Once the unchallenged ruler of African television, DStv’s throne has been under siege. The twin forces of global streaming giants and shifting viewer habits have eroded its dominance, sending millions of subscribers fleeing and profits tumbling. In just two years, MultiChoice Group—the company behind DStv—lost 2.8 million active linear customers, including 1.2 million in 2025 alone, an 8% year-on-year plunge. The downturn, split evenly between South Africa and the rest of the continent, stemmed from rising costs, economic strain, and a rocky transition into digital streaming.
But the tide may be turning. In October 2025, after nearly two years of regulatory hurdles, French media powerhouse Canal+ completed its $3 billion acquisition of MultiChoice. The deal marks more than a financial rescue—it’s a full-scale revival plan. Canal+ executives, armed with European efficiency and deep entertainment experience, are charting a bold course to scale DStv to between 50 and 100 million subscribers across Africa.
Canal+ Africa CEO David Mignot has made the mission clear: channeling up to R2 billion in savings directly into growth initiatives designed to restore momentum “within months.” The strategy blends affordability, nostalgia, and digital innovation—three levers meant to reconnect the DStv brand with its once-loyal audience.
Making Pay-TV Affordable Again
Canal+ understands that Africa’s pay-TV challenge isn’t just about content—it’s about cost. With economic pressures squeezing households, premium pricing has become a major deterrent. To counter this, DStv has slashed decoder prices by 30% through retail outlets and over 40% via its new online store starting November 1, 2025.
For premium users, the perks are sweeter still: two additional streaming slots (now totaling four simultaneous streams) through the end of the year, and a revamped DStv Rewards program offering VIP experiences, event access, and BoxOffice movie credits.
In a nostalgic twist, DStv is also celebrating its 30th anniversary with an “Open Time Weekend” from November 7–9, unlocking Premium-tier content for all active subscribers. The move channels the platform’s golden era—when DStv was a family staple across African households—and serves as a nudge for lapsed users to return.
Content at Full Throttle: Sports, Local Originals, and a Multilingual Push
If affordability is the hook, content is the anchor. Canal+ plans to turbocharge DStv’s programming slate, marrying its French-language strengths with MultiChoice’s English and Portuguese footholds. The ambition is staggering: a multilingual library spanning 20 to 35 languages, balancing local productions with global hits.
Sports remain DStv’s beating heart. Leveraging Canal+’s Ligue 1 rights, viewers can now watch three French top-flight football matches weekly on SuperSport and GOtv. These fixtures, featuring powerhouse clubs like PSG and Marseille, aim to fill gaps left by the soaring cost of English Premier League rights—keeping African fans glued to the screen.
On the production side, Canal+ and MultiChoice together already deliver 10,000 hours of African content annually, and they’re aiming tenfold higher. The goal: a 100,000-hour library within 15 years, with local shows dubbed, rescripted, and distributed internationally. As Mignot puts it, the mission is to “make African creativity travel further”—a clear bet that homegrown stories can thrive beyond local borders.
The Super App: DStv’s Digital Comeback
In a world where streaming is king, Canal+ is placing its biggest wager on a unified digital experience. The upcoming “super app”—slated for launch in early 2026—will combine DStv Stream, GOtv, Showmax, and Canal+ content under a single platform. Users will seamlessly toggle between live TV, on-demand shows, sports, and movies.
More than just convenience, the app is designed as an aggregator, bundling partnerships with third-party streamers like Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Paramount+, echoing Canal+’s successful European model. While Showmax’s future remains under review, its catalog will likely fold into this ecosystem, simplifying access and reducing churn among Africa’s growing digital youth audience.
This bold convergence could be DStv’s lifeline—addressing the 11% subscription revenue decline seen in 2025 and transforming how African audiences consume entertainment.
Efficiency as Fuel: Cutting Costs to Power Growth
Canal+ isn’t ignoring the bottom line. MultiChoice’s R7 billion loss in 2023–2024 was a wake-up call, though 2025’s rebound to R2.02 billion in profit showed early signs of recovery. The new owners are tightening operations even further, extending payment cycles and streamlining supply chains to mirror Canal+’s lean European structure.
Despite concerns from regulators and suppliers over delayed payments, Mignot insists the resulting R2 billion in savings will be “reinvested for growth.” Canal+ has pledged R26 billion over three years for local production, sports broadcasting, and SME development, while keeping MultiChoice’s headquarters in Johannesburg.
To comply with South African ownership laws, a new entity, LicenceCo, will hold the local broadcast license, ensuring regulatory alignment even as Canal+ takes operational control.
The Road Ahead: Risks and Reinvention
Canal+’s grand vision still faces obstacles—from regulatory scrutiny to market volatility. In Nigeria and Ghana, DStv’s pricing battles remain delicate. Currency swings wiped R5.2 billion from 2025 revenues, and Showmax’s R4 billion investment bill underscores the high cost of digital reinvention.
Yet, with Canal+’s financial muscle and strategic clarity, DStv’s path forward looks far more defined than it has in years.
A Shot at Reinvention
DStv’s revival under Canal+ is more than a corporate turnaround—it’s a bid to redefine African entertainment for the streaming era. Affordable hardware, a revitalized content lineup, and a unified digital platform could transform the company from a fading satellite relic into a cross-continental powerhouse.
As Mignot told News24, the goal is simple: “getting back on a growth trajectory—fast.” If Canal+ delivers on its promises, the next chapter of DStv’s story may not just be about survival, but resurgence.