Could Canal+ Have Some Implication In MultiChoice's Settlement With eMedia Investments And The SABC?

In 2022, eMedia Investments and MultiChoice entered a carriage dispute regarding eToonz, eMovies, eMovies Extra and eExtra on DStv. This case was dragged on for approximately two and a half years and by last year both companies managed to join hands although not closing any details.

Aside from channels, MultiChoice had been beefing with the company alongside the SABC regarding sporting rights. With the public broadcaster technically insolvent, SuperSport had made numerous attempts to get these matches on SABC's stations by even restricting the likes of Openview.

This too was dragged to court with eMedia Investments getting the last laugh as regulators sided with them on the notion that it's anti-competitive. To make a long story short, this too was settled with individual parties remaining hush on the matter.

Speculation going around is that Canal+ may have some involvement regarding the matter with these broadcasters. As some know, MultiChoice is undergoing a takeover and they're hoping to appease regulators even going as far as spinning off its crown jewel, DStv.

Competition Tribunal is one of those various parties they need to seek approval from regarding this transaction which is deemed a large merger. Often, they seek the opinions of various parties that have been around MultiChoice over the years it could be Cape Town TV, Telkom or even SABC for that matter even. 

With DStv undergoing a potential restructure in South Africa this notion does bares a lot of fruit when you look at it. When someone decides to put a house up for sale, they usually sprouse things up in order to attract potential buyers and more money enters the equation when you do those necessary renovations.

If eMedia Investments and SABC are being dragged into this exchange between Canal+ and MultiChoice one has to wonder what opinions they'll formulate. Back when MultiChoice was led by Naspers, they had threatened to drop eNCA and various other local broadcasters from DStv if they went ahead with the encryption of the STB.

Could this be what prompted for eToonz and eMedia's other Openview channels to be reinstated and SuperSport Schools inclusion on SABC+? We'll have to wait and see how this case unfolds.