The new Showmax comes ten months after MultiChoice, Comcast's NBC Universal, and Sky unveiled a combined streaming strategy for Africa.

Showmax, an Africa-focused streaming service, is set to introduce a new look and offers from February 12th.

The MultiChoice-owned streaming service announced the relaunch of its Africa service yesterday, as the entertainment business reaffirmed that the heart of its new offering is the world's first standalone English Premier League plan for mobile, with all 380 games available live on Showmax Premier League for only $3.67 (R69) per month.

Furthermore, it stated that two new Showmax plans are now available to subscribers in 44 African countries: Showmax Entertainment on mobile for $2.08 (R39) per month at launch, and the Showmax Entertainment plan, which has a monthly price reduction from $5.27 (R99) to $4.74 (R89) per month.

The new Showmax comes ten months after MultiChoice, Comcast's NBC Universal, and Sky unveiled a combined streaming strategy for Africa.

Yesterday, the pay-TV firm announced that the updated service is now ready, with a redesigned identity and a vast content catalogue, offered on a new streaming platform.

"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," says Marc Jury, CEO, Showmax.

He adds that Showmax Premier League gives individuals access to football coverage, wherever they are, on their mobile device at an affordable price.

Richard Masters, CEO, Premier League says: "Africa is incredibly important to the Premier League and our clubs; 20% of TV audiences on any given match day come from Africa."

According to MultiChoice, Showmax's streaming plans in Africa are dependent on a new scalable technology infrastructure from NBCUniversal’s Peacock service.

"With the launch of Showmax, the Peacock streaming platform will be active in more than 70 countries and is constantly enhanced by the combined expertise of thousands of engineers,” reads the company statement.

The platform has previously served millions of spectators of major events, including the Super Bowl, the FIFA World Cup final 2022 final, the Olympics, and WrestleMania. Additionally, it live-streamed event AFC Wild Card event, which, is claimed to be the largest streaming event in US history, with 27.6 million viewers and 16.3 million concurrent devices.

"The Peacock platform was designed from day one to support both live and on-demand content, including the biggest live sporting events, so we look forward to extending that capability and reliability to the new Showmax," said Patrick Miceli, NBCUniversal's executive vice president and chief technology officer for direct-to-consumer and international.

Along with the Premier League, MultiChoice stated that the refreshed Showmax opens the door to large catalogue of entertainment, including local content. "With no fewer than 21 new Showmax Originals launching in February alone, there will be more than 1,300 hours of Showmax Originals produced in the coming year, representing a significant 150% increase in production output compared to the year before," reads the company statement.