24/7 Internet TV Channel, Expands Its Digital Presence
South Africa’s first 24/7 internet TV channel, AlternaTV, is expanding its footprint and establishing a stronger presence in the online and digital space by launching a mobile app - which is now available for free download on iOS devices, and will be available for Android at the end of May.
AlternaTV, 24/7 Internet TV Channel, Expands Its Digital Presence By Launching Mobile App & Pop Music Feed
The online internet TV channel has always focused on accessibility and affordability, and by launching the app it now provides content for viewers that is literally one click away, everywhere they go, right on their mobile device. AlternaTV has created the app to be as user-friendly as possible, with their on-demand section being categorised into genre so it’s even easier for viewers to find what they’re looking for, at a time that’s convenient for them.
Creator and creative director of AlternaTV, Nico Nel, is elated with the progress and growth AlternaTV has experienced since the channel launched in July 2013, and even more so now with the introduction of the mobile app. “The big idea behind starting AlternaTV was topublish affordable and accessible video content for viewers, with no payment or subscription fees, and afford advertisers the opportunity to connect with these viewers on a mobile / digital platform. We wanted to create a 24/7 internet TV channel, with a unique and fresh content offering. Our flagship shows that were present with the initial launch of the channel – our movie, gadgets, gaming, fashion, music and internet trends shows are still featured on AlternaTV, with a bunch of cool new shows being added to our fleet regularly. We are incredibly excited to introduce the mobile app to AlternaTV’s offering, and feel that it will give AlternaTV fans the ease and accessibility to content that their lifestyles demand.
In addition to the app, we’ve also added a second 24/7pop music feed, which runs completely independent from the 24/7 alternative rock feed. So if you are a party animal or a pop-princess, you’ll now also be able to watch your favourite artists like Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Avicii on our pop music feed. An internet TV channel like AlternaTV is able to mix music genres without ‘alienating’ fans of certain genres, so now music fans can choose to either watch/listen to rock or pop music.”
Along with the launch of the AlternaTV app, comes a first of its kind educational show – MathsPod. MathsPod is a mathematic tutorial show that will be available to viewers, for free. The content on MathsPod is tailored for students attending private schools, public schools and home schools, as well as for university students and working professionals who wish to recap their maths knowledge. “MathsPod was founded on the basis of a dire need to transform the educational landscape in South Africa. This especially applies to the Maths and Science fields, which undoubtedly form the cornerstone of a robust workforce that enables sustainable job creation and economic growth,” says AlternaTV’s Managing Director, Terence Odendaal.
MathsPod aims to provide quality maths tutoring and learning to help matriculants and students, meet the educational demands of a developing economy. Coupled with this glaring macro-demand, there is also a need at the individual level for an online educational platform that is free, accessible, user-friendly, on-demand, fun and relevant. Odendaal is confident that the MathsPod offering on AlternaTV will fit in well with a learner’s lifestyle. “We searched high and low for well-suited presenters, which, when coupled with AlternaTV’s exceptional editing capabilities, result in a fantastic viewing experience for the learner. The easy to use app provides the learner with the ability to view the content in their own time – pause, fast-forward and rewind episodes and lessons; as well as covering the syllabus at their own comfortable pace.”
Anyone with a computer, smartphone or tablet, will have access to AlternaTV’s full content offering – including MathsPod. And while AlternaTV has undergone a bit of a transformation since it launched – the new logo, the addition of the 24/7 pop music feed and new shows added to the line up – its offering to viewers is still free. All viewers need, is a mobile device and an internet connection.
Internet coverage in SA has drastically improved in recent years – with many public areas offering free wifi, and some municipalities, such as the City of Tshwane, preparing to roll out plans to blanket the city/town with free wireless data. In the education space, major provincial governments, such as Gauteng, are rolling out free wifi at schools. The UN recently added internet access as a basic human right and, as a result, the SA government has allocated R20 billion to enable this to happen.
“When we launched AlternaTV, we were fully aware of the internet connectivity issues and data costs, but these issues are much less than we originally anticipated. Since we launched, we’ve had over 300 000 hits to the site, which shows that if you create the right content, people will find the internet connection in order to watch that content. Uniquely, we’ve seen a lot of international viewers tuning in, which means that the internet TV model is working and more viewers are turning to the internet, as opposed to Pay TV channels, for their content. Online TV works for so many reasons,” Nel adds.
Not only is online TV appealing to the general public, but it’s attractive for content creators and advertisers too. Producers and advertisers are approaching the channel with content and advertising ideas, as AlternaTV offers a vibrant platform where producers can showcase their work and advertisers can engage with the trendy Alternatis (AlternaTV viewers.) Nel notes that: “AlternaTV is working with some fantastic brands, and we are seeing more interest from new, as well as established brands, to work alongside AlternaTV to create great content, that lives online, for their brand. Sony Pictures sponsor the AlternaTV Movie Show where they get the opportunity to showcase all their latest releases and movie news. By aligning with AlternaTV, Sony Pictures successfully create further hype around their new releases, and because it is all digital, viewers have the opportunity to simply click on a link to purchase their movie tickets after seeing the movie feature on the channel.”
Short format content is fast becoming a popular choice for people. Viewers are pressed for time so they need their entertainment and info in quick snippets. Online TV is revolutionising the way in which people consume content. With the introduction and evolution of online content channels, control now lies with the individual. Nel reiterates: “If the content is good enough viewers will make an effort to access it. Have you ever heard anyone saying that they haven’t seen the latest viral video because they don’t have internet?”
For more information and to check out the latest shows on AlternaTV, be sure to head on over to:
Website: www.alternatv.tv
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alternatvsa
Twitter: www.twitter.com/alternatvsa
#AlternaTVSA
