In a major shake-up for Africa’s streaming landscape, French media giant Canal+ has decided to discontinue Showmax, the continent’s homegrown video-on-demand platform operated by its recently acquired subsidiary MultiChoice Group.
The Showmax board approved the wind-down following a thorough review of the business, with the decision communicated to subscribers via email on Thursday. The move forms part of Canal+’s broader efficiency and cost-optimization strategy after completing its roughly **$3 billion** (around R46 billion) takeover of MultiChoice last September.
“This reflects our focus on financial discipline and investment optimization in an increasingly competitive and capital-intensive global streaming environment,” the companies stated. Showmax has racked up substantial annual losses described as unsustainable totaling hundreds of millions in recent years, despite heavy investments.
Launched in 2015 as MultiChoice’s bold bid to rival international heavyweights like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, Showmax aimed to carve out a niche by blending global hits with a strong emphasis on African-original content. It gained early traction in markets across the continent, positioning itself as a potential homegrown champion in a region where pay-TV and streaming penetration remains relatively low.
The platform even underwent a major relaunch in 2024, partnering with NBCUniversal (Comcast) to leverage Peacock’s technology backbone. That effort included a significant equity injection of around **$309 million** to boost user experience, expand original programming, and drive subscriber growth. Yet, challenges persisted: revenues declined in MultiChoice’s final pre-acquisition results, trading losses widened, and the service struggled to turn profitable in price-sensitive African markets.
Canal+, which now oversees a combined reach of over 40 million subscribers across 70 countries through MultiChoice’s pay-TV dominance, sees the closure as a step toward building a more sustainable digital ecosystem. The group plans to shift resources toward premium content for MultiChoice’s core subscribers and explore expanded offerings or platform upgrades.
For current Showmax users, the service will continue uninterrupted in the short term no immediate action is needed. The companies are developing a migration plan for subscribers and content, with details expected in the coming weeks. Importantly, the phase-out will not lead to job losses; affected employees will receive support through transition options.
The closure ends an 11-year chapter that symbolized Africa’s ambitions in the global streaming race. While Showmax never fully displaced international competitors, it helped foster local production and brought African stories to wider audiences.
As Canal+ integrates MultiChoice and sharpens its focus on profitability, the decision underscores the harsh realities of building scalable streaming businesses in emerging markets where high content costs, competition, and economic pressures often outweigh subscriber growth. Subscribers and industry watchers await clarity on what the post-Showmax era holds for African digital entertainment.
