MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications group, has started rolling out MTN One TV, a new digital entertainment service aimed at widening access to video content across its African markets as competition intensifies in streaming and mobile-led media distribution.

The platform combines local programs, live television channels, international shows, and on-demand content in a single offering. MTN says the service is designed to reflect how customers across different countries already consume and pay for entertainment, rather than forcing a uniform model across its footprint.

Rather than relying on a single pricing structure, MTN One TV will operate through several viewing options depending on the market. These may include free-to-access content supported by advertising, pay-as-you-go viewing, subscription packages and other models. In some countries, customers will also be able to pay using airtime or mobile money, a structure intended to ease access for users who remain outside traditional banking systems.

MTN’s infrastructure bet on African creators

MTN is positioning the service as more than a consumer product. It also sees it as a distribution channel for African creators, broadcasters, and advertisers who are looking for wider reach. By linking content to its existing telecom infrastructure and payment systems, MTN is betting it can reduce friction between production, distribution, and monetization in fragmented media markets.

“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN Group Chief Commercial, Strategy, and Transformation Officer. “Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”

Rollout of MTN One TV will be gradual, with services introduced in phases depending on local partnerships, regulatory conditions, and existing media ecosystems. MTN said it plans to refine the product over time, bringing together content deals, technical features, and user experience improvements under a single brand.

Ralph Mupita leads MTN’s new revenue push

Under Chief Executive Ralph Mupita, MTN has been pushing deeper into digital services alongside its core telecom business. In 2025, it invested $580 million in network expansion and upgrades aimed at improving coverage and handling rising data demand across its markets.

The latest push reflects lessons from earlier efforts. MTN previously experimented with a streaming service in South Africa — first launched as FrontRow and later rebranded as VU — which was shut down in 2017 after struggling to compete with global and regional platforms.

The move comes as Africa’s digital entertainment sector expands, with operators such as Vodacom and Safaricom bundling content, payments, and connectivity into broader digital offerings aimed at retaining customers and increasing data usage.

For MTN, One TV represents another step in linking connectivity with services that sit on top of its networks, as telecom operators across the continent look for new revenue sources beyond voice and data services. The company says the focus remains on building products that fit local markets while expanding access to digital entertainment for a wider audience.