The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Showmax

  • Showmax spotlights women’s stories in celebration of International Women’s Day

    Showmax spotlights women’s stories in celebration of International Women’s Day

    For the 2025 edition of International Women’s Day, Showmax is bringing audiences a collection of movies and series that celebrate the resilience, strength, and complexity of women’s experiences.

    From overcoming personal adversity to taking on the world in bold and fearless ways, these stories reflect the realities and triumphs of women everywhere.

    One of the most striking movies available on the streaming platform for the month of March is ‘It Ends With Us,’ based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.

    The story follows the character Lily Bloom, played by Blake Lively, as she navigates the complexities of love, trauma, and self-empowerment. The film sheds light on the difficult choices women face in unhealthy relationships and serves as a testament to the power of self-worth and breaking cycles of abuse.

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    Similarly, ‘The Cleaning Lady’ offers an unflinching look at survival and resilience through the eyes of Thony, a Cambodian doctor who finds herself working for the mob to protect her son. The series is an exploration of a mother’s love and her determination to create a better future, even in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

    Showmax Nigerian Original, Kabiyesi, is a Yoruba drama inspired by the true story of Orompoto, the only female Alaafin of Oyo, who ruled in the 16th century. The series follows Princess Aderiyife as she navigates palace politics, power struggles, and the expectations of a male-dominated world to secure her place in history. Kabiyesi brings to life a significant yet often overlooked chapter of Yoruba heritage, highlighting resilience, leadership, and the complexities of tradition.

    Beyond scripted dramas, reality television also offers a lens into the lives of dynamic, ambitious women. The Real Housewives of Lagos season three puts the spotlight on women who are navigating careers, relationships, and personal growth in the public eye. Their stories may be set in luxury, but at their core, they represent the universal journey of balancing aspirations with personal responsibilities.

  • EPL: London derbies  for live streaming on Showmax

    EPL: London derbies  for live streaming on Showmax

     Title-chasing Arsenal will, on Sunday, host London rivals, Chelsea, in a Premier League clash of huge importance to both teams. The match, which kicks off at 2.30 PM, is available for live streaming on Showmax. Second-placed Arsenal, who trail league leaders, Liverpool, by a whopping 15 points, are convinced that they still can win the Premier League title despite the recent indifferent form.

     The Mikel Arteta-coached side have won only two of their last five games, losing one and drawing two to leave them with a mountain to climb. A victory over Chelsea would narrow the gap between them and Liverpool, who do not play in the Premier League until April, to 12 points. Anything short of that is a further erosion of their already slender chances of the title.

    Chelsea, who have been inconsistent after a bright start to the season, moved into the Champions League places last weekend on the back of a laboured 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Leicester. They will have to be at their best against determined, even if injury-ravaged Arsenal, to get anything from the game and keep alive their hopes of playing Champions League football next season.

    Another London derby is available on Sunday when Fulham host Tottenham Hotspur at 2.30 PM. On Saturday, Premier League defending champions, Manchester City, host the fearless Brighton, who have caused headaches for bigger teams this season under coach Fabian Hürzeler. The match is available for live streaming at 4 PM.  The wheels have come off City’s campaign, as they sit fifth on the table and are at the risk of missing out on the Champions League if things do not improve fast.

    Also available for live streaming at the same time are games between relegation candidates, Ipswich and implausibly third-placed Nottingham Forest; Southampton at home to Wolves as well as rejuvenated Everton at home to West Ham.

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    The day’s diet of live games comes to an end with the impressive Andoni Iraola-managed Bournemouth hosting Thomas Frank’s often resilient Brentford side.

    This season, Bournemouth, ninth on the log, have been impressive at home, beating Manchester City, Arsenal and smashing Newcastle 4-1 away from home. Their recent form has been dire with three losses and one win in five games. Brentford, who sit 12th, have no relegation worries. They have won two wins and two losses from the last five games.

    The weekend games will end with the doomed Leicester City hosting the wretched Manchester United, who sit in an unfamiliar 14th position. Kick-off is at 8 PM. Fans can catch all the weekend’s action, live on Showmax Premier League mobile.

  • Kabiyesi to premiere on Showmax from today 14

    Kabiyesi to premiere on Showmax from today 14

    Showmax has released the first-look trailer for its upcoming Nigerian Original series, Kabiyesi, which premieres on February 14, 2025.

    The epic drama, which is a Nigerian original on Showmax, is a tale of tradition, personal ambition and a princess’s struggle for power amid a wave of political change inspired by the true story of the reign of Orompoto, the only female Alaafin of Oyo, who ruled the empire in the 16th Century.

    The story begins with Princess Aderiyife of Oyo-Ile, the only daughter of King Adegoke, who is engaged to be married to Prince Obabamiji of Igboho. Everything is on track for her to embrace her destiny until a devastating betrayal and a series of tragic events bring her face to face with the perils and pitfalls of being in a position of power.

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    Faced with agonising choices, Aderiyife embarks on a perilous path where every decision she makes is critical to secure her family’s future and the future of Oyo-Ile, while she’s surrounded by enemies – both within and outside the kingdom. She’s forced to go above and beyond what is expected of her as princess to become the leader that Oyo-Ile desperately needs.

    Sharing his excitement on the series, showrunner Seyi Babatope, said, “Creating Kabiyesi has been a deeply rewarding journey. This story isn’t just about royalty – it’s about human ambition, love, and the personal cost of leadership. We’re bringing a unique and powerful narrative that celebrates the richness of African storytelling, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”

    The series features Annetta Adebusuyi, Akin Lewis, Amokun Ibrahim, Patrick Diabuah, Oluwakemi Oladeojo, Olajide Ibitoye, Olanrewaju Ayanwale, Jibola Dabo, and Hauwa Angela Issa. 

  • Lota Chukwu produces Shine for Showmax

    Lota Chukwu produces Shine for Showmax

    Nollywood actress cum producer, Lota Chukwu has produced an African football documentary entitled ‘Shine’ for streaming platform, Showmax.

    The 28-minute documentary is directed by Nigeria’s Nora Awolowo, who won Best Documentary at the AMVCAs last year for ‘The Debut,’ about Nigeria’s first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 1994.

    ‘Shine’ explores the inspiring journeys of dedicated football enthusiasts in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana, who are redefining the essence of the beautiful game in their local communities.

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    Chukwu opines that the documentary aims to celebrate football fans across Africa.

    “The backbone of football are the fans and people who bridge the connection between the fans who can attend every match, and those who bring the football to those who can’t. This documentary aims to celebrate them,” says Chukwu.

    Chukwu expresses immense pride in the final product, highlighting the documentary’s portrayal of football’s heart and soul without focusing solely on the players.

    “As the producer of ‘Shine’, I’m beyond proud of what we’ve been able to do with this documentary. We’ve captured the heart, spirit, and essence of football, on film, without footballers.”

  • Showmax rebrands to tell more African stories

    Showmax rebrands to tell more African stories

    After 10 months of  partnership between MultiChoice, owners of Showmax, Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky, the streaming platform has been redefined to tell more Africans stories for Africans and the global village.

     This was made known at a breakfast meeting with management of the streaming platform in Lagos.

     The new Showmax features a refreshed brand and a massive content lineup, delivered on a powerful new streaming platform.

     At the heart of the new offering is the Premier League plan for mobile, Showmax Entertainment on mobile and Showmax Entertainment.

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     “There are over 450 million smartphones in the hands of individuals across Africa … and more than 250 million avid football lovers on the continent,” says Opeoluwa Filani, GM of Showmax Nigeria, adding: “Showmax Premier League is a game-changing product that gives individuals a ticket to the football they love, wherever they are, on the device they always have with them, at a price that’s impossible not to love.”

     Core to the success of Showmax’s streaming ambitions in Africa is a new technical platform that is robust and built to scale.

    With the launch of Showmax, the Peacock streaming platform will be active in more than 70 countries and is enhanced by the combined expertise of thousands of engineers.

     “Nobody understands Africa like we do. Showmax is putting the continent first with a powerful streaming service that will revolutionise streaming in Africa in 2024,” says CEO of West Africa, MultiChoice, John Ugbe.

     The new Showmax app will become available from January 23 onward, as part of a staggered migration process across 44 markets. This is an ongoing process that starts next week and will be completed on February 12.

  • Cheta’m, Rahama Sadau make debut as Flawsom returns to Showmax

    Cheta’m, Rahama Sadau make debut as Flawsom returns to Showmax

    Showmax has announced the introduction of new titles that include ‘Cheta’m’ and the ‘Sadau Sisters’ to its platform for the year.

    This is coming as the streaming platform is set to relaunch next month with a brand-new look, new app, and new product suite. This comes after the announcement of the partnership between MultiChoice and Comcast’s NBC Universal and Sky.

    In February, Showmax will be releasing a record 21 Originals from four African countries, which include five Originals from Nigeria, a revamped international content slate, and the continent’s first standalone Premier League mobile streaming plan.

    The Nigerian Original content slate features its first epic drama series, ‘Cheta’m,’ directed by James Omokwe; reality TV series ‘Sadau Sisters,’ starring Nigerian actress Rahama Sadau and her three sisters; documentary series ‘Freemen’; romantic comedy movie ‘The Counsellor’; and a new season of the hit drama series ‘Flawsome.’

    Also making debut on the streaming platform are adaptations of two South African local bestsellers: Angela Makholwa’s serial killer thriller ‘Red Ink,’ and ‘Catch Me A Killer,’ the memoir of Micki Pistorius, South Africa’s first serial killer profiler.

    More from the South African Original content slate include ‘Youngins,’ ‘Wyfie,’ ‘Ekhaya Backpackers,’ ‘Forever Yena,’ ‘Intlawulo’ and ‘Matilda en Matthys.’

    Read Also: Showmax: creativity, tech to drive Lagos smart city

    “2024 is a big year for Showmax,” says CEO Marc Jury, adding: “We will be kicking it off with a content slate packed with world-class entertainment from the world’s biggest brands plus more African Originals than ever before and the first-ever mobile Premier League plan for Africa.”

    Meanwhile, new seasons of the Kenyan Showmax Original hit Single Kiasi and Ghanaian drama series ENO are also expected to launch on the streaming platform.

    At launch, international highlights will include Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, two of the 10 biggest box office hits of 2023; the second season of Halo, express from the United States; Lawman: Bass Reeves, from Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan and starring David Oyelowo in a Critics Choice- and Golden Globe-nominated performance; missing persons procedural Found, which was NBC’s biggest launch on Peacock yet; Neill Blomkamp’s #1 US box office hit Gran Turismo; and box sets of classic NBC comedies like The Office and Parks and Recreation.

    It’s also been confirmed that box sets of HBO’s House of the Dragon and the second season of the phenomenal HBO hit The Last of Us will be heading to Showmax in the future.  

  • Showmax: creativity, tech to drive Lagos smart city

    Showmax: creativity, tech to drive Lagos smart city

    A combination of creativity and technology presents a vision of a digital Lagos that can propel the metropolis to new heights, an online subscription video on demand service provider, Showmax Nigeria, has said.

    It added that for this to be achieved, creators must leverage digital tools, platforms and innovative business models to unlock diverse revenue streams, connect with global audiences, and transform their passion into sustainable and profitable ventures. Its General Manager, Opeoluwa Filani, who spoke during the Art of Technology Lagos 5.0, held at Landmark Event Centre, said some of the ways to achieve this include digital distribution of content creation, building licensing and collaborative platforms, organising visual events and experiences and adopting NFTs and blockchain technologies, among others.

    Leading discussion of the first plenary session with “Monetization of the Creative Economy Leveraging Technology” as theme, Filani said there is the need to cater for the unique challenges of the African market in the face of technological advancements, citing Showmax’s Bandwidth Capping feature as an example.

    Art of Technology Lagos 5.0 is an annual tech conference curated by the Eko Innovation Centre and sponsored by the Lagos State government. The forum explored the symbiotic relationship between creativity and technology.

    Filani said: “The Bandwidth Capping feature on Showmax is a valuable technological resource that influences Africa’s creative space. The feature offers the lowest data streaming option, accompanied by the convenience of offline viewing – a bid to cushion the effects of the sporadic availability of internet and power supply in certain regions.”

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    He also stressed the need to create a favourable perception of Lagos City. “In a global digitally competitive world, Lagos is competing with many other African global cities. A digital world makes information critical to how a city is perceived,” he said.

    Using Kigali, Rwanda and Cape Town, South Africa as examples, he highlighted how their immediate digital impressions highlighted favourable attributes while that of Lagos was a mixed bag. Therefore, he advocated for a digital clean-up in order to shape public perception and draw in business opportunities.

    Also speaking, Curator of the Art of Technology Lagos, Victor Afolabi,  said technology, in its multifaceted forms, serves as a toolbox for creators and innovators, offering new mediums, tools, platforms, and methods for expression and problem-solving.

     “The creative economy sector of Lagos State is driven by a highly skilled and innovative workforce using technology to solve multifaceted problems with art, which significantly impacts the state’s economy; hence, the need to focus on the creative economy and a digital Lagos,” Afolabi said.

    Among the other panellists at the event were Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Iquo Ukoh, CEO of Entod Marketing Limited; David Ponte, Co-founder & CMO of Audiomack; Efe Omorogbe, Principal Consultant at BuckWyld Media Network Ltd.; Obi Asika, Convener of The Omniverse; and Tunbosun Alake, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Innovation and Technology.