DStv renews Disney deal

MultiChoice and Walt Disney Company Africa have announced a multi-year distribution deal that will keep Disney’s current portfolio of linear channels on DStv until 2027.

Under the agreement, six of Disney’s 24-hour channels will continue to be carried by DStv for the next four years, the companies said in a joint statement.

The channels and the DStv packages on which they will be available are as follows:

• National Geographic (Channel 181) — Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family
• National Geographic Wild (Channel 182) — Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, Access
• Disney Channel (Channel 303) — Premium, Compact Plus, Compact
• Disney Junior (Channel 309) — Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, Access
• ESPN  (Channel 218) — Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, Access
• ESPN2 (Channel 219) — Premium, Compact Plus, Compact

MultiChoice South Africa General Entertainment CEO Nomsa Philiso said that extending the partnership elevated DSTv’s offering.

Walt Disney Company Africa senior vice president and general manager Christine Service said the distribution renewal marked another proud milestone in her company’s long-term relationship with the MultiChoice Group.

“With a strong foundation of creativity, story-telling, exploration and multi-generational emotional connection, we are proud to continue offering DStv viewers the very latest from our high-quality, premium kids, factual and sports content,” Service said.

It should be noted that many of the new movies and TV shows from popular Disney-owned franchises like Marvel and Star Wars are not available to watch on the company’s linear channels on DStv.

These have been offered exclusively on its Disney+ streaming service, which launched in South Africa in 2022.

Before the service’s local arrival, South Africans who wanted to watch popular series such as The Mandalorian had to download illegal copies from pirated websites.

The 24-hour linear Disney channels in Africa are available in both English and Portuguese and offer the following content:

• Disney Channel —  Young viewer content with feel-good, fun stories infused with music
• Disney Junior — Aimed at younger kids with a focus on imagination and familiar Disney characters
• National Geographic — Historical and exploration documentaries
• National Geographic Wild — Wildlife and nature documentaries.
• ESPN & ESPN2 — Sports channels covering every major US sport and European football. Tournaments include the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB)