Ericsson to collaborate with MNOs to drive VoD market in Kenya

Ericsson is working closely with mobile operators in Kenya to begin the roll out of NuVu an end to end subscription Video on Demand content service.

Kenya will be the second country Ericsson looks into launching NuVu after Nigeria where plans are underway to have the product launched in Q1 of 2016 in partnership with Airtel Nigeria to Airtel’s over 30 million subscribers. Ericsson, however, did not disclose when they will launch the product into the Kenyan Market.

Speaking at the launch of the first ever TV and Media report for Kenya, Robert Rudin, Country Manager, Ericsson Kenya said, “The rise of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets as the viewing devices of choice is an opportunity for local operators, content providers and broadcasters alike. We are no doubt seeing a shift in the way people consume television and video content and the demand for flexibility and reliability will influence operator strategies. This is why we have entered into talks with mobile operators to work closely with them so that we can as well launch NuVu into this market. Discussions are underway and we will soon be able to tell which mobile operator we will partner with.”

The proliferation of mobile devices has ushered in a world of possibilities for TV and Media consumption in Africa. Viewing habits have evolved beyond just watching TV in a living room. The mobility offered by these devices means that people are not restricted by time or place when it comes to entertainment.

According to the report TV ownership stands at 92% while ownership of smartphones stands at 82%. Among Kenyans who watch TV and video online only 40% of total time is spent watching video content on TV screens with the remaining 60% watching videos on devices. This is according Ericsson Consumer Lab research.

The NuVu platform which has been developed by Ericsson will be fully intergrated into the operators customer relationship management and payment systems .

A core feature of the service is the inbuilt ability to distribute content to consumers during off peak periods as this help minimize data costs for both the operator and consumer addressing the cost challenge that has so far been an obstacle to VoD uptake in Africa.

The service will launch initially as an Android app providing subscribers with a personalized User Interface, bookmarking and personal recommendations with time.

The NuVu Brand identity was created by creative agency Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services (EBMS), formerly Red Bee, which is part of Ericsson. EBMS has created identities for a number of leading broadcasters around the world including BBC, DreamWorks, UKTV, NBCUniversal, RTE, OBC Egypt, TV2 Norway and many more.With the new product in the market, NuVu is set to compete for the VoD space with NetFlix, vudu among others.

“What most people don’t know is that Ericsson has been in the content space for a while providing creative content and services for BBC for a while now another reason why NuVu stands out to be successful,” added Mr. Rudin.

The service will be marketed in close collaboration with service providers and subscribers will have access to over 3,000 local and international TV and Film titles for as little as USD5 monthly.

Subscribers will also be able to download content directly to their smartphones or tablets at no additional cost during off peak network times and access the content offline for up to 30 days after downloading.