African Broadcast Shake-Up: Canal+ Finalizes MultiChoice Acquisition

Johannesburg, South Africa – French media powerhouse Canal+ has officially completed its $3 billion acquisition of MultiChoice Group, gaining full control over prominent African pay-TV platforms DStv, GOtv, and streaming service Showmax, as well as sports content giant SuperSport. This landmark deal, which received final approval from South Africa’s Competition Tribunal yesterday, July 23, 2025, is set to reshape the African entertainment landscape.

The Competition Tribunal’s approval came with several key conditions designed to protect South African interests. These include a commitment from Canal+ to significant local content investment, a guarantee of no job cuts for three years following the merger, and the establishment of a new South African-owned company, LicenceCo. This entity will manage MultiChoice’s broadcasting licenses to comply with local ownership regulations, which restrict foreign entities to a maximum of 20% voting rights in companies holding a broadcasting license. LicenceCo will be majority-owned by Historically Disadvantaged Persons (HDPs) and MultiChoice workers, while MultiChoice Group will retain a 49% economic interest and 20% voting rights.

The acquisition, which values MultiChoice at over R55 billion (approximately $3.1 billion at the time of the mandatory offer), sees Canal+ take over the remaining shares it did not already own, having steadily increased its stake in MultiChoice since 2020. This strategic move by Canal+, a subsidiary of Vivendi SE, is poised to create a dominant pan-African media entity, combining Canal+’s strong presence in French-speaking African markets with MultiChoice’s extensive reach across English-speaking Africa.

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Industry analysts suggest the merger will enable the combined group to achieve greater scale, enhance its competitiveness against global streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+, and invest more significantly in local content and sports broadcasting rights. Both companies have expressed their commitment to fostering the African creative industry and delivering a diverse range of content to a projected audience of over 50 million subscribers across the continent.

The deal is expected to be fully finalized by October 8, 2025, marking a new era for African media and entertainment.