MTN has taken its first major step in what it says is a long "digital journey" ahead, with the official launch of its video-on-demand (VOD) offering FrontRow.
FrontRow has come out of pilot phase and will be available as of Monday on a promotional basis for R179 per month, including 10GB of data. The promotion period ends at the end of March, after which the value-added service (VAS) will be available for R399 per month with 10GB of data, with R179 being the fee for access only.
The first operator to venture into VOD as a VAS, MTN "soft-launched" the product on 29 December last year. Vodacom has also been looking into providing content and, ITWeb understands, has been in talks with a provider.
A streaming, month-by-month subscription service, FrontRow offers users a library of movies, TV series, music videos, as well as children and family content that is included in the subscription fee. There is also premium content, which ranges from R15 for backlog titles, to R27 for box office movies.
Content can be watched via a browser or the FrontRow app, now available for both Android and iOS devices. Anyone can subscribe, regardless of their mobile operator, and five devices can be linked to one account.
Ashley Ramroop, senior manager of devices and digital services at MTN, says FrontRow has already seen good take-up over the two-month pilot phase.
A differentiating factor, he says, is that MTN has signed up six US content partners, "whereas competitors have signed up four". These include Disney, Warner Brothers, Sony, Fox, Stars and Paramount - as well as independent international producers.
MTN faces stiff competition in the VOD space - not only from recent local entrants Vidi (Times Media) and Node (Altech), but also from international giants like YouTube and Netflix, which is currently accessible via a proxy in SA.
MTN was initially expected to enter the VOD fray last year, after revealing its intention to do so in October, but equipment testing took longer than expected.
MTN SA chief marketing officer Larry Annetts said this morning the network had now been optimised for use "on the move" - meaning users will not suffer interrupted viewing or buffering while travelling.
The "next big thing" in MTN's digital journey, says Annetts, is a streaming service for music, featuring African and South African artists - an offering that was recently introduced in Nigeria. SA is the first country MTN has introduced VOD. "There are plenty more big announcements to come this year," notes Annetts.
Share