Video streaming platform Showmax has slashed its prices in Kenya in the wake of increasing competition in the market.
Kenya’s video streaming market value has been on the rise in the past few years and with it came competition from global brands like Netflix, YouTube, Prime and Amazon.
Showmax having surpassed Netflix in subscriber numbers in 2023, and securing the lead in the market with a subscriber base of 1.8 million in Africa, the competition has boiled down to a reduction in prices.
The move comes months after Netflix reduced subscription prices for its Kenyan subscribers by 37 per cent amid increasing competition from the likes of Showmax and DStv and GOTv stream.
Kenyan customers will pay Sh650 (a 14.4 percent drop from the current Sh760) for the Showmax Entertainment bundle as part of the new options starting in February.
The company has also introduced a stand-alone Showmax Premier League, priced at Sh500 a month, aimed at followers of the well-liked sports league.
Showmax, however, maintained the Sh300 price for Showmax Entertainment Mobile but has added a Showmax Entertainment plus Premier League bundle for Sh1,000.
According to Showmax CEO Marc Jury, the reduction is part of a deal that saw MultiChoice, Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky announce a joint streaming vision for Africa.
“There are currently just over 450 million smartphones in the hands of individuals across Africa ... and more than 250 million avid football lovers on the continent. Showmax Premier League gives individuals a ticket to the football they love, wherever they are, on the device they always have with them, at a lower price,” Marc Jury, CEO of Showmax said.
He said that core to the success of Showmax’s streaming ambitions in Africa is a new technical platform that is robust and built to scale.
With the launch of Showmax, the Peacock streaming platform will be active in more than 70 countries and is continually enhanced by the combined expertise of thousands of engineers.
