In this month’s Confessions of a Couch Potato, we chatted to Jared Jacobs, Business Unit Director at Dentsu Red Star.   What show are you currently bingeing – and on which platform can we find it?  Yoh, I just come off a phenomenal run of ping-ponging between The Ed Gein Story and Black Rabbit on Netflix!   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!)  With bra Ed, I was keen on finding out more about the godfather of horror and the birthplace of serial killers, and with Black Rabbit, I had to witness seeing funny man Jason Bateman being an absolute menace to his brother and society.   If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say?  “He wears faces that aren’t his and likes digging up the past” for Ed Gein and “Jason Bateman’s character hates peace and is steadfast in his endeavours to never experience it” for Black Rabbit.   What brand of TV/ Connected Devices do you have at home?  Skyworth   How many hours do you watch per week?  In a good week, around 7-8 hours   Do you still watch traditional TV?  Only live sport.   Why do you choose to work with the Reach Africa team?  I believe in their product and I enjoy working with Roche and Leslie.

New formats, viewing behaviours and industry moves are setting the scene for the year ahead. By Leslie Adams, Sales Director at Reach Africa   Every new year brings a fresh wave of predictions about where streaming is headed, with experts peering into their crystal balls (or smart screens, for that matter) to try to foretell where audiences will go.   As South Africa celebrates 50 years of broadcast in 2026, we’re rapidly becoming one of the most dynamic markets in the world, with mobile-savvy viewers who are quick to experiment and even quicker to adopt new habits. And while the year has barely kicked off, we’re already seeing shifts in how people watch and the way platforms respond, off the back of some key landscape developments from the past few months.   Here are six shifts you can expect to see across the streaming landscape in 2026.   1. AI will bring fan-made content into the mainstream The biggest trend this year starts with a simple idea: viewers aren’t just watching anymore;they’re creating. They’re making fan videos and recreations, playing with and remixing their favourite shows and characters. The next step? Fan-made, AI-assisted content going mainstream. Disney’s partnership with OpenAI shows how seriously streamers are starting to treat this shift, with the studio calling it a move toward “new possibilities in imaginative storytelling.” The challenge for these legacy brands will be walking the tightrope between protecting their intellectual property and giving fans free rein.   2. Short and vertical formats will take over the in-between moments As our attention spans become shorter and shorter, the days of hour-long episodes might be over…because sometimes, you just want to finish your story while in the taxi or on a break. That’s why short and vertical formats, such as phone-native videos built for quick viewing,are gaining ground. These formats work because they’re fast, addictive and deliver an instant hit of dopamine-fuelling entertainment. This doesn’t mean that long-form viewing is over – especially those must-watch shows that set the WhatsApp group on fire! But viewers increasingly want both slow and fast viewing to fit their mood and diary, and the streamers that serve both will be the ones audiences return to.   3. Streaming platforms will continue to consolidate After years of non-stop growth and expansion, the streaming universe is starting to streamline and mature. Companies are consolidating and looking for better ways to grow audiences and revenue, with bundle deals, shared platforms and content partnerships offering viewers more bang for their buck. In South Africa, we’re seeing partnerships as well as mergers, especially when it comes to billing. This makes subscriptions easier to manage and gives the streamers who make it easy for their viewers a competitive edge.   4. Streamers will aggressively enter the live sports arena If there is one thing that pulls in live viewers, it’s sport – and up until recently, it’s been the edge that traditional TV has held over streaming. This year, streamers are going to get into the action in a big way. Netflix is moving into live sports, including coverage of events such as the Africa Cup of Nations. Showmax has bagged the English Premier League. Disney is streaming ESPN channels. All hoping to hook loyal and loud sport fans, who watch together, comment in real time and keep talking and debating long after the final whistle. By stepping into this space, streamers gain access to an audience that shows up consistently and spends generously. This year, viewers can expect more sports rights deals, as well as the kind of around-the-game content fans love, such as the build-up, behind-the-scenes moments and post-match analysis.   5. Live stream will go mainstream Who would’ve thought that watching someone else play a video game would be such a lucrative and fast-growing format in entertainment? Live streaming has shot out of niche viewing straight into the mainstream. YouTube Live, Twitch and TikTok Live have normalised real-time broadcasting, including musicians doing live studio sessions, sport watch-alongs and lifestyle creators doing Q&As in real-time. For brands, it offers a space where audiences show up primed to engage and interact.   6. CTV will finally take a decent chunk of the TV budget Connected TV (CTV) has moved from taking a smaller, experimental part of the media spend pie to something brands now budget for in a serious way, with research from Kantar showingstrong gains in purchase intent linked to the medium. Covering any television that streams via apps – whether that’s a smart TV or a screen connected to a PlayStation, Chromecast or Apple TV – CTV is how many households watch their shows today. CTV combines the impact of traditional television with the accuracy of digital targeting, which matters in a market where people hop between streaming apps but still gather around the main screen at home. That’s why CTV is becoming the place that brands are directing more and more of their TV spend to – and no longer just what is left over from the digital bucket.   Want to turn these 2026 streaming shifts into greater reach, sharper targeting and measurable impact? Talk to Reach Africa about how to activate your brand across today’s evolving streaming and CTV landscape.

This month, we chatted to Sam Joshua, Senior Business Director at Kintaro. What show are you currently bingeing, and on which platform can we find it? There are a couple of shows I am hooked on right now, some new and some old. Parenthood on Netflix and The Wire and On Call – both on Amazon Prime.   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) Parenthood: Nostalgia! It is an early-to-mid-2000 production but is so relatable right now and it provides an overall "feel-good" vibe!   The Wire: One for the books with a fantastic cast and an even better storyline.   On Call: This was something promoted to me by Amazon Prime based on my watch history and I am loving it thus far!   If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say? Parenthood: "Your parenting is far from bad!” The Wire: "South Africa, in some respects, is not so different - there are more similarities than we realise.” On Call: "New age police drama series.”   What brand of TV/ Connected Devices do you have at home? Vidaa - Hisense & whatever is readily available on Skyworth!   How many hours do you watch per week? TV is truly my way of winding down (outside of my treadmill time 😉) and generally, it is 2-3 episodes a day.   Do you still watch TV? Or only streaming? We have no access to free-to-air in our household; everything we watch is based on the access our CTV offers - and then we subscribe to every OTT platform accessible in SA!   What's been your experience working with Reach Africa? A team of well-versed CTV and non-linear experts. Pushing the boundaries within these spaces while educating the media & advertising industry. Not simply for increasing sales, but rather to provide the industry with the knowledge that leads to stronger CTV strategies.   Why do you choose to work with Reach Africa? I love working with companies that encourage mutual knowledge growth, with a solid reporting structure and where proposals are ideated for the client’s specific objectives (i.e. are not generic.) Reach Africa is a team that hears what you have to say and supports idea exploration.

This month, we chatted to Cheryl Dube Manentsa, Senior Manager for Media at Nedbank. What show are you currently bingeing, and on which platform can we find it? I am a content junky and subscribe to ALL platforms 🫣 . It might be an occupational hazard as I am always looking for new opportunities but right now, I am loving Paradise on Disney and Prime Suspect on Apple TV+.   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) With the newer shows, it is generally referral-based; I like to be in the know. I also like to watch with my husband in the evenings to wind down after a hectic day.   I love repeating old favourites like Friends, Modern Family and New Girl when I am feeling really stressed and cannot absorb new content; I find it helps calm me down.   If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say? Paradise: "Trust noone and always be prepared!” Prime Suspect: “Maths will get you into trouble.”   What brand of TV/ Connected Devices do you have at home? We own a Samsung TV and a Google Speaker. However, I’ve watched a show on Netflix recently called Cassandra and it has made me a little apprehensive about having a connected home LOL!   How many hours do you watch per week? TV is truly my way of winding down: 7-11 pm is my prime viewing time!   Do you still watch TV? Or only streaming? Linear TV is only for DStv Sport – and even this is streamed! I cannot remember the last time I willingly watched anything on a TV that was not streamed.   What's been your experience working with Reach Africa? I love the Reach Africa team; they’re an awesome group of people. Often, we do not interact with the team as much as I’d like to since we work through an agency, but as a lead on media from a client side I like to be up to date with what is happening.   Why do you choose to work with them? Reach Africa is open to knowledge-sharing and bringing creative solutions. Especially in a world where TV is not just TV anymore – it is now addressable. As a bank (Nedbank), we are moving in this direction and are hungry for ‘addressable’ platforms in the ‘traditional’ space.

This month, we chatted to Ivarr Solomons, Ad Operations Manager at Dentsu. What show are you currently bingeing – and on which platform can we find it? I’m currently watching Fallout – it can be found on Amazon Prime.   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) The world-building is immersive, and the character arcs are layered with complexity.   If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say? It’s a gritty, darkly satirical take on what happens when capitalism survives the apocalypse better than humanity does.   What brand of TV/ Connected Devices do you have at home? Hisense.   How many hours do you watch per week? 4-6 hours.   Do you still watch traditional TV? That’s a negative; terrestrial has become pedestrian.   Why do you choose to work with the Reach Africa team? Besides the charmingly competent team, I think they live their brand. Reach Africa has a sharp understanding of what’s driving connectivity across the continent and are uniquely positioned to help clients tap into that momentum.

This month, we chatted to Jacques Carstens, Media Planner at FAME.   What show are you currently bingeing, and on which platform can we find it? The Last of Us – My Family Cinema   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) Have you ever played the game on PlayStation? Then you wouldn’t be asking 😉   What brand of TV/ Connected Devices do you have at home? Xiaomi 4K Ultra HD   How many hours do you watch per week? 14-20 hours   Do you still watch TV? Or only streaming? No more traditional TV – streaming only for me.   Why do you choose to work with Reach Africa? They understand that relationships are  key. The team is always available and really knows their product – with amazing added value to boot.

This month, we chatted to Kamohelo Sithole, Senior Paid Media Manager at Rain. What show are you currently bingeing – and on which platform can we find it? I like investigative doccies and movies, but I have recently been revisiting All Rise for some reason 😅. I have a habit of watching old stuff – I’m sorry😂   (Don’t be sorry – so do we! – Ed)   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) Just how distorted the courtroom can get and the politics behind the judiciary.   If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say? “What happens when you find yourself on the wrong side of the law when you’re not in the wrong?”   What brand of TV/ Connected Devices do you have at home? I am using the TCL.   How many hours do you watch per week? I mostly use my TV for sports more than anything –  for everything else, I use my PC. Therefore, I cannot say for sure.   Do you still watch traditional TV? No, not really. I have no idea what’s running there!   Why do you choose to work with the Reach Africa team? My relationship with Reach Africa started some while back. I like how they received me; the foundation is always important. I have trust in them to deliver what they say they will deliver – their open communication just makes working with them simple and seamless.

This month, we chatted to Riezkah Allan, Strategic Lead at The MediaShop. What show are you currently bingeing – and on which platform can we find it?  I’m deep into a nostalgic rewatch of One Tree Hill on Amazon Prime, and whenever I need a comfort fix, I dive into my favourite K-Dramas on Netflix.   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) There’s just something magical about K-Dramas – the storytelling, the emotion, the language... I swear, I’m a South Korean wannabe in another life!   If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say? It’s an emotional rollercoaster packed with love, heartbreak, and drama. Basically, everything you didn’t know you needed in a single show.   What brand of TV/ Connected Devices do you have at home? Samsung & Hisense   How many hours do you watch per week? Roughly 10 hours…just enough to keep my sanity and stay entertained!   Do you still watch traditional TV? Nope, haven’t touched it in ages.   Why do you choose to work with the Reach Africa team? Because they just get it. Strategic thinkers, standout service, and a team that always delivers beyond expectations.

This month, we chatted to Reg West, Strategy Lead: Tiger Brands – Bakeries, Home/Personal Care, Beverages & Grains at Zenith Media. What show are you currently bingeing, and on which platform can we find it? I’m a bit of a reality TV junkie (no judging, right?) Right now, I’m deep into  The Block  (Australia),  Deal or No Deal: Island , and the new season of  Survivor . I stream everything via Plex – that’s my go-to for shows and movies.   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) It’s just  good TV  – entertaining, engaging, and I don’t have to overthink it. I love getting pulled into the drama, watching characters clash, alliances shift, and surprises land. Perfect for taking my mind off things.   If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say? “Think ultimate competition, real human drama, and plot twists – all rolled into an easy, addictive watch.”   What brand of TV / connected devices do you have at home? I’ve got an LG Smart TV (which handles Plex really nicely).   How many hours do you watch per week? I save my binge sessions for weekends – I’d say I average 2 to 3 hours per day on those days. So maybe 6 to 9 hours over the weekend.   Do you still watch traditional TV? Only for sports. Everything else – shows, series, movies – I stream.   Why do you choose to work with the Reach Africa team? I work with Reach Africa because they truly get the dynamics of modern content consumption in Africa. Their expertise in Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported TV (FAST) means they know how to connect content owners, audiences, and brands in meaningful ways. Les (Adams – Sales Director) is always responsive, thoughtful, and committed to helping me navigate the evolving landscape of streaming and monetisation.

This month, we chatted to Bianca Sidelsky, Group Strategy and Innovation Director at PHD Media. What show are you currently bingeing – and on which platform can we find it? I’ve just finished Hunting Wives on Netflix.   What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) Each episode ended on a cliffhanger, as well as a ‘what-did-I-just-watch’ moment.   If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say? Crazy Texas housewives drama, mixed with explicit scenes and twists at every turn.   What brand of CTV service do you have at home? There isn’t a single legal CTV service we don’t subscribe to at home –  we are heavy users!   How many hours do you watch per week? Depends on how busy I am. I usually fall asleep in the first 5 minutes when I get into bed during weekdays, so a single episode can last 2 weeks! But when I have time to binge during weekends or holiday downtime, I can easily binge 3-4 episodes in one day.   Do you still watch traditional TV? Yes, for live sport, breaking news and anything my clients sponsor. As an industry, we are not the majority of South Africans, so it’s important to still have a view of what the majority of the population is watching every day. I also love watching DIY TV and awards shows (linear).   Why do you choose to work with the Reach Africa team? The offering is good and the sales team is lovely.

This month, we chatted to Babalwa Nyembezi, Strategy Partner at Dentsu Red Star.   What show are you currently bingeing – and on which platform can we find it? I love nostalgia. I just finished re-watching Grey’s Anatomy on Disney+. Right now, I’m enjoying And Just LikeThat Season 3…the evolution of the girls from Sex and the City . I’m loving bingeing it on DSTV Stream.    What’s the one thing about this show that hooked you? (no spoilers!) I love seeing the girls from Sex and the City evolve into their best selves in their 50s; it makes me look forward to getting older and cuter :)    If you had to pitch this show to a friend in one sentence, what would you say? Three words: Fashion. Light-hearted. Nostalgia.    What brand of TV/ Connected Devices do you have at home? We actually have an Apple TV connected to a projector.    How many hours do you watch per week? Many. But we don’t have a TV because we want to tune into any viewing intentionally rather than having it on mindlessly in the background.   Do you still watch traditional TV? For the Springboks and the tennis.    Why do you choose to work with the Reach Africa team? Roche (Moola) is the best; she’s kind and super open to collaboration. I love that we get to interact with her good energy. It makes work easy!

Viewers might go on holiday, but viewing certainly doesn’t, says Leslie Adams, Sales Director at Reach Africa.   For years, the industry has repeated the same old December cliché: Come the unofficial start of the summer holidays with the long weekend of the 16th, expect all audiences to pack up, head out and “switch off”, leaving their screens behind in favour of gazing at the gentle ocean swell.   Yet the data – and anyone who has been cooped up in a holiday home when it’s raining – tells a different story. Holidays loosen the schedule in all the best ways, with kids staying up later, teens streaming movies when not swimming, parents finally settling in with that binge-watch they missed earlier in the year, and families getting together to watch their festive favourites. And since everyone is more relaxed, with fewer distractions and no rigid routines and bedtimes, viewing doesn’t slow down during the festive season; it just shifts.   While data in South Africa is admittedly limited, the global numbers point to the fact that over the holiday period, streaming actually surges . According to Nielsen, streaming consumption continues to climb over the holiday period, with December 2024 viewership rising 9% compared to November and accounting for 43.4% of all TV watch time. Over the peak holiday interval (from Thanksgiving through Christmas) audiences drove four separate days of more than 100 billion minutes viewed. Industry reports echo the trend, highlighting that platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube hit record-high viewership in November and December last year, fueled by festive programming and major live events.   Now consider that from a South African perspective, the country’s digital backbone has never been stronger, making a strong argument for our nation following suit with our global peers. As of early 2025, South Africa counts around 50.8 million internet users – roughly 78.9% of the population – and a staggering 124 million mobile connections, which shows that we stay connected wherever we go. Streaming behaviour is well established too: by October 2024, nearly half of South Africans with internet access were subscribing to a streaming service.   This is the setup families take with them down the N1 and N3 as they shift from office and school hours to holiday mode. Screens come along for the ride, packed into cars along with the padkos to keep the kids entertained in the back. They get plugged in wherever families settle in, from the caravan resort to the family holiday cottage, with all the cousins sharing a room and a tablet. And once the pace slows, viewing becomes simple: people watch when they feel like it, without the usual rush of the week. There’s no more “dinner time prime time”, with morning cartoons helping Mom and Dad enjoy a lie-in and afternoon movies giving everyone a time to chill. With fewer demands and no fixed schedule, viewers are more relaxed and more open to what they’re watching – which matters for advertisers.   December spending proves it. Online retail sales rose 23.3% year-on-year during the 2024 festive season, and cash orders hit R87.7 billion over the same period. This is when wallets loosen a little, when we all have more time (and the bonus money!) to spoil our families. Put that alongside Connected TV (CTV), which offers premium content and precise targeting, and it becomes one of the most effective places a brand can show up at this time of year. Another advantage is that CTV adapts to wherever the audience goes. Whether a family is watching on a TV in a rented apartment, a tablet on the road or a phone between beach trips, the experience stays consistent. It remains high-quality, brand-safe and fully measurable. Even when people scatter across the country, CTV keeps them reachable in one place.   For brands, the takeaway is straightforward. December isn’t downtime; it’s a high-attention, high-spend stretchwhere viewers finally have the headspace to notice the products in front of them, consider what they want and decided what to buy. The brands that stay present now are the ones that hold attention going into the new year.   South Africans don’t switch off over the holidays. They just change scenery – and their screens go with them. For advertisers who lean into CTV, the audience is right there: engaged, connected and primed to buy.   Ready to tap into December’s real prime time? Chat to us to ensure your brand shows up where holiday audiences really are.