Canal+ is set to discontinue the streaming platform Showmax following its acquisition of MultiChoice, marking a major shift in the company’s digital strategy amid efforts to tighten spending and streamline operations.
The move signals a retreat from ambitions to compete directly with global streaming giants after years of heavy investment and slower than expected subscriber growth.
Showmax, introduced across Africa in August 2015 as a rival to Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video and Disney+, was repositioned in February 2024 through a partnership with NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, using technology from the Peacock platform.
According to an exclusive report by Variety on Thursday, Canal+ and MultiChoice confirmed that the service would be wound down following a review of their streaming business, although no final date has been disclosed.
“The decision to axe Showmax was made by the Showmax board and reflects the continued focus of MultiChoice, a Canal+ company, on financial discipline and investment optimisation, in an increasingly competitive and capital-intensive global streaming environment,” the company said.
Variety reported that MultiChoice and NBCUniversal invested about $309m in equity funding into the platform, yet subscriber growth targets were not achieved, with trading losses widening by 88 per cent in MultiChoice’s last annual results before the September 2025 takeover, alongside declining revenue.
Canal+ has embarked on cost reductions aimed at saving about €400m by 2030, while insisting that the closure will not lead to job cuts due to a three-year protection clause in the acquisition agreement. “The decision to discontinue Showmax services will not involve any retrenchments. The group will be engaging and supporting employees through various transition options,” the company stated.
Even as Showmax winds down, MultiChoice has begun migrating several Showmax Originals to channels such as Africa Magic, M-Net, Mzansi Magic and kykNET, while Canal+ says it will continue investing in premium programming and technology to strengthen its footprint in Africa’s entertainment market.
