MTN Launches Netflix Rival, Makes Bold Promises as MultiChoice Cuts 7 Channels from DStv Premium
- MTN launches One TV to compete with Netflix and adapt to changing entertainment preferences in Africa
- Flexibility in payment options aims to boost access for African consumers and support local content creators
- MTN One TV integrates digital services, targeting the evolving streaming landscape amid traditional pay-TV challenges
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Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
MTN has stepped up its battle for Africa’s growing digital entertainment market with the launch of MTN One TV, a new streaming platform positioned to rival established services such as Netflix.
The launch comes as the pay-TV market undergoes major changes, with MultiChoice removing seven channels from its premium DStv package and consumers increasingly turning to flexible streaming options for entertainment.
Source: Getty Images
MTN launches One TV streaming platform
Nine years after shutting down its VU streaming video platform, MTN has returned to the entertainment space with MTN One TV, promising a broader and more flexible digital viewing experience.
MTN Group announced the new platform in June as part of its strategy to expand access to digital entertainment across Africa.
Unlike traditional subscription-only streaming services, MTN One TV is designed around several viewing and payment models.
Depending on the market, customers could access free-to-view content, advertising-supported streaming, pay-as-you-watch options and subscription packages, according to a report by MyBroadband.
The platform will feature a mix of local African storytelling, live television channels, international programming and on-demand content, giving customers more choices in how they consume entertainment.
MTN promises One TV will avoid past mistakes
MTN’s latest streaming push comes after its earlier experience with FrontRow, which launched in 2014 before being rebranded as MTN VU in 2015.
The previous platform offered Netflix-style subscriptions alongside movie rentals, a model that created confusion for some customers who expected newly advertised films to be included in their subscriptions.
MTN now says One TV has been developed for a significantly different digital environment, shaped by higher smartphone adoption, improved mobile networks and more established digital payment systems.
The company said the new platform would be part of a broader digital ecosystem connecting content, connectivity, payments and digital services, rather than operating simply as another standalone streaming service.
Flexible payments to drive MTN One TV growth
One of the major features MTN is banking on is flexible access to content.
Depending on the market, customers may be able to pay for MTN One TV services using airtime, Mobile Money and other locally supported payment methods.
MTN believes this approach could reduce some of the barriers that prevent African consumers from accessing paid digital entertainment.
The company said the platform would also create opportunities for content creators, broadcasters, advertisers and digital partners to reach wider audiences and monetise their content.
“Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options,” the company said.
MTN targets Africa’s changing streaming market
MTN said consumer behaviour has changed considerably since the launch of its previous streaming service.
More consumers now watch entertainment primarily through smartphones, while demand for both local and international programming continues to rise.
The company said viewers increasingly want greater flexibility, convenience and choice in how they discover, access and pay for content.
MTN One TV will therefore be rolled out progressively across its markets through a phased approach.
Over time, MTN plans to combine video capabilities, content partnerships and customer experiences under the One TV brand.
MultiChoice faces changing entertainment landscape
The MTN streaming launch comes at a significant moment for Africa’s entertainment industry.
MultiChoice is also making changes to its DStv offering, including the removal of seven channels from its premium package, as the company responds to changing viewing habits and competition from streaming platforms.
With consumers gaining access to more digital entertainment options, traditional pay-TV operators face growing pressure to demonstrate value while streaming platforms compete aggressively for audiences.
MTN’s One TV launch adds another major player to that increasingly crowded market.
Source: Getty Images
For MTN, the goal is not simply to build another Netflix-style platform. The company wants One TV to sit within its wider African digital ecosystem, using its mobile network, payment infrastructure and customer base to give the service an advantage.
If that strategy succeeds, MTN One TV could become a significant new force in Africa’s fast-changing streaming market.
DStv removes four popular channels
Legit.ng previously reported that DStv subscribers have lamented a major change to the platform’s channel line-up after four popular channels were removed following the closure of Paramount Africa’s operations.
The affected channels are BET Africa, MTV Base, CBS Justice and CBS Reality.
They were discontinued from DStv and GOtv on January 1, 2026, leaving viewers who relied on the channels for music, entertainment, reality television and crime programming looking for alternatives.
Source: Legit.ng
