fast Follow” release time which is a bit of a let down. We say this because it’s essentially the same as Showmax has always been. We’d hoped that at the very least, signing deals with the likes of Comcast would speed up the launch of new content but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The new Showmax then feels like little more than a new lick of paint and a discounted price for the folks who watch content on larger screens. The Premier League mobile subscription is nice for fans of the sport but its a notably downgrade from Showmax Pro.

With MultiChoice pushing DStv Stream and given that Showmax was borne in the MultiChoice stable, it makes sense that Showmax Pro is no longer a thing. The premium subscription tier was arguably the best option for streaming given that some sports and multiple live news channels were available for an agreeable price.

The new Showmax then feels like a downgrade of the old product, minor as that downgrade may be.

Unfortunately, Showmax is now going to have convince subscribers to stay as content gets spread among more platforms and demands that viewers pay multiple subscriptions to watch the content they enjoy.