KAMPALA — MTN Uganda has entered a new phase of Uganda’s digital entertainment market with the launch of MTN TV by AfroMobile, a streaming platform combining live television, radio and on-demand content in a single service.
The platform offers more than 60 live TV channels and 53 radio stations, alongside movies, sports, news, children’s programming and African original productions.
It can be accessed through smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and web browsers, giving users the ability to choose what to watch, when to watch it and where to access it.
The platform was officially launched in Kampala in the presence of MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Mulinge, Uganda Communications Commission Director of Corporate Affairs Fred Otunnu, AfroMobile General Manager Kevin Kaija and representatives of Uganda’s creative industry.
Mulinge said the launch reflects changing consumer expectations as more Ugandans use digital platforms for entertainment and other services.
“Entertainment has become an integral part of our customers’ digital lives,” she said.
She said consumers increasingly expect telecommunications companies to provide more than voice and data services, including convenient access to entertainment, financial services, education and other digital experiences.
“Today marks another important milestone in MTN Uganda’s journey. MTN TV is much more than a streaming platform. It is a platform for opportunity,” Mulinge said.
Opportunity for local creators
MTN said the platform is also intended to create new distribution opportunities for Uganda’s creative sector.
Filmmakers, musicians, broadcasters and other content creators will have another digital channel through which to reach audiences, potentially expanding the commercial market for locally produced content.
Mulinge said MTN TV would give Ugandan creators an opportunity to showcase their work to wider audiences while providing customers with access to quality local and international productions.
The launch comes as Uganda’s creative industry increasingly embraces digital platforms to distribute films, television programmes, music and other content.
UCC Director of Corporate Affairs Fred Otunnu said the growth of such platforms could contribute to job creation, consumer choice and the expansion of Uganda’s digital economy.
He congratulated MTN Uganda and AfroMobile on the partnership, saying innovations that expand access to digital content can create new opportunities for creators and businesses.
“The next phase of Uganda’s digital transformation is ensuring that connectivity translates into services that create value for citizens and support socio-economic development,” Otunnu said.
Building beyond connectivity
The launch also marks MTN Uganda’s continuing shift towards positioning itself as a technology company rather than solely a telecommunications provider.
Mulinge said the company had spent decades connecting Ugandans through voice and data services but was now developing platforms designed to deliver additional digital experiences.
MTN TV by AfroMobile is part of that strategy, combining entertainment services with the company’s existing digital ecosystem.
Kevin Kaija, General Manager of AfroMobile, said the partnership was built around giving customers greater choice through a single platform.
“We dared to dream BIG. What was different about our vision was that we wanted our customer to have the power of choice on one single platform,” he said.
Kaija urged broadcasters, filmmakers and other players in Uganda’s creative sector to view the platform as an enabler of collaboration and shared growth.
Growing digital competition
The launch adds another player to Uganda’s increasingly competitive digital entertainment market, where consumers are shifting towards streaming, mobile viewing and on-demand content.
By bringing television, radio and other entertainment formats together, MTN and AfroMobile are betting on convenience and accessibility as more consumers use smartphones and connected devices as their primary entertainment screens.
The platform’s focus on African originals and local creators also provides an opportunity for Ugandan content to compete for audiences alongside international productions.
For MTN Uganda, the challenge will be to convert its large telecommunications customer base into regular users of the new service while maintaining a strong content offering.
For creators, the platform offers another route to audiences and potential revenue at a time when the future of Uganda’s film, television and music industries is increasingly tied to digital distribution.
MTN said the service ultimately seeks to give customers greater control over their entertainment while contributing to the growth of Uganda’s digital and creative economy.
