Canal+ has officially announced the upcoming discontinuation of the loss-making Showmax streaming platform.
The decision comes just months after the French media giant completed its landmark $3 billion takeover of MultiChoice Group, bringing the African broadcaster under European control.
While MultiChoice’s official statement frames the move as a result of a “comprehensive review” focused on “long-term sustainability,” industry analysts point to the heavy hand of the new parent company. Since taking effective control in late 2025, Canal+ leadership has been vocal about Showmax’s financial performance.
In early 2026, Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada bluntly described Showmax as “not a commercial success,” noting that the platform’s trading losses had ballooned by about $265 million in the 2025 financial year.
“The substantial annual losses experienced by the Showmax business have proved unsustainable in an increasingly competitive and capital-intensive global streaming environment,” the company stated.
The shutdown of Showmax appears to be part of a broader synergy plan by Canal+ to save approximately $435 million by 2030.
The Showmax shutdown decision, communicated via a letter to subscribers, marks a significant pivot for the continent’s leading entertainment provider as it navigates an increasingly crowded global streaming market.
While Showmax has been a pioneer in local content production, competing head-to-head with giants like Netflix, the cost of maintaining a standalone platform in a “competitive streaming environment” appears to have prompted this strategic retreat.
“Streaming remains central to our strategy,” the statement clarified, suggesting that while the Showmax brand may be retiring, MultiChoice’s digital ambitions are not.
For the millions of users across Africa, the immediate impact is minimal, though the long-term future is clear. The service will continue to run as usual for the time being; subscribers do not need to cancel or change their billing details yet. MultiChoice has also promised “clear communication and a smooth transition,” with further details on timelines to be shared well in advance.
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