Paramount Buys Out Tyler Perry’s Stake in BET+, Plans To Fold It Under Paramount+

Paramount Skydance has acquired Tyler Perry’s stake in BET+ and will fold it into Paramount+ at the beginning of June.

Perry had held a 25 percent stake in BET’s streaming service since 2019. Now, the more than 1,000 hours of content on BET+ will move to Paramount+.

Perry is still under an overall deal with BET Media Group that will run through 2028. He will continue delivering content to BET and now Paramount+.

In an internal memo, Louis Carr, president of BET Networks, said, “As we continue to drive BET’s growth, our stories have to live in more places. Beginning in June, we are expanding our reach by making Paramount+ the new home for BET+ content. This powerful next step ensures the stories we champion, the creators we support and the culture we represent go further than ever before.

“Paramount+ will bring global fans over 1,000 hours of iconic series, films, originals and cultural touchstones that reflect the full spectrum of the Black experience, including hits like The Ms. Pat Show, All The Queen’s Men, Zatima, Average Joe and Diarra from Detroit. Our celebrated Black storytelling will live alongside Paramount’s premium series, sports, specials and films, where it will be clearly branded, prominently featured and easy to find in the BET Hub.”

More Details Regarding The Possible Expansion Of SuperSport Play On DStv

During the month, it was reported that MultiChoice might be looking to add SuperSport Play to its DStv decoders. For sometime, MultiChoice limited the channel's reach to its Free-To-View subscribers on the soon to be revamped DStv Stream app.

We assume due to Canal+'s takeover in 2025, they're basically cleaning house and assessing some of the poor decisions made by MultiChoice. In this case, it could as well be the availability of SuperSport Play.

SuperSport Play is basically a mashup of SuperSport Grandstand and Variety 4 as it sources mainly highlights and local content from SuperSport's premium sports channels. It tends to air replays to certain sporting events.

Unlike Variety 4, SuperSport Play doesn't have any live or first run content which made it the ideal channel for DStv Stream's Easyview customers.

Not long ago, MultiChoice had begun work on another SuperSport channel for DStv consumers. Initially, they used the feed for one of the Variety channels but overtime it had been replaced with a separate feed not accessible on their website.

For any future additions, usually there's some programme guide but for this one it's not the case.

From what I could gather, Reel Africa and World Of Freesports are on the lineup alongside highlights to NASCAR and International Cricket. It should be noted that none of these are seen on SuperSport Play's programme guide during that time.

But what led us to believe that it could have something to do with the channel mainly had to deal with the lineup. 

As mentioned, SuperSport Play very much like Variety 4 revolves on highlights and local content which is the case for this channel. We can only assume that maybe a linear version is starting to take shape as it's now spotted on Lyngsat.

SuperSport Play also took some of its content from SuperSport Blitz and Schools and maybe this version would have that content omitted. Seeing as Blitz and Schools are already available on Easyview.

But again this channel is in its early stages and more could be added overtime and who knows it could be a pop-up. I have doubts cause no pop-up would be airing Reel Africa as MultiChoice has its Variety channels for that.

Canal+ Aiming To Launch Showmax Replacement App Under DStv Stream In MultiChoice Markets

Canal+ unveiled its financial year results ending 31 December 2025 and gave some indicators on what awaits MultiChoice after completing it's acquisition last year. 

As reported earlier in the month, Showmax will be shutting down its operations after 11 years. The news doesn't come as a surprise and it was long speculated after MultiChoice shortened the window for shows exclusively for Showmax through DStv. 

Now the French giant plans to use to the existing footprint of DStv Stream to expand its streaming endeavours in MultiChoice territories. This service has already been active in 25 African countries and will likely go live by the end of 2026.

“As you know, this was a severely loss-making activity on which we saw no recovery, no matter what was done,” the CEO said.

Saada explained that Canal+ quickly came to an agreement with Comcast to shut down Showmax as soon as possible, but said he couldn’t share details on the negotiations.

During their financial year presentation, Canal+ confirmed that Comcast was on board with the decision to end it's joint venture for Showmax. Of course, they didn't want to divulge on the details except promising enhancements to DStv Stream.

Saada explained that Canal+ quickly came to an agreement with Comcast to shut down Showmax as soon as possible, but said he couldn’t share details on the negotiations.

They also plan to migrate existing Showmax customers to DStv Stream and have shows like Die Kantoor and Youngins accessible to viewers.

What is currently unknown is when this service will be released but it's likely slated for 2026 considering that Showmax will be discontinued in the "near future" according to their release.

Of course another challenge would be the pricing because consumers were billed R45 to R99 monthly for Showmax while Premium subscribers got it at no additional charge. Under DStv Stream, the price range for affected content is over R400 per month.

StudioCanal Takes A Majority Stake In Italy's Lucky Red

STUDIOCANAL, Europe's leading film and television studio and CANAL+ in house studio has today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in LUCKY RED, one of Italy's major Italian distribution and production companies.

Established in 1987 in Rome by Andrea Occhipinti, Lucky Red initially operated as an independent art-house film distributor. It has since expanded its scope and now stands as a major player in Italy’s independent film distribution and production landscape. Over nearly four decades, Lucky Red has released more than 600 films, many of which have received major international distinctions, including awards from Cannes International Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, the Academy Awards and the David di Donatello Awards. Its catalogue includes films from some of the world’s most acclaimed directors (Bong Joon-ho, Jafar Panahi, Joachim Trier, Paolo Sorrentino, Michael Haneke, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wim Wenders, Danny Boyle, Luca Guadagnino, Alexander Payne, Todd Haynes, Stephen Frears, Asghar Farhadi). In 2024, Lucky Red was awarded ‘best international innovation for distribution’ at the third International Film Distribution Summit.

Lucky Red and STUDIOCANAL are building on a long-standing relationship that has bought audiences an array of cinematic hits from The Coen Brothers' INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS to STUDIOCANAL's German production HEIDI, and the acclaimed WE LIVE IN TIME starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. Their partnership continues with the highly anticipated release of Aardman and STUDIOCANAL's SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM coming to theatres this Halloween, ELSINORE, currently in post-production in the UK for STUDIOCANAL, Lucky Red, Magnolia May Films and LD Entertainment, VIOLETTE (Changer l’eau des fleurs) from acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and FONDA from Academy Award and BAFTA winning director Justine Triet, announced last week. FONDA will star Mia Goth and Andrew Scott with Allison Janney in talks to join the project shooting this Spring. STUDIOCANAL picked up several major territories including Italy.

With this acquisition, the partnership enters an exciting new phase, giving STUDIOCANAL a unique opportunity to expand direct operations into a major European market, alongside its existing direct distribution and production presence across 11 European territories, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, with offices in the United States and China. For Lucky Red, the move unlocks the potential to board more ambitious projects, reinforcing its ability to attract both seasoned filmmakers and emerging talent, setting the stage for even greater creative and commercial success.

Lucky Red continues to deliver strong box office success at the Italian box office with recent hits including THE BOY AND THE HÉRON, PERFECT DAYS, EMILIA PEREZ, DRACULA, BERLINGUER: LA GRANDE AMBIZIONE, NO OTHER CHOICE, A SIMPLE ACCIDENT, SENTIMENTAL VALUE. The company’s success also extends to television with acclaimed titles such as BELCANTO (RAI & Netflix), GIGOLO PER CASO (Prime Video) and CHRISTIAN (Sky), demonstrating its ability to captivate audiences across both big and small screens.

Anna Marsh, CEO of STUDIOCANAL and Chief Content Officer of CANAL+: "I am delighted that STUDIOCANAL is deepening its partnership with the incredibly talented team at Lucky Red, one of Italy’s most vibrant film and television companies. This development enables us to gain a solid presence in one of Europe’s prime markets, further reinforcing our status as the leading European studio. Both Lucky Red and STUDIOCANAL are dedicated to bold and distinctive storytelling across all forms, supported by deeply experienced teams committed to delivering extraordinary stories to audiences. This collaboration will further strengthen Lucky Red’s position as a major player in film and television”.

Andrea Occhipinti, founder and CEO of Lucky Red: “We are thrilled to be joining the most dynamic company in the European entertainment industry. Lucky Red and STUDIOCANAL are both distributors and producers of successful films and series, with complementary strengths and a shared long-term vision. Thanks to the incredible catalogue of film from STUDIOCANAL and its production slate, this prestigious international partnership will allow Lucky Red to strengthen its legitimacy as a major player in the local film industry, attracting high-caliber talent and producing first class content. I firmly believe that this is a perfect match and a great opportunity for further growth”.

Canal+ And Sky Launch New Partnership To Develop English-Language Drama

Sky and CANAL+ announced a strategic co commissioning partnership to develop premium, English language scripted content, bringing together complementary creative expertise, shared investment and international reach to support ambitious storytelling.

Sky and CANAL+ will work together to develop a minimum of two projects per year over an initial three-year term, co-financing green-lit projects. Drawing on the capabilities of STUDIOCANAL and leading independent producers, the partnership will provide a stage for both established and emerging talent.

The collaborative model is designed to support wide distribution, reaching audiences across Europe and beyond, and providing a strong route to market for UK led stories with international resonance.

Maxime Saada, CEO CANAL+, said: "Sky and CANAL+ share the same storytelling DNA and drive to develop globally successful content and IP. Our previous co-productions, like The Young Pope and Zero Zero Zero, are great examples of what we can do together through this complementary and ambitious new partnership.”

Dana Strong CBE, Group CEO Sky, said: “We are excited to build on our strong working relationship with CANAL+ to create this partnership. Sky and CANAL+ share a strong track record in creating premium drama, and through this collaboration we will bring our creative ambition and expertise together at scale.”

With the agreement now in place, Sky and CANAL+ will begin developing the first slate of tentpole projects in the coming months. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to long term collaboration and sustained investment in premium scripted content, developed in the UK and designed to travel internationally.