Canal+ to Discontinue Showmax in Post-Acquisition Restructuring of MultiChoice
Canal+ has announced plans to shut down Showmax following its acquisition of MultiChoice, marking a major shift in the group’s streaming strategy across Africa.
According to an exclusive report by Variety, the decision was taken after a strategic review of the companies’ streaming operations. While no official closure date has been disclosed, the move forms part of Canal+’s broader cost-reduction and investment-optimisation drive in an increasingly competitive global streaming market.
Launched in 2015, Showmax was MultiChoice’s homegrown streaming platform designed to compete with international services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+. In February 2024, MultiChoice relaunched the platform in partnership with NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, integrating technology from the Peacock streaming service.
Despite a reported $309 million equity investment to boost content production and platform development, Showmax struggled to achieve projected subscriber growth. Trading losses widened significantly in MultiChoice’s final financial results before the Canal+ takeover, while revenue declined.
Canal+ completed its takeover of MultiChoice in September 2025 and has since embarked on aggressive cost-cutting measures aimed at saving approximately €400 million by 2030. Canal+ Chief Executive Officer Maxime Saada had earlier indicated that Showmax had not reached commercial viability and that a decision on its future would follow.
MultiChoice has clarified that the shutdown will not result in job losses, citing a three-year no-retrenchment clause in the takeover agreement. The company said employees would be supported through transition arrangements.
Some Showmax original productions are already being repositioned for broadcast on MultiChoice-owned channels, including Africa Magic, M-Net, Mzansi Magic and kykNET.
The development reflects broader pressures in the African streaming landscape, coming months after Amazon MGM Studios announced it would halt commissioning new original content in Africa.
Canal+ says it remains committed to strengthening MultiChoice’s offerings through continued investment in premium content and technology, even as it restructures its streaming portfolio.
#UTVAfrica#
