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M-Net loses with Game of Thrones 4

Written by tha - bang from the blog Movies and Things with Thabang on 15 Apr 2014
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Last year, when Game of Thrones was on, M-Net cleverly chose to broadcast the show a week behind the US premiere. This year, when Fox aired The Walking Dead, it aired a day behind the American broadcast.

I was like, "Finally, DSTV is learning that in this age of torrents, Pirate Bay, online streaming and social media you can't keep popular shows on the back-burner after their US broadcast."

Yes we understand it's more expensive to get the rights of a show closer to the broadcast but popular shows have such a massive following that you are bound to either watch it online or be bombarded with Tweets and Facebook messages of what's happening in the show.

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Yet, alas, for whatever strange reason someone at M-Net/ DStv thought a two week gap between the US and South African broadcast of Game of Thrones is good, like seriously!? Two weeks!?

If you've been reading up online or streaming episodes, you know that a lot has already happened in those two weeks. It's gotten so bad that you just have to stay off social networks if you don't want to know what's happening "for the web is dark and full of spoilers".

So, in an ever-globilized and connected world ... do we still need DSTV? If they are going to air shows so late, whilst you can stream an entire episode and sometimes a full season without having to wait two weeks - why pay the over- R600 subscription fee? With the same amount you can get a decent internet deal and the world is your oyster?

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I wonder if guys like DStv are really thinking about it 'cause the more I think of it, the only reason one needs DStv is for the sports channels. Otherwise everything they show is available online.

As broadband gets more and more accessible and as the pricing of going online reduces every year, I believe the future will be online instead of sitting and waiting for a show you could watch within 24-hours after its US or Japanesse premiere.

The times have changed but has DStv caught up with the times? It can't just be a price issue, DStv has a monopoly over the continent, the guys are raking in the money but why do they make us wait?  Watch this space ... in a few years subscriptions will go down ... it's only a matter of time.

Game of Thrones Season 4 starts this Friday (18 April) on M-Net.

Editor's note

Please note:
TVSA does not condone the illegal download of copyrighted material.




5 Comments

tha - bang
16 Apr 2014 05:10

They have been weighed ands found wanting

TVSA Team
17 Apr 2014 13:50

Hi everyone ... this response just in from M-Net's Head of Publicity and Special Projects, Lani Lombard:

"In our quest to facilitate the best viewing experience, M-Net keeps a constant eye on the latest international viewing trends as well as the behaviour and preferences of our viewers.

Subsequently, we introduced day-and-date screenings of the most popular international series, with shows such as The Voice, The Tomorrow People, Chicago Fire , and Revenge.

While our viewers enjoyed the opportunity to see these series so much faster than before, production breaks in the US have posed scheduling difficulties. If there are no new episodes from abroad it means that we need to fill the slots with other programming here in South Africa.

Because recent feedback from viewers has indicated that that they prefer uninterrupted scheduling, we decided to start Game of Thrones 11 days after its US premiere.

Game of Thrones will take a break half way through the season for the Memorial Day Holiday in the United States. With the current scheduling, we won't need to break and episodes thereafter will be even closer to their US broadcasts - only 4 days post the US broadcast date.

M-Net would also like to bring to your attention that it's not more expensive to get the rights to broadcast a show closer to is US broadcast, as stated in the post on TVSA. Furthermore, we do not condone illegal piracy of any material."

tha - bang
17 Apr 2014 14:04

nice when the big boys take time out to engage with us little people. Interesting when people refer to research that they dont share with you for you  to see :)

ifydon
17 Apr 2014 23:33

TVSA is right, I watch my favorite shows now online for the past year,I watch what I want when I want,also watched the Game of thrones S4E2 on Monday and DSTV will soon need to reduce their price or they will lose their customers.The the smartphones and smart tv and the internet subscription getting cheaper,DSTV simply has no choice anymore.

tha - bang
18 Apr 2014 07:44

DSTV needs to be more innovative ifydon


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