Thanks to faster and more reliable internet connections across South Africa, it won't be long before household satellite dishes become as antiquated as the landline telephone. Digital satellite TV - the core business of Naspers's MultiChoice - will soon join movie rental stores and physical letters as victims of the internet revolution. Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk believes the downfall of traditional TV will be brisk. "I do not think five years from now people will be picking up newspapers any more or watching linear TV," Van Dijk told investors in December. Naspers wanted its media and video entertainment businesses to adapt quickly through digitisation, he said. In other markets in which broadband is ubiquitous, the transition from satellite TV is well under way. In Europe, Sky said recently it would let customers "ditch the dish" by streaming its channels online. In the US - the home of video streaming services Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime - traditional pay-TV distributors lost an...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.