Free Streaming Service, Viu Launches in South Africa
Looking for alternatives to Netflix or ShowMax? There’s a new streaming service in town… and it’s completely free! TV addicts looking for a free video on demand service will be thrilled to hear that Viu has officially launched in South Africa and is ready take on big name competitors with a hybrid AVOD (Advertising Video On Demand) and premium content model, giving you more choice at a lower price.
Of course, the big differentiator between Viu and other streaming services is that it offers content which is available to watch for free. Instead of charging viewers to watch a large majority of its content, Vui instead offers free content with adverts shown to viewers. Viewers can also opt to sign in and subscribe to the service’s Premium plan on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to access additional exclusive shows and to avoid seeing advertisements when watching content.
The service has already been launched in multiple locations across the globe, boasting over 30 million active monthly subscribers in countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Egypt, Iraq, and Qatar. In South Africa Viu has acquired rights to broadcast SABC and Etv content, in addition to international shows. Locally, the service will be aimed at lower-income markets, which Viu says has been typically ignored by more established streaming services.
In terms of local content, Viu has partnered with the SABC to acquire the rights to broadcast select SABC shows, including Uzalo and Skeem Saam for a period of 24 months, as well as select Etv shows, such as Imbewu: The Seed and Scandal!, which are labelled Viu Exclusives on the streaming platform’s website. Viewers will also be able to access a wide range of international content including Bollywood films, African series and movies, and South Asian shows.
Viu Premium membership is priced at R5 daily, R20 weekly, and R69 per month. Users can visit the Viu website to view free shows and sign up for the service’s premium package.