MultiChoice’s recent years have been turbulent. The company has grappled with declining subscriber numbers, rising operational costs, and intensifying competition from global and regional streaming services. In the last two financial years, DStv lost 2.8 million active linear subscribers, including 1.2 million in 2025 alone, split evenly between South Africa and the rest of the continent. The losses have been attributed to the high cost of living, shifting viewing habits, and Africa’s crowded streaming ecosystem, now boasting more than 560 platforms.
A nostalgic reset for DStv’s 30th anniversary
To mark DStv’s 30th anniversary, MultiChoice is bringing back a familiar face—and feel. From November 7 to 9, 2025, all active decoder users will enjoy an Open Time Weekend, granting free access to DStv Premium content. The celebration revives the spirit of M-Net’s classic Open Time era of the 1990s, complete with returning TV icons such as Ashley Hayden, Scot Scott, and Doreen Morris—presenters who once introduced South Africans to premium television.
“DStv has grown up alongside its viewers,” said Byron du Plessis, CEO of SA PayTV, on Monday. “For three decades, we have been part of South Africans’ homes, weekends, and memories.”
In addition to the nostalgic celebration, MultiChoice will cut decoder prices—by 30% in retail stores and over 40% on its new DStv online store starting November 1. The move is a clear play to attract lapsed customers and lower the barrier for new subscribers amid stiff competition from Netflix, Showmax, and Disney+.
More perks for premium users and sports fans
DStv is also sweetening the deal for its most loyal customers. Premium subscribers will now enjoy two additional all-device streams—a total of four—until December. The company’s DStv Rewards programme has also been upgraded to include BoxOffice movie rentals, event invitations, celebrity meet-and-greets, and VIP sports experiences.
Perhaps the most notable new addition is for sports lovers. SuperSport has begun airing French Ligue 1 matches through a new partnership facilitated by Canal+. The deal brings high-quality European football—featuring PSG, Marseille, Lyon, and Monaco—to African screens, with up to three matches broadcast every weekend on SuperSport and GOtv.
“Broadcasting a prestigious league such as Ligue 1 only adds to the value our subscribers receive,” said Rendani Ramovha, SuperSport’s Director of English Sport Content.
Expanding Africa’s content library
At the heart of Canal+’s new strategy is a stronger commitment to African storytelling. According to David Mignot, CEO of Canal+ Africa, the company already produces about 4,000 hours of African content annually in up to 15 languages. Combined with MultiChoice’s 6,000 hours, the partnership will deliver 10,000 hours per year across 20 to 35 languages.
“The ambition is to build a catalogue of over 100,000 hours of content within 10 to 15 years,” Mignot revealed, adding that the group plans to make African shows travel further through dubbing and rescripting for international audiences.
A unified entertainment ecosystem
Canal+ also plans to roll out a super app that will merge Canal+, DStv, GOtv, and Showmax content into a single platform. Described by Canal+ Group CEO Maxime Saada as “a seamless entertainment ecosystem,” the app aims to unify the company’s African digital offerings under one login.
The group is also exploring ways to introduce its content aggregator model to Africa—offering discounted bundles that include third-party services such as Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Paramount+, much like its model in Europe.
As Canal+ tightens its grip on MultiChoice, the early signals suggest a transformative new era for DStv—one built on nostalgia, broader access, and a renewed focus on both African and international content. The challenge now lies in turning those strategies into lasting subscriber growth in a market that has never been more competitive.