MultiChoice Group has announced plans to discontinue its Showmax streaming service across its African markets, citing persistent financial losses that have made the platform unsustainable.
The pay-TV company, which is now part of the French media conglomerate Canal+, said on Thursday that the decision followed years of significant annual losses linked to the streaming platform’s operations across multiple regions on the continent.
In a statement, the companies said the financial burden of sustaining Showmax had become too heavy. “The substantial annual losses experienced by the Showmax business have proved unsustainable,” the companies said.
Despite the shutdown, Canal+ clarified that the move would not result in job losses. Instead, the company said it would continue to channel resources into premium television and film content for MultiChoice’s subscriber base across Africa.
DSTV Showmax
Showmax was launched by MultiChoice as a direct competitor to global streaming giants, offering African and international films, series and original productions. The service expanded across dozens of African markets and became one of the continent’s most widely known streaming platforms.
However, increasing competition from global players such as Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video, combined with rising content and technology costs, has placed significant pressure on local streaming services across emerging markets.
MultiChoice said it will now focus on strengthening its core broadcasting operations and improving the range of premium programming available to its pay-TV customers.
The development marks a major shift in Africa’s digital entertainment landscape, where streaming adoption has grown rapidly but profitability remains a challenge due to lower subscription prices, payment infrastructure hurdles and high operating costs.
