Viacom Line Up New Local And International Content On DStv

Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) and MultiChoice Group have announced the renewal of their distribution partnership which highlights the investment in local content, bringing audiences programming that showcases the best of Africa’s creativity and talent.

VIMN Africa’s channel brands BET, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV Base, MTV Music 24, Nickelodeon, NickToons and Nick Jr. collectively offer a broad range of original entertainment content across every age demographic.

“This continued partnership demonstrates the shared commitment between VIMN Africa and MultiChoice to invest in local and international content that resonates with our audiences across the continent. We truly value our collaboration with MultiChoice as it also enables us to consistently deliver great African productions,” said Alex Okosi, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for VIMN Africa and BET International.

“As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, we are pleased to share this market announcement of VIMN Africa. Our content offering ensures that we provide our partners platforms to tell their own stories in an authentic way. We invest over R2.5 billion in local content to keep bringing exciting and engaging African content to market and the industry.” said Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO for General Entertainment.

VIMN Africa’s channel brands collectively deliver exciting drama, comedy, music, animation, biopic and reality shows.

On BET, the brand continues to celebrate black excellence with a locally produced biopic that portrays one of South Africa’s most legendary stars in Dream: The Lebo Mathosa Story featuring a joint lead cast of KB Motsilanyane and Bahumi Madisakwane.

In the new year, BET will also welcome its first locally produced sitcom, Black Tax, which will bring laughter to their audiences.

The Behind the Story series with Pearl Thusi also returns for another season.

Along with its stable of strong international shows from Tyler Perry’s studio productions Sistas and The Oval that have also made their debut on the channel. 

Comedy Central continues to make life funnier and keep audiences laughing with a deep history of local productions from The Roast franchise to Most Ridiculous featuring the hilarious internet sensation, SuzelleDIY.

Comedy Central is the exclusive home to The Daily Show with Trevor Noah giving audiences the best in satire and comedy.

Other entertaining shows on the channel include Impractical Jokers, Key and Peele, Alternatino, Crank Yankers, The Other Two and South Park to name a few.

The channel also caters for viewer favourites Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Two and A Half Men.

On MTV, the channel builds on its successful local reality series Lasizwe, with the introduction of Have Faith, showcasing socialite and businesswoman Faith Nketsi’s flamboyant lifestyle.

The Guy Code and Girl Code comedy series on the channel feature popular comics, athletes and entertainers who bring viewers jaw-dropping how-to manuals about the wonders and woes of brotherhood and sisterhood.

MTV Base, the best music and youth-lifestyle brand on the continent, is now available on DStv Access in South Africa and Nigeria and continues to entertain audiences with trendsetting music from genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, Hip Hop and Gqom.

The channel’s investment in local content includes Celeb Living, Musicology, Slade or Shayed and the recently launched cutting-edge series, Behind The Label, which unearths never before told stories and casts a lens on the turbulent relations between record labels and musicians.  

This year, Nickelodeon celebrated the 20th anniversary of its most iconic and recognizable character in history, SpongeBob SquarePants.

The channel together with the LEGO group also launches the new series, LEGO City Adventures, which is aimed at children aged 8 to 12 years and is loaded with hysterical, action-packed and often absurd slices of urban life.

Nickelodeon additionally welcomes the brand-new animated pre-school series of the adventurous Paddington Bear who makes a return to TV.

The channel line-up will also include The Casagrandes and the series format adaptation of Wonder Park.

NickToons will deliver an exclusive format of SpongeBob the Musical Live! for audiences and a behind-the-scenes special of JoJo’s D.R.E.A.M. concert.

Rounding off the kids’ entertainment brands, Nick Jr. will launch a new series, Becca’s Bunch, while continuing to deliver popular favourites with all new episodes of Paw Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machine, Nella the Princess Knight and Sunny Day.   

In addition to its powerful slate of content, VIMN Africa brands also showcase the widest array of hit international tentpoles such as MTV EMAs, MTV VMAs, BET Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, Black Girls Rock!, Comedy Central Roast and Nickelodeon’s KCAs.