The strategy was disclosed in Canal+’s latest financial results released on Wednesday, months after the company completed its acquisition of MultiChoice, the parent firm of DStv and GOtv. The takeover significantly expanded Canal+’s presence in global pay-television and streaming markets.
Financial figures show that MultiChoice ended 2025 with 14.4 million subscribers, down from 14.9 million a year earlier, representing a loss of about 500,000 customers. Revenue also declined by six per cent to €2.4 billion, while adjusted earnings before interest and tax fell 14 per cent to €159 million.
According to Canal+, the performance downturn reflects mounting pressures in several key African markets, including Nigeria, where currency devaluation and broader economic challenges have weakened consumer spending. The company also cited electricity disruptions, rising content costs and a difficult transition to over-the-top streaming services as factors affecting profitability.
The firm noted that efforts by MultiChoice to stabilise its finances — including reducing subscriber acquisition subsidies and implementing price increases — helped limit short-term losses but also contributed to a decline in the subscriber base.
Canal+ warned that the business could face a further €140 million negative impact in 2026 as subscriber numbers continue to weigh on revenue and inflation pushes up operating costs.
To reverse the trend, the company plans to launch a “growth boost plan” centred on expanding MultiChoice’s customer acquisition efforts across African markets. The initiative will include the recruitment of more than 1,000 additional sales personnel as the group shifts towards a more aggressive sales-driven model aimed at increasing subscriber numbers.
The investment comes after Canal+ finalised its acquisition of MultiChoice in September last year in a deal valued at about $3 billion. The transaction combined two major players in the global television and streaming industry, creating a media group that now serves more than 40 million subscribers across nearly 70 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia and employs roughly 17,000 people.
Canal+ said it would present a comprehensive integration strategy for the combined business, including operational alignment and expansion plans, during a strategic update scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
Alongside the growth initiative, the group is pursuing cost-saving measures as part of its restructuring programme. These include a voluntary severance plan for some support staff within MultiChoice and a restructuring of Irdeto, the company’s technology and cybersecurity subsidiary.
The company expects the restructuring to accelerate cost savings, projecting more than €250 million in synergies by 2026, an increase from its earlier estimate of €150 million. The savings are expected to come from operational restructuring at MultiChoice, the shutdown of the streaming platform Showmax, and rationalisation of company-owned properties.