What is holding back the adoption of video-on-demand (VOD) services in SA? For Naspers-owned ShowMax, the blame seems to lie squarely with the high cost of data.This is according to a survey the company completed recently in which 40% of respondents said the cost of data was their main reason for not using VOD services. The second most common response (approximately 20%) was that respondents were not sure of how to set up these services.There are naturally other factors at play. Some people are loyal to other, more traditional services, including regular TV. Some prefer not to watch longer-play content on their computers and phones, but don’t have connected TVs. And not everyone who might consume media in this way has access to a smartphone.But whatever the mix, it is fair to say that the cost of data is a significant barrier to the adoption of such data-hungry content. Though costs have fallen over time, surplus data for entertainment remains a luxury enjoyed by a relatively small ...
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