The Potential of The Canal+ and MultiChoice Acquisition 

A joint official statement from MultiChoice and Canal+ revealed a deadline extension for the deal that will see the France-based TV outfit acquire the South African Pay TV broadcaster. The takeover will happen on 8th October, 2025, exactly six months away from the initially set date of 8th April—giving regulators more time to finalize the  clearance process for the merger.

This announcement is coming after Canal+ released a report of her earnings in the previous year, with the CEO of the French outfit Maxime Saada recognizing the pivotal role of Africa in her expansion quest and emphasizing the need to grow her Africa-based subscribers to at least 100 million. 

According to the report, Canal+ recorded about 26.93 million total subscribers in 2024, which includes 17.24 million in Europe and 9.69 million in Asia and Africa. The report also shows a 2.3% rise in revenue in the previous year to 6.4 billion euros and 4.2% growth in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to 503 million euros. The company’s shares rose 0.6% by 0832 GMT.

About 80% of Canal+’s revenue comes from subscription payment, with cinema—through StudioCanal, her subsidiary that is responsible for the Paddington film series—facilitating subscriber engagement. 

Canal+’s recent market pushbacks—the end of broadcasting services for her free-to-air channel C8 in France and termination of third-party contracts, including Disney’s—appear to also justify the company’s need to restrategize and repackage its services to a newer, more diverse audience. 

Despite challenges, the French outfit remains committed to adopting organic strategies to better its revenue base. Following this, Canal+ continues to place importance on direct-to-consumer subscribers that account for 19.9 million of her total subscriber base, as opposed to 7 million from wholesale channels. 

How, then, does Africa and her multifaceted film and television hemisphere benefit from the deal between Canal+ and MultiChoice? One thing is clear: the nitty-gritty of the whole deal remains ambiguous, at least to the public. However, we can make meaningful deductions.

Since launching in 1984, Canal+ has grown to become a leading subscription-based TV giant, spreading her services across a range of French-speaking regions. MultiChoice, headquartered in South Africa, has a similar hold on Africa, most especially in Anglophone countries like Nigeria where her audiences enjoy unlimited access to the services of subsidiary-brands like DStv, GOtv, Showmax and SuperSport. 

Taking into consideration the regional and linguistic variables, the acquisition deal will provide room for an unfettered cross-breeding of cinema content ideas. Content from English-speaking African countries can easily travel to the French market and secure broadcasting rights across Francophone regions—a move geared towards the long-term globalization of African cinema. In a similar vein, the English-speaking audiences on the African continent have the opportunity to enjoy a palette of French film and television productions. A cross-fertilization of cultures may be inescapable.

The declining involvement of Netflix and Prime Video, two major global streaming platforms, in the African market is a signal for Canal+ to take optimal advantage of loopholes via the acquisition deal. Interestingly, the Western broadcast outfit will be encouraged to prove a point, and this translates as the possibility of strengthening and popularizing MultiChoice’s streaming services beyond the continent. It will be heartwarming to have Showmax (of which MultiChoice is majority owner, with 70% stake) or any equivalent initiative acquire a similar reputation as other globally recognized outfits. 

Ultimately, this deal could be a blessing in disguise for budding and independent African filmmakers and creatives. Programmes like the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), for instance, already formalize MultiChoice’s perennial commitment to spotlighting talents and addressing industry concerns such as opportunity, accessibility and quality in local productions. But then, with the entrance and involvement of Canal+, there are opportunities for these talents to secure international deals with filmmakers across the continent. Perhaps, too, the operation models for MultiChoice might lay the foundation for a wholesale revolutionization of African cinema—involving structure and compelling our filmmakers to further raise the bars of storytelling.