The Nation Newspaper

Tag: DStv

  • DStv launches new channel, Lifetime

    DStv launches new channel, Lifetime

    MULTICHOICE Africa, in conjunction with A+E Networks, is set to launch a female entertainment channel, Lifetime, on its DStv platform.

    According to the management, the new channel will be available to all DStv premium subscribers from July 22.

    Lifetime, according to management, will engage and inspire viewers with a winning formula of quality- scripted dramas, Lifetime original movies and factual entertainment shows.

    Tom Davidson, Managing Director of A+E Networks UK, said: “The launch of Lifetime in Africa is exciting for us and marks a key moment in our continuing investments in this market. With a schedule packed with powerful stories, passionate people and addictive entertainment, we are confident that Lifetime will appeal to African audiences.”

    According to the CEO of MultiChoice Africa, Nico Meyer, the launch expands the female-focused content portfolio on DStv, delivering an entertainment brand to sit alongside global channels. “We are always striving to build a balanced, innovative and exciting home television offering for our subscribers. As a business, we constantly research local as well as international television channels and shows, with a view to further improving and enhancing our offering; so, we are delighted to be welcoming another entertainment channel on to our DStv platform, which we believe will offer even more great family entertainment,” Meyer said.

    Some of the programmes that viewers can expect on Lifetime include: A Day Late and a Dollar Short, Flowers in the Attic and Dance Moms, among others.

  • Basketmouth to perform at Canada comedy festival

    Basketmouth to perform at Canada comedy festival

    NIGERIAN comedian, Bright Okpocha, aka Basketmouth, has become the first-ever Nigerian comedian to perform at the annual Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, Canada.

    Comedy Central and DStv will be flying Basketmouth and South African comics, John Vlismas and Mpho Popps, to Montreal, Canada this month to participate in the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival slated for July 20 to 27.

    The comedian will make his festival debut at various clubs during the week, while South African comedian, John Vlismas, returns to Just for Laughs to perform in Talk of The Fest, one of the festival’s premiere club shows. Vlismas’s performance is being taped as part of the Just for Laughs: All Access television series and will air on Comedy Central later in the year.

    Evert van der Veer, Channel Director, Comedy Central, Africa, said African comedy had the potential to be one of the continent’s most powerful cultural exports.

    “We are very proud to have John, Mpho and Basketmouth representing Comedy Central in Canada.  We are delighted to facilitate their presence at Just for Laughs, one of the world’s most important international comedy events,” Evert stated.

    Expressing his delight, Basketmouth said: “I am extremely humbled by the opportunity and I intend to give it more than my best shot and the best of me. It is certainly a dream come true.”

  • 2014 DSTV Basketball Super 8: Robbers attack Gombe Bulls

    PLAYERS and officials of Gombe Bulls had a bitter experience Wednesday morning following their attack by dare devil robbers on their way to Lagos  for the 2014 DSTV Basketball Super 8.

    The ugly incident, according to the team, took place in Okenne, Kogi State.

    Coach of the side, Abdulrahman Mohammed said : “It was rather an unfortunate incident, though I was not involved but I’m glad that nobody was hurt.

    “After leaving Gombe State for Lagos on Tuesday, the team had to pass the night in Okenne after traveling long hours by road.

    “So as they bid to continue the journey for Lagos on Wednesday morning,  they fell into the waiting hands of the robbers.

    “The robbers made away with the players and some of our officials valuables and cash .”

    When asked if the incident would affect his players’ performance in the play-off which dunked off on Wednesday to end 19th July, the former D’Tigers assistant coach said: “That I can’t really say as my job will now be to psyche them up, as it’s never too easy for one to overcome such experience.”

    Recall Gombe Bulls booked a place in the Super 8 after they finished 3rd on the Log of Savannah conference.

  • A galaxy of star names on DStv for SuperSport’s World Cup coverage

    A galaxy of star names on DStv for SuperSport’s World Cup coverage

    If you can’t be in Brazil, SuperSport will bring Brazil to you. With every FIFA World Cup 2014 match available live and in High Definition on SuperSport, the World of Champions will have enhanced coverage with star guests, dynamic magazine shows and the latest technology.

    SuperSport has pulled out all stops for the event, which starts on June 12, to ensure that viewers need never leave their television screens. Charles Anazodo will anchor global icons such as Ryan Giggs who will be just one of many experts who will share their insights with DStv subscribers.

    Other football heavyweights who will add to the package include Jay Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Sammy Kuffour, John Barnes and John Dykes. Their analysis will blend with five embedded SuperSport crews who will track the progress of African powerhouses Nigeria and Ghana, among others. As part of the crew, Colin Udoh will offer fly-on-the-wall coverage and ensure viewers enjoy a unique perspective of the Super Eagles.

    SuperSport will boast two 24-hour channels – one in HD (SS3HD), one in SD (SS3) on DStv – for the duration of the tournament. For the eight matches that run concurrently, in the last-round round-robin stage, SS2HD and SS4 will feature these fixtures. A selection of matches, including the Super Eagles’ matches against Iran and Argentina, will be broadcast live on DStv’s GOtv.

    As a bonus, SuperSport will also produce four magazine shows, each of a different flavour:

    “Ola Brazil” will be hosted by football fundi Carol Tshabalala live from Rio de Janeiro every Saturday and Sunday with a lifestyle slant offering rich behind-the-scenes content.

    “We are Brazil” will be a precursor to weekend matches with intermittent crossings to Brazil and areas of Africa. The show will include detailed information on team statistics, newsmakers, top five moments and retro moments. One of the highlights is sure to be Andy Townsend’s expert insights.

    “Master Plan” is unashamedly aimed at the football intellectual; the fan who wants to know about game strategy and the science behind performance.  With world-renowned Dykes anchoring, every game will be broken down and analysed like never before in this Sunday show.

    Finally, “Fan Zone” is a one-hour weekend show aimed at the youth, comprising a strong social media element.

    SuperSport’s state of the art HD studio, built for the 2010 edition, has undergone extensive refurbishment. “We’ve invested heavily in the latest technology,” said Felix Awogu, SuperSport’s General Manager: West Africa. “It’s a multi-faceted facility that offers a range of broadcast options. Plus we’ve revamped the adjoining studio-entertainment area that now includes a fan zone and is multi-purpose.”

  • MultiChoice brings BoxOffice to Nigeria

    MultiChoice brings BoxOffice to Nigeria

    MAKING a new offering to its subscribers in Nigeria, MultiChoice, on Thursday, officially launched BoxOffice, a platform aimed at providing DStv subscribers with the ultimate in home television entertainment.

    Describing the benefits of the new platform at the official launch held at Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, John Ugbe, the Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, said with BoxOffice, DStv Premium subscribers could enjoy the best and the latest of Hollywood and Nollywood on their Explora decoders.

    Martin Mabutho, General Manager, Marketing and Retention, MultiChoice Nigeria, said that with the new service, the distribution flow of movies has been shortened. According to him, every movie released starts with going to the cinema. After that, it goes to DVD from which it goes to Pay TV and then terrestrial and cable stations. “What BoxOffice allows us to do is to close the gap between Pay TV and DVD. Therefore, as soon as it is ready on DVD, you can watch it on DVD. With that, we have cut the waiting period for the consumer. They won’t have to wait and go through the rigour of buying pirated DVDs,” he said.

    According to Mabutho, BoxOffice is a service that allows subscribers to conveniently rent and watch the latest blockbuster movies in the comfort of their homeson their DStv Explora decoders.

    “With BoxOffice, DStv subscribers can now rent and keep movies for up to 48 hours and the first movie is courtesy of DStv Nigeria. The platform will give subscribers access to up to 20 movies at any one time, with five of them being Nigerian movies,” he added.

  • Auditions hold for Next Tinsel Star

    AfricaMagic, is throwing its doors open as it auditions for Africa’s next brightest TV and Film stars!

    As part of its contribution to the development of local productions of film and TV initiatives in Nigeria, AfricaMagic is once again calling on aspiring actors and actresses in the country to audition for various roles in the popular multi-camera soap opera, Tinsel and its first ever film feature initiative, AfricaMagic Original Films.

    The auditions are scheduled to hold simultaneously on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd May 2014, from 7am to 5pm at different locations across the country and neighboring country, Ghana. Venues include; Lagos – Protea Hotel Leadway (Beside Mobil Filling Station), 1 Mogambo Close, Maryland Estate, Ikeja. The SS Lounge, 7 Sapara Williams Close, Off Idowu Martins Street, Victoria Island. Other Venues include; Ibadan, Theatre Arts Department Hall, University of Ibadan and Ghana.

    The audition seeks to provide the opportunity for talented Nigerians to live their dreams of starring in the popular soap opera or in an AfricaMagic produced movie, launch their acting careers to a continental audience and is open to male, female; young and old. To audition, interested persons are required to come along with; three (3) copies of an individual five-by-seven (5×7) coloured, non-photo shopped studio-shot portrait photograph.

    Since its debut to a continental audience in 2008, Tinsel, a thirty minutes series, has gone on to win the hearts of hundreds of DStv viewers both in the country and on the continent, becoming a daily show with a widely watched omnibus on Sundays on AfricaMagic Entertainment, Channel 151. Currently in its sixth season, Tinsel has become a must watch for millions of DStv audiences on the African continent; a development that prompted the AfricaMagic brand to air previous seasons of the show on some of the other AfricaMagic channels and Silverbird TV to the delight of many television viewers. Tinsel is shot on location in Nigeria and is part of AfricaMagic’s local investment drive dedicated to developing the television industry in the Africa.

    In the wake of AfricaMagic’s many successes and its continued efforts in building and supporting the thriving African film industry, AfricaMagic in September 2013 launched its ever feature films platform, AfricaMagic Original Films which debuted on AfricaMagic Entertainment, Channel 151. With a fast growing film library, AfricaMagic Original Films has produced over 60 movies in the first phase of this film initiative and on its way to the second, prompting these auditions, to seek potential film stars and give opportunities to a wide range of film enthusiasts.

    Speaking on the plan to launch widely spread auditions for two of the brand’s biggest initiatives, the Regional Director, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu said “AfricaMagic is always excited at being a part of the fast growing African film and television industry, we are equally excited at the opportunity to create pure African content, but more importantly, we have the chance to continue to tell the African story on a continent wide platform” adding that “this is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who truly believes he or she has what it takes to be a TV or film star and what better platform to launch an acting career, if not on the continent’s largest content provider and we are hopeful of a huge turnout at the auditions.”

    Tinsel and AfricaMagic Original Films is produced out of Nigeria and a testament to AfricaMagic’s commitment to the development of local content and support for skills development in Africa.

    Venues for the open audition are confirmed by AfricaMagic Production.

  • Feyikogbon resurrects on DSTV

    Feyikogbon resurrects on DSTV

    THE masses counseling drama series Feyikogbon, aka Learn-From-This, is back on the screen, this time on primetime DSTV’s African Magic, Channel 157.

    The resuscitated programme reputed to be the longest-running Yoruba Drama Series, having debuted on the defunct NTV in 1978, is the newest production credit of the veteran playwright, ‘Yinka Ogundaisi. The screening started on Thursday 3rd April, and will run five times a week, Mondays through Fridays at 11.35am each day. Packaged into a season of 26 episodes of 30-minute duration each, the production bears eloquent testimony to Ogundaisi’s impressive credentials in scripting and directing as reflected in the fuller, richer episodes all hallmarking in-depth screen playing which is a major forte of the playwright. The format of the programme story-telling, while retaining its typical African moonlight tradition, is now blended with elderly counseling that makes the series a delightful watch for the audience. In place of the former random story-telling style of Mogaji, the format now has a preamble sketch depicting a particular contemporary challenge that determines the story of the day.

    The new series featured a blended cast of bevy of young delectable ladies and young men with the old faithful like Bimbo, Amuda, Ajobiewe. One of the young ladies is Ogundaisi’s daughter, Diekola who starred opposite him as his new wife in Be’kunbe’kun. She also played the lead in Kosemase and Gbangba De’kun in which she played the cheating wife that put her boyfriend in a tank of water with yet another lover made to carry the tank from her house when her husband who is supposed to have travelled surprised her and the concubines. Universal Films, Ogundaisi’s media and production company, produced, and holds the copyrights of the new drama series.

  • Dstv League: Ex-D’Tigress coach seeks more basketball competitions

    Dstv League: Ex-D’Tigress coach seeks more basketball competitions

    Scot Nnaji, a former coach of the female national basketball team, the D’Tigress, on Monday called for more basketball competitions in order to further develop the game. Nnaji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin that more corporate organisations and individuals should emulate Dstv in sponsoring the game. He said the youths need to play regularly to prepare them ahead of the exit of ageing players in the national team. “We need more games like the Dstv Premier League. We need more people to sponsor competitions. “Young people need to play often; after this, we might wait another one year to play another championship. “It is not good for the game, we have to play series of competitions, Dstv League is a short one. “We are to play only 14 matches, after that everyone goes to sleep as there is no other championship. We need to have a game before the year runs out,” he said. Nnaji,who is the head coach of the Nigeria Customs Basketball Club of Lagos, added that players need to play constantly to stay on top of their game.

  • MTV Base cheers Shuga star, Lupita

    MTV Base cheers Shuga star, Lupita

    FOR Kenyan actress, Lupita Nyong’o, who is the first black African to win the Best Supporting Actress award at the recently held 86th annual Academy Awards, the deluge of congratulatory messages may have just begun.

    A few days ago, music channel, MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) joins other well-wishers, who have a stake in the actress’ career, having offered Lupita her first professional acting role in a HIV and AIDS awareness drama, Shuga.

    Shuga stars Nyong’o in the role of Ayira, a confident and vivacious Nairobi college student, who is forced to come to terms with the consequences of her reckless lifestyle.

  • Gombe Bulls ready for new season

    Gombe Bulls ready for new season

    • Team unveils new logo

    AFTER 12 years in the coolers, revamped Gombe Bulls has said it can compete for silverware when the slams and dunks resumes in this year’s DSTV Premier Basketball League.

    When asked to talk about his new look team, Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed said:

    “Gombe Bulls is entirely a new team, as we have put together a couple of good players we have scouted from the various teams across the country.

    “Work has been in progress ever since we got promoted to play in the elite basketball league. So week-in-week-out, we have been engaging our players to a lot of practice sessions all with the view to get them fit, as we look forward to dunk off the season come next month.

    “However, we have also enjoyed tremendous support from the state government and the Gombe State Sports Commission boss, Malam Farouk Yarma has been keen on the team.”

    As regards the season’s fixtures, Mohammed revealed that he was not too sure of the tie against defending champions, Kano Pillars in game one.

    “We are supposed to do the slamming and dunking against Pillars but I hear the fixtures need to be amended by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).”

    Meanwhile, the Bulls have unveiled its new logo for this year’s DSTV Premier Basketball season.

    The logo which has a resemblance to that of NBA’s Chicago Bulls has a slogan which says, “Impossibility is nothing”.