Canal+ Moves Fast to Reinvent DStv After MultiChoice Acquisition
Barely a month after completing its full acquisition of subscription fees, shrinking disposable incomes, and a wave of new streaming services, now exceeding 560 across Africa.
A Nostalgic Reset for DStv’s 30th Anniversary
To mark DStv’s 30th anniversary, Canal+ and MultiChoice are launching a nostalgic “Open Time Weekend” campaign from November 7–9, 2025, giving all active decoder users free access to DStv Premium content.
The campaign revives familiar faces from South Africa’s television past, including Ashley Hayden, Scot Scott, and Doreen Morris, who once hosted M-Net’s original Open Time slots in the 1990s.
“DStv has grown up alongside its viewers,” said Byron du Plessis, CEO of SA PayTV. “For three decades, we’ve been part of South Africans’ homes, weekends, and memories.”
As part of the celebration, DStv is cutting the price of its HD decoders, by 30% in retail channels and over 40% via its new online store, starting November 1. The move is designed to reconnect lapsed users and lower entry barriers amid fierce competition from Netflix, Showmax, and Disney+.
Premium Football and Subscriber Rewards
To reward loyalty and attract new signups, DStv Premium subscribers will get two additional all-device streams (for a total of four) until December.
The DStv Rewards Programme is also being refreshed with BoxOffice movie rentals, VIP sports experiences, celebrity meet-and-greets, and event invitations — reinforcing a more engaging, experience-driven model.
Perhaps the most high-profile addition is football. SuperSport, now backed by Canal+, has started broadcasting French Ligue 1 matches, featuring elite clubs like PSG, Marseille, Lyon, and Monaco.
“Broadcasting a prestigious league such as Ligue 1 only adds to the value our subscribers receive,” said Rendani Ramovha, SuperSport’s Director of English Sport Content.
The partnership marks Canal+’s first major content synergy on the continent, combining its European sports rights portfolio with DStv’s dominant African distribution network.
Expanding Africa’s Content Library
Beyond sports, Canal+ is betting heavily on African storytelling.
“We create about 4,000 hours of African content each year in up to 15 languages,” said David Mignot, CEO of Canal+ Africa. “Together with MultiChoice’s 6,000 hours, we’ll deliver 10,000 hours per year across 20–35 languages.”
The long-term goal is ambitious: build a 100,000-hour content library over the next 10–15 years — and make it global through dubbing, rescripting, and cross-market distribution.
A Unified Super App for Africa
Canal+ also plans to launch a super app that merges Canal+, DStv, GOtv, and Showmax content under one login — creating what Maxime Saada, CEO of Canal+, calls “a seamless entertainment ecosystem.”
The group has hinted at introducing its content aggregator model in Africa — bundling third-party platforms like Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Paramount+ at discounted rates, mirroring its successful strategy in Europe.
The Big Picture: Canal+ vs Africa’s Streaming Titans
Canal+’s aggressive repositioning of DStv signals a new phase in Africa’s streaming wars. By slashing hardware prices, reviving nostalgia, expanding African production, and leveraging premium European content, the company hopes to reignite the pay-TV brand’s appeal across the continent.
Whether these efforts can reverse years of subscriber decline and help DStv thrive in the age of on-demand streaming will define Canal+’s African legacy in the years ahead.
