Canal+ to discontinue Showmax after a decade of mounting losses

MultiChoice is preparing to discontinue its streaming platform Showmax, bringing an uncerrtain end to the company’s digital strategy months after French media giant Canal+ completed its takeover of the African pay-TV operator.

In an email sent to subscribers on Thursday morning, the company said the Showmax board had decided to phase out the service following a review of its streaming business.

“Following a comprehensive review, the Showmax Board has taken the decision to discontinue the Showmax service in the near future,” the company wrote to customers.

Subscribers were told the platform will continue operating for now while the company prepares the transition.

“Importantly, at the moment there will be no interruption to your current service. You can continue streaming as usual.”

While MultiChoice has not provided a shutdown timeline, the decision ends more than a decade of efforts to build a pan-African streaming competitor to global platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

A costly streaming experiment

Showmax launched in 2015 as MultiChoice’s answer to the global streaming boom. The service expanded across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and became a distribution outlet for both international programming and African productions.

In 2024, the company attempted a major reset. MultiChoice partnered with NBCUniversal to rebuild the platform using the technology behind Peacock, the U.S. media company’s streaming service.

The relaunch came with heavy investment. MultiChoice and NBCUniversal jointly injected about $309 million into Showmax to expand its content library and improve the technology behind it.

Despite the overhaul, the service continued to weigh heavily on the company’s finances. In its last financial results before the Canal+ acquisition, MultiChoice reported that trading losses at Showmax had widened sharply even as subscriber growth remained below expectations.

For a business already under pressure from falling pay-TV subscriptions, the streaming push became difficult to sustain.

The Canal+ effect

The decision to wind down Showmax comes months after Canal+ completed its acquisition of MultiChoice in a deal valued at roughly $3 billion.

Since taking control in September 2025, the French media group has been reviewing MultiChoice’s operations as it integrates the business into its broader global strategy.

Canal+ executives have previously described Showmax as commercially unsuccessful and signalled that changes were likely as the combined company focuses on profitability and cost discipline.

Industry observers say the move reflects a broader shift in strategy: rather than running a standalone African streaming platform, Canal+ may prioritise partnerships and bundling arrangements that are less capital-intensive.

What happens next

For now, MultiChoice says Showmax will continue operating while it prepares further details about the transition.

The company told subscribers it plans to expand its digital offerings and invest in new content and technology partnerships.

“Streaming remains central to our strategy. We will continue to invest in premium content, technology innovation and partnerships to deliver the best possible entertainment experience to our customers.”

Further details on the shutdown timeline and how existing subscriptions will be handled are expected in the coming months.

*This is a developing story

Last updated: March 5, 2026