NeuLion Incorporated, the company driving convergence between television and the internet, announced today that
Africast TV has chosen NeuLion's iPTV Service as the platform for the first global African Consumer Broadcast Network. The service is scheduled to be launched in December and will roll out more than 30 TV channels in the next few months.
Using NeuLion's iPTV platform and broadband modem, Africast will deliver a variety of African programming directly to subscription and pay-for-view consumers anywhere in the world. The service will aggregate major television channels from Africa and provide video on demand of popular African programs.
"NeuLion's iPTV Service broadcasts real time streaming video directly to the consumer's television via broadband," said Chris Wagner, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of NeuLion. "The amount and variety of quality content available from Africa is huge. NeuLion and Africast have put it all in one place to make it easy for consumers to find and enjoy their program selections."
Africast's target audience includes the millions of Africans living in the U. S., Europe,
Canada and other parts of the globe, as well as African-Americans. According to the
U. S. Census, there are 1.2 million Africans and 36.6 million African-Americans living in the U.S.
"Africast TV delivers live news, sports, and entertainment to consumers directly from a fast-growing network of local broadcasters in African countries," said John Sarpong, Chairman and CEO of Africast. "We have secured exclusive agreements for live broadcasts from over 30 TV channels in 25 African countries and are negotiating with many more."
Africast TV, the first Pan-African online television network, offers a full schedule of live and on-demand, high-quality programming directly from Africa via the Internet. The 2006 African Club Soccer Championship Matches, watched online by thousands, is typical of the many popular programs carried by Africast.
In addition to live country-specific African TV channels, Africast offers the Africast Movie & Entertainment (AME) Channel, featuring popular movies, drama and entertainment programming from all over Africa. In December, Africast will add an African Music Video Channel and an African News Channel, both available 24/7 to their subscribers around the world.
The NeuLion and Africast service will be offered to consumers for a subscription price of $19.95 per month. The subscription package includes live, up-to-date news, sports and entertainment, directly from country-specific African broadcast television stations. It also includes popular African movies, dramas, comedies, soap operas and music, on demand.
"The service will allow consumers to fast forward, rewind, pause, and bookmark their favorite shows, all made possible with a NeuLion remote control and the customer's TV broadband connection," said John Sarpong. "You won't even need a computer."