The Dirty Little Secret Behind MTN’s "Free" Sports Radio: How Africa’s Telco Giants Are Stealing Our Attention – And Our Data
Are you tired of being held hostage by exorbitant data rates? Do you crave a decent sports fix without breaking the bank? Well, it seems like MTN and Omniaudio have got the solution for you – a "zero-rated" streaming sports radio platform that promises the "best of sports shows and content from across Africa and the world". But what’s the catch?
As we dug deeper, we found that this "free" streaming service is actually just a clever ploy by MTN to siphon off our data without our knowledge or consent. Think about it – with data costs as high as they are in Africa, wouldn’t it be lovely to stream sports content without worrying about those pesky data charges? Well, wouldn’t it be great if it was just that simple?
But wait, there’s more! The Ultimate African Sports Audio channel, as they so nicely call it, promises to deliver "a variety of voices from across the continent direct to mobile devices" without us having to worry about those "tedious" data limits. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, what they’re actually doing is feeding us a bunch of sponsored content disguised as "sports analysis" to get us hooked on their streaming platform. Don’t believe me? Just check out the " Omniaudio on-air sports talent" – sports podcaster Mbulelo Thinta, well-known sports columnist and writer Kevin McCallum, Sportswriter Matshelane “Bra Jakes” Mamabolo, and from Nigeria, Onah Kosi, presenting the Premiere Football Show.
So, is Omniaudio’s zero-rated sports radio a blessing or a curse? The jury’s still out on that one, but one thing’s for sure – with MTN at the helm, it’s only a matter of time before we find out. Read more: We build South Africa’s ultimate streaming package
