Big changes for DStv
While DStv subscribers are generally unaffected by the Canal+ buyout of Multichoice, they should get ready for a content shakeup in the near future.
According to the Sunday Times, now part of a global multinational media giant, South African content once exclusive to DStv will be heading to other markets for the first time.
In the same vein, international content should be making its way onto DStv.
CEO of Canal+ Africa, David Mignot, said the group aims to export DStv content worldwide through its integration into Studio Canal.
Mignot is one of two Canal+ executives heading up Canal+ Africa, which took over Multichoice in September.
Studio Canal is the wider group’s production arm, which houses 19 production companies, over 9,400 titles, and operates in multiple major markets, mostly in Europe.
With Multichoice now being absorbed into the group, local productions that have been created exclusively for DStv platforms are now part of the mix.
Mignot noted that high-quality productions coming out of Multichoice are likely to have wide appeal and can make waves in other markets and on other Canal+ platforms.
As part of the takeover, the Canal+ Group committed to continued investment in local productions, which will now be part of the blended library for use wherever Canal+ operates.
Notably, the reverse is also on the cards, with DStv expected to gain access to the extensive library of the wider Canal+ group, though the specifics of this remain to be seen.
Mignot previously stated that DStv customers should expect to see content “from American companies, from companies all over the world, as well as the local sports and general entertainment content.”
Canal+ has positioned itself as a ‘super aggregator’, which aggregates multiple services like Netflix, Apple TV+, Paramount+, and HBO Max into its own platform.
MultiChoice’s key brands like DStv, Showmax, and SuperSport are now part of this.
However, the executive has stressed that these brands will remain as they are for now, saying they were “very sensitive and careful about brands”.
End of an era for Multichoice
Any changes to DStv content will only come after a thorough review of all aspects of the Multichoice business, where Canal+ will decide on a strategy to integrate the two companies.
Canal+ will provide a strategic update about its detailed plans during the first quarter of 2026, it said.
The acquisition of Multichoice (MCG) by Canal+ marks the largest transaction ever undertaken by Canal+, cementing the combined group’s position as a global media and entertainment company.
The combined group will serve more than 40 million subscribers across close to 70 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia, supported by a workforce of approximately 17,000 employees.
For South Africa, Canal+ and the company have committed to a robust package of public interest measures.
These include supporting firms controlled by Historically Disadvantaged Persons (HDPs) and Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) in the South African audio-visual sector, as well as maintaining funding for local general entertainment and sports content produced by South African creators.
A key change for the group is the establishment of Multichoice Proprietary Limited (or LicenceCo) to hold the broadcasting licence.
The memorandum of incorporation of MCG contained voting scale-back provisions which restricted foreign shareholders’ ability to exercise voting rights attached to MCG shares held by them.
This was to comply with the provisions of section 64 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2005, which deal with broadcasting licences and limit foreign control to 20% voting rights.
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