MultiChoice has added YouTube app support to its DStv Explora Ultra, allowing subscribers to access the popular streaming platform directly on their decoder.
YouTube joins a number of streaming services and apps available on the Explora Ultra, including Showmax, Box Office, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Joox.
“DStv subscribers can now watch YouTube, where every day people watch over a billion hours of video, including music videos, short and documentary films, live streams and video blogs,” MultiChoice said.
MultiChoice South Africa CEO Nyiko Shiburi said the DStv Explora Ultra continues to add depth to the company’s entertainment offering, which is enabled through notable partnerships with the world’s foremost video entertainment brands.
“The addition of YouTube to the Explora Ultra builds on DStv’s ambition to be a one-stop video entertainment hub, giving our customers more convenience and choice to access local and international content on a single device,” Shiburi said
The Explora Ultra’s Discovery And Launch protocol (DIAL) will enable viewers to play YouTube videos from a second device – like a smartphone – directly onto the TV without any pairing process required.
“This makes it easier to watch shared or archived content from a secondary device of choice,” MultiChoice said.
To access YouTube on the Explora Ultra, a subscriber must have an active DStv subscription, pay the access fee, and have a high-speed and stable Internet connection.
The YouTube app can be accessed by selecting the Apps button on the DStv remote.
DStv subscribers will also be able to watch content on the recently launched YouTube channel SuperSport Schools, which offers live streams, highlights, and profiles of school sports.
MultiChoice wants to make DStv a one-stop entertainment shop for customers and is doing this through agreements with major OTT players to bring their services to the DStv platform.
It started this drive with the launch of the Explora Ultra in November 2020, its first decoder with built-in wireless connectivity.
The Explora Ultra initially only supported Netflix as a third-party streaming service, alongside MultiChoice’s own Showmax and Box Office services.
It was followed by one of the world’s other major streaming services – Amazon Prime Video – which was added in mid-December.
The company has said this is similar to what other pay-TV operators around the world are doing.
“We are moving in that direction because it makes sense for us to be a one-stop-shop where you pay one bill where you can get all the content available out there,” said MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawelo.
Last month, MultiChoice Kenya and Azuri Technologies launched a pay-as-you-go solar TV package through a partnership aimed to bring DStv content to off-grid households in Kenya.
The partnership bundles Azuri’s TV400 product, the 32” solar-powered TV and household energy solution, with the DStv HD decoder to offer customers access to entertainment, local and international news, documentaries, and educational content.
“By expanding the choice of content available to even off-grid customers, we are taking another step in shrinking the gap between households with and without the grid.” Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Azuri said.
