Subscriber data on Showmax to be managed by MultiChoice Africa Holdings B.V.

We have always known that Showmax is owned by Multichoice (MultiChoice Africa Holdings B.V.), but what was not clear was whether Multichoice was directly involved in the running of of Showmax at some level.

According to an email sent to Showmax subscribers this afternoon, the managing of Showmax subscriber data has changed to Multichoice Africa Holdings B.V:

Hello,

We wish to inform you that from 1st April 2020 onwards, due to an internal restructuring at Showmax, your service provider is now MultiChoice Africa Holdings B.V. MultiChoice Africa Holdings B.V. will now control and process your personal data in connection with the services we provide to you.

The terms of provision of our service do not change. The shape of the service, as well as the scope, purpose, and conditions of processing the personal data, remain the same.

The changes which result from the above are reflected in documents available on www.showmax.com.

Thank you,
Showmax Team

The email doesn’t clarify the change of data management that has been taken over by Multichoice Africa Holdings B.V. from who. We reached out to Richard Boorman who is the Head of Communication, Publicity and Brand Journalism for Multichoice’s Connected Video Unit for clarification and he said that previously (and now still, given that the change over takes effect tomorrow April 1, 2020), the subscriber data was being handled by Showmax B.V.

What’s not clear is why Multichoice saw it fit to take over the management of subscriber data, given that as per the email, “The terms of provision of our service do not change. The shape of the service, as well as the scope, purpose, and conditions of processing the personal data, remain the same”.

“There’s no impact at all on the service or any kind of change in Showmax ownership. We’ve just done some restructuring between company legal entities and needed to let customers know which of our entities is now managing their data”, Mr. Boorman reteriated in a response to us.

Recently Showmax announced the addition of Live News on the platform in the wake of coronavirus, a beautiful addition to the very subscribers who would find the content of Showmax somewhat outdated.