BOMBSHELL: eMedia Unleashes War on MultiChoice Over DStv Channel Coup
In a shocking move, eMedia Holdings, the parent company of e.tv and Openview, has announced plans to take MultiChoice to court over the latter’s alleged attempt to strangle the former’s channels on the DStv platform.
The four channels in question – eExtra, eMovies Extra, eMovies, and eToonz – are the bread and butter of eMedia’s operations, and their removal from DStv would be a devastating blow to the company’s bottom line.
But eMedia CEO Khalik Sherrif is not one to back down from a fight. In a scathing attack on MultiChoice, Sherrif accused the company of using its dominant market position to stifle competition and crush its smaller rivals.
"MultiChoice’s absolute dominance of the satellite TV market has given it the power to dictate the terms of the industry," Sherrif said. "We will not stand idly by while they use their muscle to push us out of business."
The battle between eMedia and MultiChoice is just the latest salvo in a long-running war between the two companies. Earlier this year, eMedia took MultiChoice and the SABC to court over a sports sublicensing deal that it claimed was anticompetitive.
The deal, which would have given the SABC exclusive rights to broadcast sports matches, would have effectively shut eMedia out of the market. But the Competition Tribunal blocked the deal, and eMedia is now seeking damages from MultiChoice and the SABC.
The fight is far from over, and eMedia is warning that the stakes are higher than ever. "If we don’t get these channels back on DStv, we risk losing millions of rand in advertising revenue," Sherrif said. "We will do whatever it takes to protect our business and our employees."
But MultiChoice is not backing down either. In a statement, the company said that it was "confident in its legal position" and that it would "vigorously defend" itself against eMedia’s claims.
The war between eMedia and MultiChoice is a fight for the very survival of the former. But with eMedia’s CEO showing no signs of backing down, the outcome is far from certain. One thing is clear, however: the battle for control of the South African TV market is only just beginning.
