Gateway Television

Gateway Television

Company type	Private
Industry	Subscription television
Founded	2007
Defunct	2009
Fate	Liquidation
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Area served	Pan-Africa
Products	Subscription television service
Owner	The Blackstone Group
Parent	Gateway Communications

Gateway Television (GTV) was a London-based, Pan-African subscription television service with American ownership, managed by Gateway Communications and held by The Blackstone Group.

GTV acquired broadcasting rights for 80% of Premier League fixtures and secured a four-year contract starting in 2007 for the CECAFA Cup.

History

Gateway Communications ventured into the pay-TV sector in February 2007 by launching three exclusive channels: G-Prime, G-Sports 1, and G-Sports 2. Their approach prioritized delivering African-focused subscription content rather than rebroadcasting programming from Europe or the United States. In March, to broaden their subscriber base across East, West, and Southern Africa, GTV selected the Eutelsat W3A satellite. A significant part of their strategy involved obtaining rights to broadcast 80% of Premier League games to attract viewers.

Aiming to appeal to lower-income audiences, GTV emphasized affordability, supported by a $40 million capital injection from Swedish investor Kinnevik along with additional financing from Citigroup, Noonday Global Management, and Avenue Investment Management.

The service launched in Botswana in August 2007 with a focus on competitive pricing intended to challenge DStv’s dominance. DStv countered with aggressive price adjustments. By the time of its closure, GTV had amassed 20,000 subscribers in Uganda but maintained a limited presence in other markets.

Operations commenced in October 2007 featuring a lineup of 12 channels including G-Prime, MTV Base, Kiss, three dedicated sports channels, MGM, BBC World News, Sky News, TV5MONDE, Al-Jazeera English, and the God Channel. There were plans to increase African content offerings by incorporating Nollywood films. In April 2008, four additional channels were introduced.

During 2008, GTV expanded its reach into Francophone regions aiming to compete with Canal+ Horizons amid mounting financial challenges. As fiscal difficulties intensified, Kinnevik eventually divested Gateway to Vodacom.

On 30 January 2009, citing the impact of the global economic downturn, GTV entered liquidation. Despite substantial investments since its inception in 2007, financial strain and a smaller channel portfolio relative to competitors contributed to its shutdown.