Pursuits
Hong Kong Billionaire Said to Plan African Rival to Netflix
- PCCW plans further international expansion for VoD service
- Streaming service will also compete with Naspers's ShowMax
Streaming services are targeting Africa as wireless networks become more widespread and reliable, allowing the delivery of video in a region where landlines are scarce.
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PCCW Ltd., controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li, is planning a video-on-demand service for South Africa that would compete with Netflix Inc. and Naspers Ltd.’s ShowMax, according to two people familiar with the matter.
PCCW’s HKT unit will unveil the entertainment service as early as next week, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified as the product isn’t public yet. Telecommunications conglomerate PCCW bought a majority stake in mobile video-on-demand service Vuclip in March and plans to expand the service into new markets, including Africa.