Standard in Sh300m deal with Bamba TV to raise participation in digital TV

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Standard Group on Thursday raised its participation in the digital TV space by partnering with Lancia Digital Broadcasting, operator of Bamba TV, from Radio Africa Limited.  

The Sh300 million partnership will join the heritage and content management expertise of KTN to the multiple international channels and countrywide distribution of the Bamba platform, rolled out over the last 12 months. 

''Through Bamba TV we will not only continue to offer the very best of KTN but now also, a multiplicity of competitive International and local channels for our viewers across the entire country. We are offering our advertisers increased variety from a channel perspective while ensuring a higher ROI with audiences that are targeted and specific," said Sam Shollei, Standard Group CEO.  

“We will also be looking to develop and adapt international formats and shows for the local market so that we can not only meet audience expectations but start to define new content categories,” he added. 

Lancia Digital Broadcasting launched Bamba TV, a free to view service, in December 2014.  Bamba is accessible through a one-off purchase of a set top box currently retailing at Sh3,599. Thereafter the programming is free of charge for life.  Bamba has already rolled out 13 broadcast sites across the country with 70 percent coverage of Television households. The service carries over 30 local and international channels, the majority of which were previously only available on Pay TV. 

"We will be looking to roll out an additional 12 sites while optimising the current 13 sites that we already have in place over the next nine months,” said Patrick Quarcoo, Radio Africa Limited CEO.  

“This signals the importance of developing partnerships that are underpinned by the resolve to provide solutions for common challenges,” he added.

The Standard Group and Radio Africa Limited have now become the first local broadcasters to fully embrace digital migration and offer a converged television solution made up of the very best local and international programming. 

“We totally are supportive of the digital migration initiative and this partnership heralds a new television era for the ordinary Kenyan – the best TV channels free for the rest of their lives,” Mr. Shollei declared. 

“We will also create a diversity of content and give Kenyan producers an opportunity to build and launch their own channels on Bamba TV,” he added. 

The new partnership will see KTN offer more and diverse programming via the Bamba TV platform ensuring that it continues to be the preferred home of family entertainment in the country.

Bamba TV is positioned as Kenya's premier family entertainment platform airing cartoons for children, movies, entertainment and fashion channels for women, sports and news channels for men as well as documentary channels.  The free–to-view package on digital terrestrial television is a first in Africa. 

Over the next five years, it is expected that the company will invest up to Sh 1billion in the service subject to regulatory approval.