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Enlyt TV, an online TV platform that enables Kenyans to watch LIVE local television from anywhere in the world. The vision of Enlyt TV is to connect Kenyans in the Diaspora with home through local news, shows and all things Kenyan.
Technologically, Enlyt TV is a platform because of scalability and intractability with various content sources and outlets. Enlyt TV is the first Kenyan company to use and fully utilize IPTV technologies, truly bringing TV experience to the personal computers, smart TV setup, and soon to other devices. To Kenyan diasporans consumers, Enlyt TV is the ultimate digital content hub or market place whereby they can access local content in a single place easily from anywhere around the world. Enlyt TV was launched in January 2013.
Here is the interview with had with the founder
Who are its founders?
Enlyt TV was founded by Dr. Evans Baiya a Kenyan-American scientist, technologist, and a former Professor. Dr. Baiya is a serial innovator who has developed multiple rich media delivery technologies in the US.
To know more about Dr. Baiya – Please watch his interview on Capital Talk in 2012 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJF7CSAZBtg).
What problem do you solve?
The innovation was developed to solve some problems Diasporans face which are;
(a) a lack of easy access reliable source of Live content from Kenya and (b) disconnected and disintegrated sources of LIVE TV content. A few companies are now streaming online with partnership with YouTube but the quality of the streams, the dependability, and user experience around those free streams leaves a lot more to be desired.
Objectively, Enlyt TV aims to (a) deliver broadcast content to audiences beyond the local satellites, (b) provide full experience of the total broadcasts, (c) provide choice and flexibility on what and how they consume content (Live or on-demand).
How many sign ups so far?
We have thousands of views from subscribers, mainly from the US and UK.
Are you strictly serving the diaspora or even Kenyans back home can subscribe?
While the primary target market is the diaspora, people in Kenya can and are subscribing to the service. As this service grows, it is expected that a lot people locally in Kenya who cannot afford expensive satellite services will opt to have Enlyt TV service since its very flexible and a customer can watch it from anywhere, home and in the office.
How does it work and how much?
Currently, a subscriber can access the service through the website and smart TV setups. We will continue to deploy the service in other devices. To use Enlyt TV, consumers sign up for a subscription at www.enlyt.tv. Enlyt TV members instantly watch unlimited local LIVE Television broadcasts streaming over the Internet to computers and soon to a wide range of devices.
The subscription is very easy to signup (takes 2mins). In addition, it is convenient, no additional hardware or setup is required, every subscriber gets a free trial period of 14-days, it is very reasonably priced, and there is always new, fresh, and innovative content for the subscribers to enjoy.
Following the 14-day free trial period, the monthly subscription is $14.99 (KSH 1350). No contract is required and a subscriber can cancel anytime. To subscribe to Enlyt TV the subscriber can use VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and soon other forms of payment will be available. All personal information is highly secured – it’s SAFE. It is important to emphasize – each new subscription comes with a 14-day free trial.
Take us through your programmes?
We currently have partnership with NTV, QTV, KBC, and KTN for live feeds of content. We also have partnership with independent content producers to support our own 24/7 network, ENLYT101. This is a new premium channel produced by Enlyt TV exclusively for its subscribers. The channel has entertainment, religious, and humanitarian content. All content is local and it widespread in its context – it has content from various communities across Kenya including but not limited to Luo, Luyha, Kamba, Swahili, and Kikuyu.
What is your business model?
The business model is subscriptions. In the future, we will have consulting and advertising.
How do TV channels gain?
There are many benefits for content providers (broadcasters and independent producers), which included expanded viewership, new revenues, diaspora advertising, TV anywhere, and other innovative services.
Any competition in Kenya or abroad?
Because the deep hunger for content from home by diasporans, there have been attempts to distribute content to them including live stream by the TV stations which they have mainly partnered with YouTube.
How unique are you from them?
As far as IPTV technology infrastructure and systems, there is no one else who have developed the technology similar to Enlyt TV in Kenya or globally. The service to the customers is differentiated from local streams in terms of quality, user experience, premium content. Enlyt TV will continue to develop new innovative services based on the technology to solidify its place as the premium digital content hub for Kenyan’s first and to the rest of Africa. TV stations have taken notice that is why they have engaged Enlyt TV as a futuristic platform for content delivery for both Live and VOD content.
Any funding yet? How much? From who?
The company has completed its seed funding.
Challenges?
Currently, the company is in its marketing stage where the focus, organizationally, is creating revenue through sales of subscriptions, brand recognition, and strategic partnership. The main challenge for the company is the dispersed market geographically since Kenyan diaspora is virtually in every part of the world. It makes it hard to reach them readily.
Any upcoming developments, like this this month, next month or in a few months?
Enlyt TV has a very large vision and strategy in all three areas: content, technology, and customer experience. Therefore an extensive roadmap has been put in place. In development are some very novel personalization features that will enable our subscribers to completely build a “personal TV wardrobe” for both Live and VOD channels. We expect to release these features in the next few months.
