WWE issued the following:
WWE® & MULTICHOICE EXPAND & EXTEND MEDIA RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Streaming Service Showmax to Become the New Home of WWE Network in Sub-Saharan Africa, including All Premium Live Events and Entire Archive Library
SuperSport Will Continue to Broadcast Live Weekly Episodes of Raw®, SmackDown® And NXT® In a Multi-Year Extension
STAMFORD, Conn., November 2, 2022 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and MultiChoice today announced a major broadcast partnership that will see Showmax – the leading streaming service available in the region – become the new home of WWE Network in Africa.
The partnership incorporates all WWE Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania®, as well as WWE Network’s vast library of original and archived programming available to stream on-demand.
Additionally, SuperSport, the sport broadcasting subsidiary of video entertainment platform MultiChoice, will continue to broadcast live weekly episodes of Raw®, SmackDown® and NXT® as well as all of WWE’s Premium Live Eventsin a multi-year extension.
The weekly programming will continue to be broadcast 52 weeks a year, captivating fans with a unique combination of edge-of-your-seat action, unpredictable drama and world-class athleticism. SuperSport recently launched a brand-new localized WWE content series called JAMBO WWE, and the expanded WWE and MultiChoice partnership will see additional partnership initiatives leveraging WWE IP announced during the term.
“Showmax Pro is the market leader and a perfect home for WWE content,” said Matt Drew, WWE Senior Vice President, International. “By delivering our premium live events including WrestleMania, we believe this partnership will expand our audience and deliver even more to WWE fans throughout the region.”
Barry Dubovsky, Chief Operating Officer at MultiChoice Connected Video, added: “Adding WWE to the Showmax platform is an exciting development that we know our entertainment and sport-loving African subscribers are going to enjoy, making WWE even more accessible and affordable.”
Showmax is an African streaming service that combines the best of local content, first and exclusive international series, the best kids’ shows, and live sport from SuperSport. In addition to WWE, Showmax subscribers can stream the full entertainment catalogue, including original African fantasy series Blood Psalms; all episodes of Steinheist, the docuseries about South Africa’s biggest corporate scandal; Diiche, a Showmax Nigerian Original limited series; Journey of the Beats, a 10-part docuseries on the origin and evolution of Afrobeats; Kenyan political drama series, County49, and original thriller series, Igiza.
Subscribers can also watch brand-new episodes of the second season of the Emmy darling White Lotus plus other fan-favourite HBO and Emmy-winning shows such as Euphoria and the third season of the Showmax Original telenovela, The Wife.
Showmax is also the only place to stream all episodes of Reyka, the South African smash-hit show that was recently nominated for two International Emmy Awards – one for Best Drama Series, and one for lead star Kim Engelbrecht.
The service is available throughout sub-Saharan Africa and to selected diaspora markets worldwide. For a free trial, visit www.showmax.com.
Showmax can be streamed using apps for smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers, media players and gaming consoles with data consumption management available using the bandwidth capping feature.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, premium live events, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide in 30 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX, BT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all premium live events, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network.
Additional information on WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
About Showmax
Showmax is an African streaming service. What sets Showmax apart is a unique combination of hit African content, first and exclusive international series, popular movies, premium documentaries, and the best kids’ shows. Showmax Pro adds music, news and live sport from SuperSport. For a single monthly fee, get unlimited access. Start and stop when you want.
Stream Showmax using apps for smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers, media players and gaming consoles. Manage data consumption using the bandwidth capping feature. No internet? No problem – download shows to smartphones and tablets to watch later offline.
Showmax was born in 2015. Showmax and Showmax Pro are available in sub-Saharan Africa. A Showmax diaspora service is also available in selected markets worldwide.
Showmax is a part of the MultiChoice Group, Africa’s leading entertainment company. MultiChoice Studios is the largest producer of original content on the African continent, with close to 70 000 hours of co-produced and commissioned titles in our library. MultiChoice Studios’ content sales and distribution arm sells and distributes content to broadcasters and platforms across the globe. The division manages a vast range of categories and genres in the catalogue, including Africa’s largest classic library of feature films, short stories and documentaries from award-winning filmmakers.
For more information, visit www.showmax.com.
