In a landmark transaction poised to reshape Africa’s media landscape, French broadcasting giant Canal+ Group has finalised a $3 billion deal to acquire the remaining 55% stake in MultiChoice Group, Africa’s biggest pay-TV operator and parent company of DStv and GOtv.
The acquisition, ratified by the South African Competition Tribunal, will see Canal+ attain 100% ownership of MultiChoice by October 8, 2025, cementing its status as a dominant force across the continent’s fast-growing audiovisual sector.
With this historic buyout, Canal+ now commands a subscriber base exceeding 14.5 million households spanning 50 African countries, giving the French conglomerate a powerful edge in the global south’s media and streaming market.
Describing the acquisition as a transformative milestone, Maxime Saada, Chairman and CEO of Canal+, said:
“Our ambition is to craft a unified, multilingual media ecosystem, merging Canal+’s French-language content with MultiChoice’s English and Portuguese offerings while significantly scaling up investments in African storytelling.”
A subsidiary of the French multinational Vivendi SE, Canal+ began its gradual stake-building in MultiChoice in 2020, ultimately triggering a mandatory buyout after surpassing a 35% threshold.
The full takeover signals Canal+’s aggressive push to counter global streaming rivals like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, which have steadily grown their footprints in African markets.
To address South African regulatory concerns, Canal+ has pledged to invest R26 billion (about $1.4 billion) over the next three years. The investment aims to boost local content production, preserve MultiChoice’s corporate headquarters in South Africa, secure existing jobs, and accelerate transformation and diversity initiatives within the company’s operations.
Included in the deal are MultiChoice’s marquee assets such as SuperSport, Africa Magic, M-Net, Showmax, and DStv Media Sales, strengthening Canal+’s position as a leading pan-African content producer and distributor.
Industry watchers see the acquisition as a potential catalyst for wider media consolidation across Sub-Saharan Africa — a move that could reshape digital infrastructure, stimulate cultural exports, and amplify African narratives in the global entertainment ecosystem.
Canal+’s leadership has hinted at plans to deepen collaborations between its French and African teams, unlock cross-border synergies, and expand Showmax’s streaming footprint in the battle for Africa’s booming on-demand video market.
As the continent’s media sector continues to evolve, this deal underscores the strategic importance of African audiences, languages, and homegrown stories in the global fight for viewership.
Stay tuned to 9am News Nigeria for more Breaking News, Business News, Sports updates And Entertainment Gists.
