DIGITAL TV MARKETING BATTLE AS GOTV TO SHOW FOOTBALL GAMES

Lebron James will kick off GOtv's weekend sports lineup when his Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Washington Wizards in a game that will be aired at 2:50 a.m. later tonight (actually Saturday morning).

Arsenal's visit to Selhurst Park to take on Alan Pardew's Crystal Palace will be televised on Supersport Select 2 at 4:45 PM tomorrow while a number of other La Liga and Serie A games will follow.

Lebron James

As the battle over whether to migrate to digital platforms fades with the regulator CAK clearly trouncing the three dissenting media stations, focus now shifts to what is actually on offer on the current platforms meaning marketing and advertising will now take centre stage.

GOtv, announced by Ipsos-Synovate to be the leading digital platform in the country with a 37 per cent market share is locked in battle with Startimes who are at 23 per cent.

Bamba TV, owned by Lancia Digital, a fully-owned subsidiary of Radio Africa Group has entered the fray and is pushing its product hard.

The next few months even as the three media houses bring in their own decoders through their Africa Digital Network consortium will tell who emerges top.

Viewers should expect premium offerings as the rival platforms battle to win hearts and minds.