Groupe Canal+ recently updated investors and the media on its plans for MultiChoice after taking control of the company in September 2025.

“We don’t have any price increase planned at this moment,” the Sunday Times quoted Mignot as saying in response to a question about Canal+ Africa’s plans to adjust pricing.

Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice raised concerns that the company’s annual price increases for DStv may be scheduled for earlier in the year.

The MultiChoice Group’s financial year ran from 1 April to 31 March. With its acquisition by Canal+, its financial year-end is shifting to 31 December to align with its parent company.

Historically, DStv’s price adjustments have been implemented from the start of MultiChoice’s financial year, meaning customers’ bills changed on 1 April each year.

MyBroadband previously asked the broadcaster whether the change to its financial year-end would affect this date, but it has not yet commented on the matter.

Groupe Canal+ took control of the MultiChoice Group on Monday, 22 September 2025. This followed an extensive mandatory buyout process, and the transaction’s final phase began on 13 October.

The MultiChoice group was incorporated into Canal+ Africa as part of the transaction, and Mignot said DStv customers could expect access to new content.

He explained that Canal+ has the most extensive library of European content, which includes thousands of movies. He said customers should expect its catalogue to be combined with MultiChoice’s.

“MultiChoice content is incredible. We will have the ability to use the strengths of the two groups,” said Mignot.

“So customers can expect all that is available at Canal+. We have the biggest library of European content, including a lot of American content … like 9,000 movies.”

He added that, combined, Canal+ and MultiChoice’s catalogues would provide roughly 10,000 hours of content in 20 to 35 languages each year.

“So, in a 10- to 15-year period, we are building up a catalogue of more than 100,000 to 150,000 hours, and then we will be able to make that content travel,” said Mignot.

South Africa could get a new streaming app

Canal+ is considering deploying its streaming app to clients where the DStv owner operates while it decides what to do with the Showmax streaming service.

According to Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada, the Canal+ streaming app is available in more than 30 countries.

“But it’s not a decision we have taken because we have not yet concluded on Showmax,” he said.

Saada said competition in the African streaming market is limited, adding that this makes the continent prime for pay TV growth.

The Canal+ CEO said MultiChoice’s streaming service, Showmax, was not successful and that the company would cut further investment into the platform.

“Showmax is not a commercial success. It’s quite obvious. There were a lot of dedicated investments on the marketing side, on the content side, on the technology side,” he said.

“We are in a position to reduce those investments. They are included in the synergies. I won’t say how much, but it is significant.”

Saada said Canal+’s strategy is all about growth, adding that the company will be cautious to avoid losing potentially valuable subscribers.

“Although we are very quick at assessing the investments that we believe are required and those that are not. We are also very cautious not to negatively impact the top line,” he said.

“Otherwise, it would be like a bandaid we could rip off, but we are not going to do that. There was so much investment there that we had a lot of room to improve the situation.” (My Boardband

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