Why Canal+ Might Be Looking To Add Sporty TV On DStv?

As reported, MultiChoice is looking to rollout Sporty TV on DStv in the coming months with the company had begun tests on the channel earlier in the year. It was stated at the time that MultiChoice might look to rollout Sporty TV in select markets.

This is because MultiChoice was conducting tests on an East African feed to Sporty TV for consumers in those markets. While no further testing was done for Sporty TV within other markets.

Now it looks like MultiChoice might be looking to debut the channel in Southern African territories. Several consumers have spotted an electronic programme guide of Sporty TV with stuff like La Liga 2025/6, Arsenal TV: Hull City v. Arsenal.

It remains unclear as to why MultiChoice is adding a channel like Sporty TV but we have a couple of guesses.

Firstly, Canal+ bought out the company back in 2025 and they serve as an aggregator of content. Within their other territories, they are notorious for sourcing content from rival broadcasters as seen in France with BEIN Sports and DAZN.

Under the Naspers regime, MultiChoice was very selective in what content gets broadcast on DStv as they strived for originality. SuperSport was positioned as the have it all platform that ESPN and Racing240 didn't overlap with it's existing offering.

But ever since the Canal+ buyout that's no longer the case with NBA that had been picked by SuperSport with other sporting events like World Darts Championship and Winter Olympics not picked up.

SuperSport had been stripped off its acquisition power with most of the decisions now made in France. With the buyout, Canal+ basically integrated it's narratives and creative depth onto MultiChoice.

Canal+ is more focused on catering to the masses and their strategy isn't revolved entirely strived on originality as seen in the past with MultiChoice. But it's a popularity contest as that usually leads to a high retention of consumers.

Think of what happened to WWE after TKO acquired creative control, you have more sponsorships and ads between live matches. And there's more content creators and artists between tapings think of IShowSpeed, Bad Bunny, Pat Macafee and Jelly Roll.

Sporty TV likely fits that area taken up after all they had acquired rights to 104 FIFA matches and have been garnering buzz online. Canal+ is probably eyeing Sporty TV as part of its various strategies in retaining consumers.

Canal+ Might Look To Strengthen The Bond Between VIU And MultiChoice

With over 45 million monthly active users and 15 million subscribers, Viu ranks amongst the top 3 SVOD/AVOD players in Southeast Asia in terms of revenues. It is operated by VIU International Ltd., a joint venture between PCCW and Canal+.

VIU serves as one of few broadcasters in the streaming regime to curate local content. Aside from licensing shows like Uzalo and Skeem Saam from the SABC, they've also been dubbing various international shows to Zulu and Afrikaans.

They've been creating a lot of buzz for their Zulu dubbed kdramas with shows like Iqhawe Labafundi (High School: Return of a Gangster) and Intengo Yothando (Pear Perfect).

Alongside Canal+'s crown jewel MultiChoice, they've been bulking up on Afrikaans dubbed shows with Landman, Die Stokman and Eerste Liefde Laaste.

As Canal+ continues to build up it's stake in VIU and make further enhancements to MultiChoice. One of the likely outcomes awaiting the two is a potential partnership.

Showmax is going dark soon and this gives VIU ample room to license some of its content. Although, Canal+ plans to launch a dedicated app don't be surprised if VIU alongside DStv Stream were to bulked up on this app.

Same goes for the content, Canal+ Afrique benefitted from the MultiChoice tie-up as they got access to M-Net's local archives and SuperSport. MultiChoice had exclusive agreements with certain suppliers which extended to include them.

Canal+'s stake in VIU is sitting at 37,2% and when they do get it to 51% or before that. Don't be surprised if we got to see these dubbed shows from VIU on (a) separate DStv channel(s) if not Mzansi Magic and KykNET.

MultiChoice had been bulking up on the dubbed stuff with the launch of Landman on KykNET. Prior to this was the rollout of Star Khanya with the future rollout of Zee Dunia in East Africa.

According to some insiders, MultiChoice has more dubbed content they're planning to rollout on DStv and since last year they've been talks about allocating new channels. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if VIU's scraps were one of them.

MultiChoice did away with the English feed of TLNovelas and interesting how the remaining dubbed channels all have to appeal to the local consumer. You have Telemundo (English), Zee World (Sesotho and Swahili) and Star Khanya (Zulu).

Could Canal+ Look To Discontinue DStv Easyview?

As some people have noticed in the last months, Canal+ has been cleaning house at MultiChoice after completing it's buyout in 2025. This included the discontinuation of Showmax and reduction in costs for its decoders.

Canal+ had mentioned that MultiChoice charges way too much for its services in Anglophone markets compared to them in Francophone Africa. This is what's causing people to flee their offering with plans underway to rectify this error.

MultiChoice currently offers 17 different packages from DStv Premium to Easyview with various Add-ons from Explora Ultra and AddMovies. Not to mention, there is GOtv which we might discuss later 

Canal+ made it clear that this is not what consumers want and this many offerings drives a lot of confusion. They pivoting and looking to offer less brands, more simplicity, cheaper packages and decoders.

DStv Premium in it's current form could be a goner amidst this restructure I don't think it will die down like Compact+ but in terms of pricing and content that's likely to change. Same goes for its lower entry packages such as DStv Family and Easyview.

Canal+ wants to ensure that MultiChoice remains competitive in the long run and view Africa as the next destination to help in those endeavours. This would include trying to make DStv packages attractive for which DStv Easyview is not.

DStv Easyview serves as the cheapest offering amongst MultiChoice's services which carries mainly provincial and news channels with other content in the mix. This would include SABC 1-3, Soweto TV, SABC News, BBC UKTV and Real Time.

In other MultiChoice markets, this offering is known as DStv Lite which has seen more press and enhancements with SuperSport Variety 4, Mzansi Bioskop, Telemundo and BBC Lifestyle. MultiChoice SA has been fallen behind with other markets here.

We don't know what the final DStv product will look like but if Canal+ sees the audience numbers on Easyview are low - they might discontinue it. MultiChoice has never revealed how many people use Easyview as they usually liked grouping figures.

DStv Easyview numbers went hand in hand with Access and Family, and while they didn't divulge numbers it's clear to some that it has the least subscribers amongst packages.

MultiChoice often treats DStv Easyview like it's failed GOtv pay-tv venture in South Africa. They don't really market the offering as much as other countries do with DStv Lite or curate content exclusively for those audiences.

DStv Access consumers got KykNET Lekker and Moja 9.9. which by all means are not carried on other packages while Easyview inherited Magic Showcase which is also seen on Access.

If Canal+ is able to reverse DStv's growth projection, the question would have to be whether they'd still want something like Easyview. It currently competes with Openview which has two sports channels, three Bollywood channels and only lacking in local news.

Companies like MultiChoice or at least the ones I've seen in other African markets or even MultiChoice Africa don't really offer such package. The cheapest package being DStv Lite costs KSh 750 (R97.50) in Kenya while Access is KSh 1,450 (R188.50).

In some MultiChoice markets either one serves as the cheaper alternative.

What Happened To M-Net Movies Pop-Up Channels On DStv?

M-Net Movies pop-up channels was once a staple on DStv for franchises such as Spider-Man, Harry Potter, Fast & Furious and Star Wars. It served as one of those high profile events for DStv Premium and AddMovies subscribers.

Pop-up channels was once a concept that not only MultiChoice but various pay-tv companies around the world had offered at one point. In some cases, this meant giving viewers a glimpse behind the action with documentaries and interviews.

Instead of launching separate channels, M-Net would rather consolidate this offering on existing channels. One example is the Fan Favourites Festival where DStv viewers can pick what broadcasts on the screen.

This reduces the technical cost of running a dedicated extra channel while still offering that "binge-fest" experience. 

MultiChoice had also shifted their priorities for such events to DStv Stream and Catch-Up. Instead of waiting on a movie to broadcast on a pop-up channel, you can now find these movies under a particular tile or folder through these services.

Now under French hands, Canal+ is looking to simplify packages and rationalize on brands. There's no telling what's to become of DStv Premium and AddMovies as MultiChoice had lost millions of its top paying clients since 2016.

We can only imagine that Canal+ will probably look to merge some packages and bring down the prices for others while closing a couple of channels.

For MultiChoice, they have about 10 movie channels and this doesn't include Mzansi Bioskop, CineMagic, Zee Cinema and Africa Magic Epic. There's no telling if under Canal+ they'd continue having this many movie channels as they're in cost cutting mode.

Would Comcast's NBCUniversal Have Been A Better Suitor To MultiChoice?

Since late 2025, Canal+ managed to complete it's acquisition of MultiChoice and have begun slashing costs at the company. This is the norm for a majority of mergers and acquisitions and consumers have already seen the after effects.

M-Net had a licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery for titles like Penguin, The Peacemaker and Euphoria. In their last carriage deal, Canal+ let that deal die as it retains Cartoon Network and Warner's other cable networks.

Even SuperSport wasn't immune to costs as the merger lead to the loss of World Darts Championship, Winter Olympics and Philly's Games.

Showmax is expected to suffer the most from this ordeal as Canal+ admitted that the streamer has a commercial failure and only worsening MultiChoice's finances. Since last year, they've been engaging with Comcast about it's viability.

NBCUniversal bought a stake in the streamer a few years ago and this led to various enhancements for Showmax. This included additional catalogue from NBC, Telemundo Studios, Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation.

Post the takeover, MultiChoice and NBCUniversal had also been locked in to various partnerships including that of Universal+ on DStv Stream. They've even provided Universal TV, Studio Universal and Telemundo to DStv consumers.

Some outlets even speculated that a merger between NBCUniversal and MultiChoice was another endeavour on the cards. Although we're less likely to see how this would have turned out the outcome would probably have been different.

NBCUniversal spun off majority of its cable networks under a separate company, Versant. For all anyone knows, this probably would have been the outcome for M-Net's local portfolio either that or sale and best guess on a buyer would be Canal+.

Canal+ has a 30+ year presence in the African space and have been growing their portfolio in the market and prior to MultiChoice they bought Nigeria's ROK Studios and Rwanda's Zacu TV. So it would only seem logical for them to snatch these assets.

NBCUniversal would probably retain M-Net and likely make it an equivalent the main NBC network in America. Another brand they would likely keep is SuperSport and maybe all if not most of these recent cuts would have been avoided.

As for DStv, this would probably go 50/50 while Canal+ retains MultiChoice's entire operations. NBCUniversal could have looked into shutting down some of MultiChoice's operations or keeping the profitable ones as seen with Sky in Germany.

How eVOD And SABC+ Manage To Survive The Streaming Wars?

Showmax shuttered its doors in Africa as MultiChoice was losing a lot of money by keeping it on the air. The streaming service that served as a joint venture with Comcast's NBCUniversal and Sky was hoping to become Africa's version of Netflix.

The problem part with these endeavours is that Africa isn't seen as a booming economy for streaming. This is due to low broadband in some markets as well as high data costs.

While consumers can trust that eMedia Investments and SABC will continue funding the local economy through its eVOD and SABC+ streaming service. Fact of the matter is because of these challenges seen in Africa they need to diversify.

Subscriptions and advertising alone can't help sustain its operations while it may work for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as they're bigger brands. SABC+, eVOD and even Showmax had to subject themselves to these obstacles in Africa.

eMedia Investments and SABC still have to rely on their cable networks to re-coperate the costs. In some instances, they have to find a partner that is willing to help them build their content slate.

Amazon Prime Video was at one point a Showmax competitor commissioning content in Africa now they just license finished content. While Netflix continues funding the local economy these endeavours had been reduced.

MultiChoice, SABC and eMedia Investments continue to be the lifeline for these endeavours in South Africa. If one of them were to go six feet under, it's less likely that Netflix will just step up and fill up the gap left by DStv.

If you look at DStv, they have Mzansi Magic, Moja Love, Via, KykNET, SABC News and WildEarth. Netflix is not going to produce content to that scale if MultiChoice were to shut down especially if it's not going to make them money.

The Real Reason Telemundo Africa Changed The Names To Shows Like The Way To Paradise And A Passion For Revenge

Telemundo is an American based entertainment channel home to variety of telenovelas from Latin America, Mexico and Colombia. It's been in Africa for 13 years with shows like My Heart Beats For Lola, For Love And Justice and The Face Of Destiny.

Some viewers have noticed that Telemundo changed the names various of shows being allocated on the channel. Aside from the latter two there's also The Woman In Charge, The Way To Paradise and All Roads Lead To Love.

The Woman In Charge which will be concluding soon is known as La Jefa which translates to The Boss. Because Telemundo already reserved The Boss for La Patrona, they resorted to an alternative title with the same meaning. 

For The Way To Paradise, it's whole premise even the title Sin Seños Si Hay Paraíso deals with breasts and some countries are sensitive about this. It's been long been speculated that Telemundo never made this show available in Africa due to this ordeal.

Another show which also got a name change For Love And Justice is known as Los Miserables which translates to The Miserable Ones. The series revolves on Lucia clearing her name (Justice) and finding romance "Love".

The Miserable Ones doesn't really sit well with a show containing such a plot. Another instance is All Roads Lead To Love (Eva La Trailera/Eva The Trucker) as they wanted it to appeal to a wider audience as opposed to feeling niche or industrial.

A Passion For Revenge (Tierra De Reyes/Land Of Kings) is a remake to Hidden Passions (Pasión de Gavilanes) and similar to All Roads Lead To Love the title was touching on the plot. Brothers avenge the death of sister (Revenge) and fall in love (Passion).

Another reason with A Passion For Revenge being a remake, Telemundo probably wanted it to stand on its own feet from past iterations.

In short, there's several reasons Telemundo gave these shows their respective names some like The Way To Paradise proved to be controversial. Then there's others like All Roads Lead To Love where they wanted to make it appealing to viewers.

Chrysalis (Kamdaki Kiz) Season 3 Ending Explained

In the TV finale for Chrysalis (Kamdaki Kiz), Sedat and Nalan's actual remarriage was not shown on screen because the production opted for a time-skip conclusion that focused on their reconciliation rather than a full wedding sequence.

The decision to provide a "forced happy ending" for the television series was heavily criticised by viewers and critics, primarily because it deviated significantly from the original book's ending.

Key reasons for the handling of the finale include:

• Deviation from the source material: In the real life-story and the novel, Nalan and Sedat never get back together. Nalan's true life partner after her divorce is Hayri, with whom she lived with for seven years.

• Thematic shift: The TV series chose to redeem Sedat - showing him changing his ways after his mother's death - and concluded with him proposing to Nalan again on her birthday.

• Pacing and Time Skips: Rather than dedicating screen time to a second wedding, the final episode used a one-year time jump to show the couple already reunited and happy, which some viewers perceived as "cutting" the wedding scene.

eToonz And ePlesier Are Believed To Have The Least Amount Of Viewers

eToonz is a South African based children's channel that offers a mixture of animated and live-action shows alongside films. This includes MasterChef Junior, Hank Zipzer, DreamWorks Dragons: Race To The Edge and Angelina Ballerina.

ePlesier serves as a dedicated channel to older shows viewed on e.tv and eExtra's Kuiertyd. These would include Kelders Van Geheime, Annekan Die Swa Kry, Doodsondes and Stiletto Vendetta.

As mentioned, eMedia Investments had published it's ratings cards for all of its 8 channels. It's through this where one can get some pointers on how these channels are performing overall and things aren't looking for eToonz.

It serves as one of the company's longest running channels alongside e.tv, eMovies and eNCA through a separate agreement with MultiChoice. But in terms of investment and marketing the channel is lagging behind its other comrades.

Even ePlesier despite only serving reruns and only packaged on Openview has more viewers than eToonz. You can only conclude this as eMedia Investments charges advertisers more money for ePlesier than they would with eToonz.

This news doesn't come as surprise as Canal+ and Warner Bros. Discovery were in a dispute last year regarding the carriage of their 12 channels including Cartoon Network and Cartoonito.

Warner Bros. Discovery revealed Cartoon Network was responsible for 50% of kids viewing on DStv. This would mean eToonz formed part of the other 50% alongside Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

eToonz is a channel that is also distributed on DStv so viewers are going to expect that the channel is getting it's money's worth but for ePlesier to rack more dough is kinda depressing.

But from what was understood about Cartoon Network, a percentage of these viewers are adults. You can understand why ePlesier might have gotten the upper hand because kids prefer YouTube and TikTok while a majority on linear TV are adults.

ePlesier likely factored in what led to kill off primetime in the afternoon for daily repeats of Sout Van Die Aarde, Yosef and Bittersoet. Reruns can draw a decent amount of viewers and potential revenue it's like that with e.tv and Mr. Bones. 

eExtra Killing Off Primetime In The Afternoons Explained

eExtra is a South African based entertainment channel that offers telenovelas from Turkey this includes shows like Bittersoet, Sout Van Die Aarde and Soete Wraak. It also offers other shows like Ouma Sarie, Voetspore and Twist Of Fate.

As some viewers recall, eExtra also offered Asian and Bollywood dramas like Naagin, High Society Scandal and Empresses In The Place. Since then, the latter had gradually been phased out or reduced on the channel to just late nights.

Thanks to the rating cards provided by eMedia Sales, viewers get a glimpse into how much the channel charges it's advertisers.

From what is understood here, the timeslots to accumulate the most dough here is the ones where the most viewers reside. eMedia Investments hadn't disclosed how many viewers these shows have but it could be around 100,000+.

These cards also put a damper to shows like India: A Love Story and Naagin as it's clear here that daily repeats of Bloedspoor, Kelders Van Geheime and Yosef dominate the channel's overall viewing.

Despite eMedia Investments already packaging ePlesier for such content on Openview. It's clear that eMedia Investments can re-coperate the costs of ePlesier with just Bloedspoor reruns on eExtra.

We can only assume after eMedia Holdings had acquired the remaining stake in the company. Some restructuring was likely underway for eExtra and this led to reruns (particularly Kuiertyd) taking over afternoons as it made them the most income.

If you combine the potential earnings Naagin's weekday timeslot with that or Sout Van Die Aarde. You can see that eExtra can make almost double of Naagin's earnings with Sout Van Die Aarde.

Less Brands, Less Confusion, More Simplicity, Cheaper Packages And Cheaper Decoders. - Canal+ S.A. On DStv

Canal+ unveiled its financial year results ending 31 March 2026 and gave some indicators on where things stand for them with MultiChoice. They acquired the company last year with plans to its rollout its streaming service in place of Showmax.

Unfortunately, Showmax will go dark by the end of April and Canal+ plans to move further shows onto DStv Stream as consumers await for their dedicated app.

Also on the cards is a further restructuring to the DStv services as it was mentioned by the company that MultiChoice way too much. Aside from DStv Premium to Easyview, there's also AddMovies, Insurance and the Explora Ultra.

Showmax formed part of this as it offered a Premier League subscription and a discounted rate for DStv consumers. With it being shuttered, this is one way they're trying to make simplier for consumers.

Canal+ plans to deploy a 1000 salespeople in MultiChoice markets and help them get commission if they're able to push DStv decoders to homes. It appears the focus has shifted toward their mass market or should I say lower paying consumers.

Not long ago, it was that Canal+ might have shelved yet to launch DStv Ultra decoder as it was deemed too expensive for the African market. These sales people aren't pushing Explora type decoders into Africa but DStv ones as they're affordable.

Some consumers probably noticed that Canal+ also brought down the prices to some of MultiChoice's services in the market. The plan is to duplicate this onto DStv packages across Africa and there's no word on how they plan to do all this.

According to Thinus Ferreira, Canal+ outlined it's plans as so: less brands, less confusion, more simplicity, cheaper packages and cheaper decoders.

If you look at how all of this is being worded out, the only way I can see them achieve this level of simplicity is to restructure DStv packages. There's massive overlaps between DStv Family and Compact as well as Premium and Compact+.

Maybe Canal+ will look to merge it's Compact+ and Premium offering into one package with Compact and Family forming the other. There had been talks since last year about unbundling SuperSport from the DStv offering maybe that will be factored in.

MultiChoice also offered a Chinese, Bollywood, French and Portuguese package. I'd imagine Canal+ would want to deploy Tout Canal+ in place of DStv French and likely scrap the Chinese package with further reductions to Bollywood and Portuguese.

In South Africa, MultiChoice even consolidated it's Portuguese offering onto remaining DStv packages. For all we know, Canal+ could look to duplicate this in more African countries. 

Canal+ May Look To Add Adult Entertainment Channels To MultiChoice's DStv

Almost a decade ago, StarSat served as one of the few pay-tv providers to offer adult entertainment channels to viewers in Africa. Before it's closure in South Africa, they had attempted to offer Hustlers TV and a bundle of channels until they got the axe.

Despite StarSat playing it safe ensuring it was only broadcast between 20:00 to 05:00, even requiring subscribers to add parental control to ensure minors don't have access to such material. The backlash and legal rambling wasn't enough to keep it on air.

ICASA was even involved throughout the whole process and even gave StarSat the greenlight to distribute the content as an add-on in South Africa.

MultiChoice at one point attempted to offer an adult entertainment channel and even did market research before going against it. Then again, their former CEO stated that some people misinterpreted the idea on how it would be distributed.

Now MultiChoice's new owners Canal+ is exploring the possibility of rolling out the following to DStv consumers:

* Hustler TV: Owned by the famous Hustler brand, this channel airs a mix of adult movies, including hardcore features and parodies.

* Vixen TV: This channel focuses on high-end, "cinematic" adult content that often has higher production values than typical adult films.

* Private TV: A long-standing European brand known for high-budget, "blockbuster" style adult movies with more of a focus on storytelling.

* Penthouse TV: Linked to the famous magazine, this channel typically features high-quality adult films and erotic specials. 

Canal+ Africa's CEO David Mignot stated Canal+ has always offered adult entertainment channels, but added that the idea is to comply with each country’s local regulations and sensitivities.

As mentioned, there's no laws that prohibit such content from being broadcast in South Africa as ICASA is involved throughout the whole process. But the backlash and legal rambling (or should I say "sensitivities") makes it a no no for South Africa.

Although some reports from late 2025 suggest certain adult sites had more viewers in South Africa than News24 whose peak comes during elections or national crises. 

Canal+ Might Overhaul The Current DStv Structure And Take A Dig At SuperSport

As it is understood, MultiChoice has lost almost 3 million DStv subscribers in the last two years and this is the reason Canal+ is backing out from further price increases. The focus has shifted on returning the company back to its 2023 projections.

Post the takeover, MultiChoice reportedly had 23.5 million 90 day active subscribers and this dropped further by 11% to 18.5 million. In South Africa, the DStv Premium base (including Compact+) saw a drop of 96,000 subscribers.

Since last year, MultiChoice had been exploring the possibility of unbundling SuperSport from the current DStv offering to make the costs flexible. This isn't the first time such experiment occurred and it's not known why they hadn't pursued it earlier on.

In France, Canal+ already offers the Canal+ Sport bouquet which includes sports from rival brands like DAZN and Eurosport. There's even a base package with select sports like UEFA Champions League, Formula 1 and Moto GP.

It is currently priced at €34.99 (R671, 89).

Of course, it's Canal+ Afrique's operations uses the same model as DStv which is why there's a lot of skepticism about a SuperSport only package. Canal+ CEO had dismissed the idea stating that "everyone who has tried this has failed". 

If such exists, it's going to be almost as pricey as your current DStv Premium bouquet. It's less likely they're going to make it cheaper as the current DStv structure helps subsidies the costs.

This new structure MultiChoice has been testing out for DStv will only benefit the non sports fanatics on lower tiered packages.

DStv Premium has been in decline for 10 years so it's a safe bet that MultiChoice will gradually use this offering to phase out that market. The plan for this offering was to have 3 sports package one for football with other sports on another package.

There's plenty of Premium subscribers that don't watch football and MultiChoice would give them the option to exclude it from their offering. They'll be times where you don't feel like watching SuperSport and MultiChoice would make that possible too.

In the end, you as a Premium client can continue catching shows like Landman and Doc on M-Net while watching One Piece on Netflix. You can do all this for under R700 and still have R300 to yourself.

DStv Stream Expected To Merge Into Showmax Replacement App

Canal+ is planning to launch its own streaming service in MultiChoice markets as consumers bid farewell to Showmax. Further content from the service will now be redirected to M-Net, Mzansi Magic and KykNET.

Canal+'s streaming service which might fold under DStv Stream, viewers get to watch live TV and content on demand. They plan is to also utilise other apps such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with VIU likely to form part of this duo.

This was a feature MultiChoice made exclusive to Explora Ultra and since Canal+ takeover in late 2025, the company is cleaning house. They already scrapped M-Net's contract with HBO as well as that of SuperSport for the Winter Olympics.

In October 2025, Canal+ leadership indicated plans to merge DStv Stream, Showmax, and the Canal+ app into a single "super app" to combine content and reduce costs. As seen already, Showmax with all that Comcast filter is going out the window.

As mentioned, Canal+ will likely use the existing footprint of DStv Stream to expand its streaming ambitions as opposed to starting from scratch. It fits well with the company's structure on having the same content viewed across multiple platforms.

Of course, the problem part of retaining the DStv structure would be costs as Showmax would give you the freshest content for under R99 while on DStv you need at R500. Unless Canal+ has a backup plan consumers might not be persuaded by this.

But then again, MultiChoice was in discussion about possibly unbundling it's DStv offering with SuperSport serving as an add-on or standalone package. This would take the strain off paying R1000 for the full package.

Canal+ had deployed similar mechanisms in France where consumers would pay for select content and with the MultiChoice deal these endeavours are expected to accelerate.

Did Canal+ Blow It With The HBO Deal On DStv?

Not long ago, it was reported that DStv and Showmax subscribers will be losing out on The White Lotus and House Of Dragons as Canal+ is slashing costs at MultiChoice. As a result, all this content is now going to be curated for streaming.

This means DStv customers would wait for the latter to rollout on HBO Max which might be available in South Africa within the year. It is likely to be added onto the Explora Ultra alongside Netflix and Disney+.

A lot was riding on getting this deal on the table, it wasn't only the future of The Sopranos on M-Net at stake but that of Cartoon Network. MultiChoice was open to replacing but the reality is there's no real alternative to any of Warner's cable networks.

Cartoon Network alone is responsible for 49% of kids viewing on DStv while Cartoonito is the top rated kids channel on the family package. A replacement will most definitely not be able to recoup the figures by those brands.

Same goes for TLC, TNT and CNN as they're ranked #1 in their respective fields on DStv. Several scenarios do however come into play for the fall of HBO and Warner Bros. on M-Net.

Firstly, Canal+ deemed those as non viable but their road on DStv is not up yet just how it will distributed going forward. If Netflix bid for Warner Bros. succeeds that's where it's likely to end up another as mentioned would be HBO Max.

Another has to deal with the decline of DStv, M-Net losing out on HBO will definitely lead some to end their subscription. But it wouldn't be as impactful or massive as the loss of 12 TV channels alongside the 4 closed by Paramount.

DStv Premium has been a sinking ship post the pandemic and even before Canal+'s acquisition of MultiChoice. M-Net can't fight the streaming wars it does however have the edge over Universal TV and Comedy Central in its primetime offering.

But a majority of people nowadays would rather watch these shows on Netflix then pay R1000 to get them on DStv. It's not M-Net's fault but rather one of the various setbacks to linear TV.

Cartoon Network And Nickelodeon Under The Same Roof??? A Story For The Dark Ages

For decades, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon have been battling it out alongside Disney Channel to be the top kids brand. Now that's all about to end as Paramount emerged victorious in it's bidding war with Netflix with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Cartoon Network is home to Adventure Time, Ed Edd'n Eddy and The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy which were rejects from Nickelodeon. Now that's likely to be merged with Dora The Explorer, SpongeBob Squarepants and Rugrats.

Let's not forget, Cartoon Network's failed attempt rivalling with iCarly and Henry Danger with shows like Incredible Crew and Level Up. This merger now gives both brands the leverage over Disney Channel.

Nickelodeon's animation slate hasn't been stable in recent years with it's only successor in the 2010s being The Loud House. During this time, Cartoon Network had Regular Show, Adventure Time, Uncle Grandpa, Steven Universe and Teen Titans GO!.

With this merger still underway there's growing fear that Nickelodeon will no longer produce animation content moving forward. This is because Paramount let a majority of the brand's staff out of a job and there hasn't any word on new content.

Warner Bros. Discovery is no different on this matter but then again they are in a better position. Even though the latter is mainly existing IPs such as Tiny Toons Looniversity, Adventure Time: Side Quests, We Baby Bears and Batman: Caped Crusader.

Some people probably may not realise this but Nickelodeon was once formed part of a joint venture between Warner Communications and American Express alongside MTV. Due to financial constraints, it was sold to Viacom and formed MTV Networks.

In technicality, what we're witnessing here is basically a re-merger of some kind and Paramount is no stranger to that bit at all as it came out of a merger between Viacom and CBS.

Then again a lot is on the line, what does this deal mean for Nickelodeon on an animation standpoint? What becomes of Nicktoons, Nick Jr. and Cartoonito? Can Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network really function under one company?

If I'm being honest, the difference between the two is live-action as both are dominant in their respective fields so it's a safe bet that Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network will be retained. This is where most of the viewers and advertising revenue reside.

With Boomerang, Boing and Nicktoons basically being used for reruns that's likely to go away soon. The same outcome could await Cartoonito as Paramount doesn't have much animation in the pipeline compared to Warner Bros. Discovery.

Nick Jr. being the most recognisable brand compared to Cartoonito could serve as the new home to shows like Batwheels, Baby Looney Tunes, Hey BMO and Foster's Funtime For Imaginary Friend.

DStv Needs To Be Restructured

Rationality is realising that gone are the days when DStv could offer a bouquet of entertainment from across the world. As suppliers and consumers shift their focus to online viewing further reducing the portfolio for linear consumers.

In general, there's nothing wrong with DStv if it offered more Zee World than HBO content as that's where most consumers reside. It's not that House Of Dragons and The White Lotus aren't superb but most would rather pay for this if it were on Showmax.

If Canal+ is hoping to scale up on subscriber count through its MultiChoice buyout the only best option would be rethinking how content gets packaged.

The premium market needed to be restructured even before the pandemic. Consumers haven't gotten anything worthwhile outside of sports and what little is left is being duplicated and becoming more accessible on cheaper packages.

MultiChoice initially offered DStv Select 1 and 2 in South Africa and from what I recall it's active in few African markets. Think of DStv Easyview but with only the must haves of DStv but expensive which is M-Net, KykNET, BBC Earth and SS Grandstand.

This is something I believe needs to be revived somehow then there's the other which is a standalone sports package or add-on.

SuperSport takes a very large audience share within DStv while eMedia, SABC and even Netflix can offer select sporting events. SuperSport continues to offer the whole enchilada from Premier League, NBA, La Liga, WWE and Moto GP.

Canal+ you could try to offer a promotions to consumers who wish to see select sporting events.

Getting back to the packages, MultiChoice had explored an entertainment only package maybe split this offering into two separate packages. One package carries premium networks like Mzansi Magic while the other has Mzansi Wethu.

Were Mexican Imports On TLNovelas A Miss On DStv?

As I've reported, TLNovelas will be going dark on DStv in the coming weeks likely as part of Canal+'s aggressive cost cuts at MultiChoice. The channel is on track to wrap up Love To Death and It Had To Be You as Fall Into Temptation concludes this week.

Fans of the shows feel like MultiChoice's response is vague because often when a channel is removed the same statements. All consumers want is some clarity and what led TLNovelas to become an afterthought as Telemundo lives another day.

Over the years, Telemundo had seen a major drop in primetime and TLNovelas was regarded to some of these viewers as their holy grace. It features content from Mexico's biggest broadcasters Las Estrellas with Rubi, Love Spell and A Woman Of Steel.

What went wrong?

Firstly, we live in a market which is dominant by African stories and this content takes up a 40% audience share in primetime. TLNovelas was most likely not pulling up those same numbers making it vulnerable to potential cuts.

As for Telemundo, this is basically the HBO of Spanish television with shows like Iron Rose and Queen Of The South commanding a wider audience. It wouldn't be something you'd just let go despite Canal+'s scrutiny.

TLNovelas entire existence was solely based on archived Mexican telenovelas and those can often lead to low viewership.

Another problem stems from TelevisaUnivison, they had existing agreements with other local broadcasters for these shows. TLNovelas was basically another Discovery Family or Nicktoons funneled with repeats for some viewers.

Could Canal+'s MultiChoice Look To Expand Novelas TV's Operations To DStv?

As reported, MultiChoice will be axing TLNovelas after 5 years from their platforms by the end of January. They haven't given a reason to the sudden reason for the exclusion of the channel but several theories enter the mount.

Firstly, Canal+ has been slashing costs at MultiChoice and TLNovelas happens to be the first victim in this pursuit. Other cuts ranged from sporting events seen on SuperSport such as Philly Games and World Darts Championship.

Another theory to various DStv consumers is that the French broadcaster has plans to possibly possibly ramp up another TV channel, Novelas TV.

Novelas TV is the go to destination for French dubbed Latin American and Turkish telenovelas for consumers in France and Africa. A Polish version known as Novelas+ is being broadcast on Platforma Canal+ in Poland.

In technicality, it would be rivalling with both Telemundo and eExtra's existing offering on DStv.

MultiChoice had mentioned that they plan to enhance consumer's offering with more content and channels. To some, this could as well imply possibly reverting further content from TLNovelas onto Novelas TV or whatever the French prefers to call it.

It's less likely to be referred to as Novelas TV seeing as there's already one in Africa but rather Novelas+ as seen in Poland seeing as there's no overlap.

Novelas TV being a localised brand with both French and Polish audio could signal that a speculated feed will be in African languages.

KykNET has been distributing Afrikaans dubbed Turkish telenovelas like My Naam Is Farah and Kind Van Die Noodlot. Oddly enough, it had even been picked up by Maisha Magic which is based in East Africa so don't be surprised if that got slotted in.

Canal+ currently has a 37% stake in the Asian based streamer VIU and is looking to acquire majority stake. They've followed a similar route as Zee TV and KykNET with localised dubbing to international dramas again could be slotted in.

Teresa, Love Spell and the funnel of content viewed on TLNovelas again might as well garner some new life on Novelas TV.

Dark Days Could Be Lurking For TNT Africa

As advised, MultiChoice will be shuttering Warner Bros. Discovery's 12 channels on the DStv platform due to pricing problems. Channels like Food Network qnd Discovery Family will cease to exist in Africa as MultiChoice was the only provider for them.

Another channel that could be joining Food Network and the other channels in a not so distant future would be TNT.

TNT is ranked as the #1 international movie channel in Africa offering action based films and various content from wrestling promotion AEW. It was only last year when StarTimes opted to discontinue carriage of the channel for similar reasons.

Unlike Cartoon Network and a fleet of channels that are packaged on StarTimes, Zuku TV and Azam TV. The only other means of viewing TNT would be through Canal+ Afrique's operations in Rwanda.

The problem part, Canal+ Afrique and MultiChoice are owned by the same company meaning TNT Africa's days in the market could be numbered. It's less likely to be revived on another platform as StarTimes and the latter already have alternatives in place.

Unlike Cartoon Network and TLC where the content can't simply be replaced with an alternative. Outside of AEW, TNT uses the same catalogue as ST Movies, Studio Universal and M-Net Movies.