BY Issah Olegor
The future of Showmax is hanging in the balance after French media conglomerate Canal+ reportedly decided to discontinue the streaming service following its acquisition of MultiChoice, signalling a major shift in strategy within Africa’s rapidly evolving digital entertainment industry.
According to a report by Variety, executives from Canal+ and MultiChoice confirmed that the decision emerged after an internal review of the group’s streaming operations. Although the company has indicated that Showmax will eventually be phased out, an official shutdown date has not yet been announced.
Company officials say the move is part of a broader restructuring plan aimed at improving financial discipline and redirecting investments toward more sustainable ventures in an increasingly competitive and capital-intensive global streaming market.
In a statement, the company explained that the decision to discontinue Showmax reflects MultiChoice’s renewed focus on optimising investments and maintaining financial stability.
Showmax was first launched by MultiChoice in August 2015 as Africa’s homegrown competitor to international streaming platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video, and Disney+.
The platform aimed to provide African audiences with both international content and locally produced films and series tailored to regional tastes.
In an effort to strengthen its position, Showmax underwent a major relaunch in February 2024 through a partnership with NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The relaunch integrated technology from Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming platform, with the goal of improving performance, content delivery, and user experience.
Despite the significant technological upgrade and heavy investment in original productions, the revamped platform reportedly struggled to achieve the subscriber growth initially projected by its investors. Reports indicate that MultiChoice and NBCUniversal jointly injected about $309 million in equity funding to support the platform’s development and content pipeline. However, the anticipated commercial returns failed to materialise.
Financial results released before Canal+ finalised its takeover revealed that Showmax’s trading losses had surged sharply, rising by roughly 88 percent, while overall revenue also declined. The figures highlighted the difficulty of sustaining a regional streaming service in a market increasingly dominated by well-funded global competitors.
Canal+ completed its acquisition of MultiChoice in September 2025, marking one of the most significant consolidations in Africa’s media industry. Since taking control, the company has implemented a cost-reduction programme targeting savings of about €400 million by 2030, with the planned discontinuation of Showmax forming part of the wider restructuring effort.
Despite concerns surrounding the possible shutdown, MultiChoice has indicated that employees connected to the streaming platform will not face retrenchment due to conditions included in the acquisition agreement. Instead, the company says it will support staff through various transition options as operations are reorganised.
As part of the restructuring process, several Showmax Originals are already being repurposed for broadcast on MultiChoice’s television networks, including Africa Magic, M-Net, Mzansi Magic, and kykNET.
The looming shutdown also reflects broader shifts within Africa’s streaming industry. In another sign of tightening investment, Amazon MGM Studios announced in January 2024 that it would stop commissioning new original productions across the continent.
Speaking earlier during an investor call, Canal+ Chief Executive Officer Maxime Saada acknowledged that Showmax had struggled to achieve strong commercial performance and indicated that a final decision regarding the platform’s future would soon be made.
Despite the possible closure of Showmax, Canal+ says it remains committed to strengthening MultiChoice’s presence in Africa by investing in premium content and new technologies. The company believes that focusing on more efficient distribution and high-quality programming will help it compete more effectively in Africa’s fast-changing entertainment landscape.
Over the years, Showmax experimented with various strategies to expand its reach across the continent, including mobile-only subscription packages and a dedicated streaming offering for the English Premier League, which allowed fans to watch matches live on their phones at reduced subscription rates.
