E.television, the free-to-air tv channel owned by eMedia Holdings and launched within the late Nineteen Nineties as South Africa’s first business free-to-air broadcaster, is now the preferred tv channel in South Africa.
That declare is contained in eMedia’s interim monetary outcomes for the six months to end-September 2024, which had been printed on Monday.
“E.television is now probably the most watched TV channel within the nation in each primetime and between 6am and midnight,” eMedia stated in notes alongside the monetary outcomes. TechCentral understands the title had beforehand belonged to SABC 1.
“The primetime market share has been pushed by a schedule which now contains six each day soaps with two new exhibits, particularly Isipetho and Kelders van Gehieme, being launched this yr,” the broadcaster stated. “5 of the six each day soaps achieved the primary place of their time slot.”
eMedia is, nevertheless, involved in regards to the potential affect of analogue broadcasting switch-off, which had been scheduled for the tip of this yr. Nonetheless, the corporate stated it expects this deadline to be moved out as soon as once more provided that there are, based on AC Nielsen analysis figures, “nonetheless over 4 million households watching tv” by way of analogue transmissions.
“It’s subsequently doubtless that viewers of e.television might be afforded a grace interval earlier than the switch-off date.”
Openview
eMedia stated Openview – the group’s free-to-air satellite tv for pc providing – has additionally gained market share within the six-month reporting interval. Excluding e.television, Openview’s market share has risen from 13.1% to 13.5% within the primetime window, it stated.
“The extended break from load shedding has seen a rise within the variety of eyeballs watching tv, which in flip has seen the tv promoting cake finish larger than the prior yr for the primary time in a very long time, excluding the yr after Covid-19,” it stated.
“The one damaging affect on the outcomes had been the higher-than-usual authorized charges in relation to the authorized combat with MultiChoice, which has now been settled, and the efficiency of Media Movie Service, which has not but totally recovered from the affect of the writers’ and actors’ strike in Hollywood.”
Advert income climbed by 8%, forward of progress within the general market.
“The largest contributor to the elevated income has been the sustained primetime market share in addition to e.television now holding the place as the highest channel within the nation,” eMedia stated.
“The group managed to stay the largest broadcaster with an general primetime share of 35% in comparison with its opponents, one being at 30.7% and the opposite being at 27.6%,” it added.
Openview reached 3.53 million activations on the finish of the reporting interval, up from 3.28 million a yr in the past.
Revenue from persevering with operations of R148.1-million was up almost 15%, fuelled by elevated promoting income.
Learn: eMedia outlines plans for streamer eVOD
Nonetheless, the group’s stability sheet is trying a little bit stretched. money on the finish of September fell sharply to simply R5.3-million from R90.6-million a yr in the past. The group declared an interim dividend of 14c/share, down 22.2% from 18c/share in the identical interval a yr in the past. — (c) 2024 NewsCentral Media
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