This year, the world has changed and entered a new normal where people are wearing masks in the street and staying home watching football players compete in empty stadium on TV.

As Christmas approaches, people are acknowledging the fact they are living in a “new normal” and that things will never go back to how they were before. And this is not a bad news as the digital transformation of our lives accelerated. From work to leisure, from shopping to healthcare, digital innovation has been boosted.

StarTimes has been on the frontline of this transformation. It upgraded its streaming app StarTimes ON to make information and entertainment more easily available to smartphone users.

With the 1to3 policy which gives every TV subscriber access to three StarTimes ON VIP accounts and the flexible payment policy through which subscribers can recharge daily, weekly or monthly, StarTimes gives families the convenience to enjoy TV programs according to their needs and means.

As people stayed home, StarTimes launched more than a dozen new channels this year. TV series and movie lovers were delighted to watch TNT, PBO, TLNovelas, TDC and FOX and they will love the new exclusive telenovelas aired on StarTimes channels, such as Gathbandhan, General’s Daughter, Los Bastardos and The Heiress. News and documentaries aficionados can now enjoy great programs on NGC, NGW, SKY News as well as on Fashionbox. Kids weren’t forgotten with three premium channels, Cbeebies, Toonami and, exclusive to StarTimes in Africa, DreamWorks.

In terms of sport, StarTimes was the first operator to offer ESPN channels on the continent this year. ESPN broadcast a vast array of sport content, from NBA to the Dutch and US football leagues. This year, StarTimes also acquired the Spanish La Liga, offering football fans all matches of one of the top European football leagues, live and in HD. It also added the new UEFA tournament Nations League which sees the top European national teams compete against each other. And StarTimes keeps broadcasting some premium football events such as the UEFA Europa League, the Emirates FA Cup and the Spanish and Italian national cups.

Apart from these international events, StarTimes has always been keen to support the local football leagues. It has been Uganda Premier League and Ghana Premier League official broadcaster for several years. And this year, it partnered with the Kenyan FKF Premier League and the Zambia National Division 1 League to give both leagues visibility nationwide. As a result, StarTimes has been recognized for its Contribution towards sports development during the 45th Sports Writers’ Association of Ghana (SWAG) Awards.

StarTimes new e-shopping platform StarTimes GO has also received praise. Launch last spring, this TV-online-phone e-commerce platform became a lifesaver for many families during the pandemic. Offering great deals on electronic and daily life products, StarTimes GO made e-commerce convenient and valuable. Many people who never ordered online before the pandemic found a reliable way to keep equipping their home with affordable and much needed devices while staying safely at home.

“When outbreak started, we first reacted by making our platforms more accessible. Then we realized that people needed safe and convenient ways to keep enjoying life and later on, the keyword became value,” explains Andy Wang, the CEO of StarTimes. “More than ever, people want to get value for what they spend, whether it is watching TV with their family or buying products for their home.

“At StarTimes, our vision has always been to ensure that all families could access and enjoy our services. But this year, the situation pushed us to innovate and launch products and services that bring Africa one step further in a digital world.

“Our lives have changed and it is time to accept and embrace it. That is what we want to tell to people this Christmas, that they should ‘refresh their lifestyle’ with StarTimes and enjoy the best of this new normal.”