IPTV
RunnTV launches Africa’s first independent free streaming platform
eMedia and RunnTV team up to bring ad-funded television to seven African markets
NEW DELHI: India’s RunnTV has decided the future of African television should be free, and it is betting an entire continent will agree. The FAST platform, one of India’s fastest-growing free ad-supported streaming players, has launched Openview Stream, billed as Africa’s first independent FAST platform, marking its first serious push beyond home turf.
The venture sits inside the eMedia Investments portfolio, built in partnership with RunnTV as eMedia’s technology and platform partner. The pitch is a marriage of convenience that actually makes sense: eMedia brings premium content, established entertainment brands and a deep read on African audiences, while RunnTV supplies the streaming technology and platform know-how to actually run the thing at scale.
Openview Stream has gone live across Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Mauritius in its first phase, with more markets to follow in a phased rollout over coming months.
The timing is deliberate. Africa is emerging as one of the hottest markets for free streaming anywhere, powered by rising smart TV adoption, improving broadband and a generational shift in how audiences find and watch television. Openview Stream wants to ride that wave rather than chase it, building what it calls a sustainable ecosystem for viewers, broadcasters, advertisers and content owners alike.
The platform’s real ambition, though, is behind the scenes: giving regional broadcasters a way to extend their reach beyond traditional television into mobile and connected TV, while unlocking new advertising revenue through a long-term partnership model. The channel strategy leans on local resonance and entertainment value, all wrapped in a free, ad-funded package.
“Africa is one of the most exciting growth markets for the future of television, and Openview Stream has been built with that opportunity in mind,” said Manish Sinha, founder and chief executive of RunnTV. He added that eMedia Investments brings the audience insight, media brands and local market expertise needed to scale the platform across the continent.
Khalik Sheriff, group chief executive of eMedia Investments, framed the launch as part of a broader industry shift. “The television industry across Africa is entering a new era as audiences increasingly embrace connected and streaming experiences,” he said, describing Openview Stream as a combination of African storytelling, trusted entertainment and subscription-free access built to create fresh opportunities for broadcasters, creators and advertisers.
The rollout is only the opening move. With plans to expand its channel line-up, content partnerships and footprint over coming quarters, Openview Stream is angling to become the ad-funded streaming destination Africa did not know it was waiting for.
