Broadcasters Urged To Invest In Local Love Stories For Long Term Growth

Every February, romance dominates viewing habits, but the surge in love-led content is not just seasonal. Across global and local platforms, romance series and films consistently rank among the most-watched, most-discussed, and most-replayed categories. For broadcasters and streaming services, this sustained appetite points to a clear business truth and the truth is, that emotionally resonant storytelling drives engagement, loyalty, and long-term value.

Investment in local love stories can reflect both cultural relevance and commercial foresight, which in turn provides a competitive edge in a crowded content market.

Globally, romance is one of the most cost-efficient genres in terms of viewing hours relative to production investment. The rise of romantic dramas, from K-dramas and Bollywood films to European romances, shows that audiences are willing to cross languages and borders for emotionally compelling narratives. These titles succeed not because of geography, but because of universal themes of love, sacrifice, and belonging.

The trend is mirrored locally, for example, on DStv. Relationship-driven series and films anchor prime-time schedules across Mzansi Magic, kykNET, and Africa Magic, sustaining loyal audiences over long runs. Showmax mirrors this success, with romance and relationship-led drama among the platform’s most consistently consumed categories, particularly among viewers who favour binge-watching and social media sharing.

On kykNET, February’s line-up leans confidently into local love stories. Op My Eish!, featuring professional rugby player Ruan Smith, brings a fresh South African take on the dating format, combining personality, humour and the real emotional highs and lows of searching for connection.

The channel’s Saturday Love Movie Nights have been rolling out throughout the month, these started on 7 February with Eksie Perfeksie, followed by Die Dekonstruksie van Retta Blom on 14 February, Gebokste Liefde on 21 February and Matthilda & Matthys on 28 February. These four weekends showcase stories that feel familiar, heartfelt and distinctly South African, offering audiences a chance to celebrate romance in all its local flavours.

Meanwhile, Een keer om die son, continuing its run on Tuesday evenings, explores love within families and communities, highlighting how relationships can shape lives beyond just romance.

On streaming, Showmax maintains this focus with locally produced romance available on demand throughout the month. Not My Type, currently streaming, centres on a woman confronting the gap between expectation and reality in her personal life, a theme that speaks directly to contemporary relationship pressures.

This momentum builds on the performance of ongoing local series such as Inimba, which continues to air and has consistently topped DStv Stream since mid-2025, illustrating how emotionally driven narratives can capture sustained attention and spark conversation well beyond their initial release.

Romance content delivers value beyond ratings, with relationship-driven shows performing strongly across linear TV, streaming, catch-up and social platforms whilst deepening audience connection. Their broad appeal makes them attractive to advertisers, cutting across demographics in brand-safe environments.

Local productions also stimulate the creative economy, supporting writers, performers, and production teams, while playing a key role in the wider content ecosystem of The MultiChoice Group.

As competition for attention intensifies, relevance and not volume drives loyalty. By investing in local love stories, DStv and Showmax, which are key platforms within The MultiChoice Group, remain rooted in emotional authenticity and familiarity, offering content that is difficult to replicate and built to endure.

This Valentine’s season, the popularity of romance content highlights more than a passing trend. It shows a fundamental principle of audience behaviour, which is that, people return to stories that make them feel seen. Therefore, backing local love stories is not just good storytelling, it is a smart, long-term business investment that reinforces audience engagement, relevance, and commercial value across South Africa and the continent.