Canal+ has taken control of SuperSport’s sports rights acquisitions, moving the decision-making from South Africa to its Paris headquarters after acquiring MultiChoice for $3 billion.
The centralization aims to cut costs but has resulted in SuperSport losing control over selecting sports content for its African audience, impacting traditional offerings on DStv.
Notable sporting events, such as the Winter Olympics and World Darts Championships, have been excluded from SuperSport's programming due to Canal+'s decisions.
This change impacts viewers across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, where sports broadcasting is a cultural staple, potentially reducing subscriber satisfaction and loyalty.

The move, which has raised concerns within the industry, places the responsibility for acquiring sports rights directly under the control of Canal+’s European headquarters, undermining SuperSport's historic role as Africa's dominant sports broadcaster.

Veteran broadcasting journalist Thinus Ferreira told 702, a Johannesburg-based talk radio station, that this restructuring is part of a broader strategy by Canal+ to reduce costs while maintaining operational efficiency.

“Canal+ has told investors it must cut costs, but it cannot fire staff for three years. One of the things they are doing is taking away all of the acquisition power from SuperSport,” Ferreira said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Our new European masters are deciding for us which sports they will buy or not, directly from Paris, where Canal+’s head office is.” He added.

As a result of this shift, SuperSport, traditionally Africa's dominant sports broadcaster, is no longer in charge of acquiring the sports content that has historically been a cornerstone of the pay-TV offering on DStv.

This change has begun to impact subscribers, with notable exclusions from SuperSport’s broadcast lineup.

Ferreira added, “DStv subscribers who are paying to get access to the stuff will, for instance, have seen that they are no longer getting the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in decades. It’s because Canal+ has decided not to buy it, like the World Darts Championships and other things.”

Impact on Broader African Markets

The impact of the shift extends beyond South Africa, with implications for the wider African market. Canal+ now controls sports content decisions across Sub-Saharan Africa, covering both English- and Portuguese-speaking territories.

For years, audiences in these markets have relied on local broadcasters such as SuperSport to secure and maintain exclusive access to high-demand sporting events.

The centralisation of decision-making in Paris signals a strategic pivot towards cost discipline, raising concerns about whether programming choices will continue to reflect the specific preferences of African viewers.

In countries where sports broadcasting forms a core part of the entertainment landscape, including Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, the potential exclusion of premium events such as the Winter Olympics and globally followed sports like darts could weigh on viewer satisfaction and long-term subscriber loyalty.

Canal+ Strengthens Its Footprint in Africa

The acquisition of MultiChoice in July 2025, valued at $3 billion (roughly 55 billion rand), marked Canal+'s strategic expansion into Africa’s fast-growing pay-TV market.

The deal, which included a promise to invest "approximately 26 billion rand over the next three years" into local content production, digital innovation, and technology upgrades, signals Canal+’s ambition to increase its presence across the continent.

The combined group now serves more than 40 million subscribers across Africa, including Canal+'s existing presence in 25 African countries and MultiChoice’s footprint in 50 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.

This merger brings together MultiChoice’s DStv, GOtv, and SuperSport platforms, as well as its extensive portfolio of local programming.

However, the shift in power could undermine local content creation and cultural relevance in countries that depend on their own content for engagement.

Rising Competition from Streaming Giants

The restructuring comes at a time when traditional pay-TV operators are under mounting pressure from global streaming platforms accelerating investment in premium sports rights and high-demand content.

Ferreira told MyBroadband that streaming services have significantly deeper financial resources to compete for content. “Streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and others have more financial firepower to spend on content. It is only a matter of time before they secure more sports, the lifeblood of traditional pay-TV,” he said. (BI)

Update news