Would Paramount Be A Good Suitor For Warner Bros. Discovery Global?

Paramount is planning to several linear channels across the world by the end of 2025. This includes Nickelodeon's channels in New Zealand and Brazil, BET in France and MTV's music channels across Europe.

Amidst this, Paramount is currently in pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery which distributes brands like Discovery Channel, HGTV, Cartoon Network and CNN. Prior to this bid, Warner Bros. Discovery was exploring potential split with most of their cable networks forming part of Discovery Global.

If we analyze most of the channels Paramount is looking to shutter across the world such as BET in France and Nickelodeon in Brazil. You would discover that most of the hits target regional or localised brands which does lead us to wonder what is to become of Discovery Global.

Discovery Global offers a lot of cable networks compared to Paramount the ones which have seen success internationally include Cartoonito, Boing and DMAX. These would expand to include regional networks like Discovery Family, Real Time and TNT.

In the event where Paramount bid is probably deemed successful whose to guarantee that these networks won't walk out the door. Paramount is pivoting toward streaming and wanting to offer content with global appeal.

If you look at the state of Paramount's cable networks their operations would be reduced to just MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons by next year. As BET, MTV Base and various other channels get their affairs in order and bid farewell.

There's a chance Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon could be placed under the same umbrella although Paramount intends to keep certain aspects of Warner Bros. Discovery. Reductions is the one thing that usually comes out of a merger or acquisition.

Paramount intends to merge HBO Max with Paramount+ and that wouldn't necessarily equal more content. HBO Max in such a transaction could become what Hulu is on Disney+ globally as opposed to a juggernaut like Netflix.

Paramount very much like Warner can see the writing on the wall when it comes to dominance and the reality is that not everyone can be a shark under water. Some companies to resort to partnerships or even mergers to become a bigger fish in the ocean.

Usually in merger and acquisitions, the acquiring company puts their needs above all else. In the first round, it would be Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr., from Paramount going up against Cartoon Network and Cartoonito from Warner Bros. Discovery.

Warner Bros. Discovery had been reliant on third party content for these cable networks and Paramount may not like that strategy. Aside from that, Cartoon Network makes 15%-20% of its revenue from 2014 which has affected the channel's overall performance.

Teen Titans GO! is currently the only primetime show on the network while other productions like Tiny Toons Looniversity and We Baby Bears wrap productions. Then there's Batwheels on Cartoonito which has been on limbo following its third season renewal.

Paramount in its attempts at scaling back on costs could opt to merge Cartoon Network's operations with that of Nickelodeon or Nicktoons while Cartoonito is phased out in favour of Nick Jr.

The second round would comprise of Travel Channel, Discovery Family, Real Time and TNT.

As seen already, Paramount is scaling back on its international operations with the closures of CBS Reality, CBS Justice, MTV Base and BET. Whose to say that the same fate won't await these brands.

Discovery Channel and TLC have more reruns and part of their primetime shows are likely reruns from HGTV and Food Network. It kind of makes Discovery Family and Real Time obsolete if the company doesn't have much content for their core brands.

Travel Channel is very similar to BET and CBS Reality when it comes to scale with the channel that had also seen a slow decline in carriage. Under Paramount, this endeavours would be accelerated even further.

Could CBS Reality Be Shutting Down Around The World Alongside True Crime UK???

Some consumers were likely keeping tabs on this but CBS Reality's carriage had been in decline over the years. In the UK, this offering was folded under True Crime which very much like CBS Reality has been airing a lot of Judge Judy same goes for the feeds to have closed.

MultiChoice and DStv consumers have been the latest victims in this corporate restructure of Paramount with CBS Reality and CBS Justice expected to close by 31 December 2025.

This was stated by them when addressing the press

“Following a strategic review, CBS AMC Networks EMEA Channels Partnership – the owner of CBS Reality and CBS Justice – has decided to close both channels,” MultiChoice said.

Does this mean remaining feeds for the channels are expected to close???

At the time of reporting, the only markets that would continue to offer CBS Reality would be the UK (through True Crime), Romania and the Middle East. If you had to look at the channel's reach excluding the UK, it's a lot smaller and such aren't prioritised.

Unlike MultiChoice's DStv, Paramount's Channels Are Being Replaced In Other Parts Of The World

At this current stage, MultiChoice has no plans to replace CBS Reality, CBS Justice, MTV Base and BET once they go dark on DStv. This will only enrage consumers by next year and lead to the potential loss in subscribers as seen with high end packages.

From what is understood, the decision to remove these channels was a corporate decision coming from Paramount and AMC Networks International. MultiChoice has no control over that and are as much customs as of its subscribers.

But as MultiChoice a service is being provided by them so it would only seem logical in this scenario for consumers to get some form of compensation. Rather than widening down the reach of existing channels as if your top level or mid entry subscribers don't exist.

In New Zealand, Sky had launched two channels Sky Comedy and Sky Kids that have licensed content from Paramount's cable networks.  Even in Poland whose CBS Reality is scheduled to close at the same time as Africa is treating this as a rebrand with another set to launch in place.

Even in Australia, Foxtel had launched its replacements for MTV's cable networks: CMC, Australian Played and Trending. This is despite the fact that Spotify and YouTube Music are booming within the streaming space.

Then you have MultiChoice which is losing 4 channels despite closing an additional 2 channels in the year and between 7 to 12 channels in the previous financial year. They had only managed to launch like 1 channel and another 1 or 2 in the previous year.

In general, things at MultiChoice are really a mess and those following the media can only just hope that this tie up with Canal+ can only benefit existing clients in the long run. There's likely going to be more corporate restructuring within the media landscape.

Paramount is currently in pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery and if they're able to sink their teeth into Discovery Channel and Cartoon Network. Expect a similar outcome to await these brands and MultiChoice won't have much leverage by then.

Some consumers are threatening to cancel their DStv subscription once MTV Base goes dark this was somewhat like the Mzansi Magic of music. Judge Judy that's also being axed without airing it's final season alongside reruns to Cheaters as this content won't be found elsewhere.

"There Are A Variety Of Other Channels That Contain Similar Content", MultiChoice On The Closures Of MTV Base, BET, CBS Reality And CBS Justice On DStv

As reported moments ago, CBS Reality, CBS Justice, BET and MTV Base will be exiting DStv soon due to a corporate restructure at Paramount. For DStv consumers particularly high end subscribers that are hoping to be compensated there no plans to replace these channels.

MultiChoice when asked about the matter pertaining to BET and MTV Base 

"There are a variety of other channels that contain similar content, such as Sound City, Channel O, Trace Urban or Trace Africa for music, or Mzansi Magic, M-Net, Bravo, and Movie Room for viewers who prefer series and movie entertainment.”

MultiChoice when asked about the matter pertaining to shows like Judge Judy on CBS Reality 

"Customers can continue to enjoy a wide range of local and international reality and investigative content across our bouquet of channels.”

However the fact that MultiChoice has no workaround to such doesn't mean there won't be one eventually. Best guess here is that MultiChoice will be widening the reach certain channels within 2026.

For MTV Base, this could as well be Trace Africa to DStv Access but like MultiChoice has stated there's plenty of channels for local music. There's been an increase in online usage for platforms like Spotify which partially contributed to the channel's demise.

For CBS Reality, this could as well be the additions of Discovery Family to DStv Access or Curiosity Channel to DStv Family subscribers. As highlighted, there's a wide range of local and international reality and investigative content.

Lastly for other DStv consumers, MultiChoice had been part of a corporate buyout by French broadcaster Canal+. Through its sub division, Canal+ Afrique had boasted about 4000 hours of African content which is currently being integrated with MultiChoice. 

From 9 December, MultiChoice will be adding Sunu Yeuf, Pulaagu, Mandeka, Maboke and Zacu TV currently seen on Canal+ Afrique to DStv. These channels form part of 4000 hours content slate the company is introducing in select African markets.

Scheduling Update: BET And MTV Base Will Stop Airing On DStv From January 1st At 9AM CAT

As reported moments ago, CBS Reality, CBS Justice, BET and MTV Base will be exiting DStv soon due to a corporate restructure at Paramount. This had led to several linear channels to shut down from across the globe and this included various MTV branded channels.

MultiChoice sent a notice to various DStv consumers informing them that these 4 channels would be exiting DStv by 31 December 2025. Yet on the programme guide, BET and MTV Base are only scheduled to close by 1 January 2025 at 9AM CAT.

This could mean several things the first Paramount could be curating special programming for the channels. As I understand it, MTV Base had been curating content to celebrate 20 years perhaps BET with its 10 year presence is being stringed along.

Their closures seemed abrupt when it was first announced and this could be their way of trying of settling the score or rather make amends. 

On the MultiChoice side of things, the company will now to have work around the clock to allocate more content or risk losing subscribers. Since their buyout by Canal+, DStv consumers have seen some enhancement with the addition of Ligue 1 and NBA on SuperSport.

Canal+ is expected to provide a detailed report about its plans for MultiChoice by next year. Some of which include merging their operations with that of MultiChoice a process in which the company is expected to conclude within 12 to 18 months.

Paramount Likely To Be The Frontrunner In Bid For Warner Bros. Discovery

Paramount is the frontrunner in the race to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a new report from the NY Post. What’s giving Paramount the advantage? A source for the NY Post says that Paramount is the only company to make an offer that includes CNN as part of the deal.

Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix all submitted bids by the deadline on November 20, with Comcast and Netflix showing interest in the studio and streaming side of the business, while Paramount made an offer to buy it all.

While any sale would have to go through regulatory approval, the NY Post says that Paramount will have a much easier time moving through that process. The company got FCC approval for its merger with Skydance after settling a a $16 million lawsuit with President Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election, and making a promise to commit to to “unbiased journalism” by airing news and entertainment programming across the political spectrum. Post-sale, Paramount put Bari Weiss of The Free Press in charge of news.

Now, CNN could be getting the CBS News treatment. If Paramount succeeds in acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN would likely also be put under Weiss’ management and made more Trump administration-friendly. Knowing that, Paramount owners are likely to quickly be given the greenlight in the regulatory approval process while Netflix and Comcast, the NY Post points out, would not.

Comcast owns left-leaning news network MSNBC, which CEO Brian Roberts is spinning off, along with other networks including CNBC and USA, into a new entity called Versant. Netflix leaders Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos have been known to support left-leaning causes. Those ties might work against both companies with this administration, on top of Comcast and Netflix only showing interest in half of the Warner Bros. Discovery business.

Paramount Will Likely Streamline Warner Bros. Discovery If It's Acquisition Is Successful

David Ellison had recently formed Paramount Skydance and is currently in pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery. If it's takeover bid is successful, this would bring Paramount's CBS, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central alongside WBD's CNN, HGTV and Discovery under one umbrella.

Paramount had stated that if their acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is successful both companies would continue operate independently think of DreamWorks Animation and Illumination. Although, no merger plans are underway that doesn't exclude the possibility of reductions.

MTV will be shutting down its music channels by the end of 2025 across the world alongside various other channels. Paramount is undergoing a restructure and wants to align their remaining brands to streaming and Warner Bros. Discovery will follow in this pursuit.

Paramount intends to merge it's 79 million subscribers on Paramount+ with that of 128 million from HBO Max. This would give them 209 million subscribers and their rival Disney+ would fall short at 195 following its merger with Hulu.

Rather than scale back on spending in the event of an acquisition, Paramount wants to increase content spend with its buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery. With over 200 million subscribers, that is very much possible in such a scenario think of Netflix and how much content it offers in a year.

The issues pertaining to the buyout is a difference in narratives if Warner Bros. Discovery had diversity initiatives that is likely to get phased out. Prior to the Paramount takeover, Skydance didn't offer such and never intended to do so same could be awaiting this buyout.

As for creative teams, Paramount wants to continue to keep those separate but it's less likely that the number of employees would remain the same in such a transaction. If there's an underperforming studio, that is most definitely expected to shut down.

Lastly cable networks, as reported Paramount will be closing several channels before the year ends most of which were regional. Warner Bros. Discovery is a company which carries a lot of cable networks mainly from Discovery Inc. with others viewed internationally.

Paramount could opt to retain Discovery Channel, HGTV and Cartoon Network as these brands have global appeal. Perhaps phase out underperforming/niche brands like Travel Channel alongside regional ones like TNT and Real Time.

What remains clear here in Warner Bros. Discovery's pursuit of a potential buyer with Comcast, Netflix and Paramount being eyed. HBO Max could be consolidated under another rival platform and also massive layoffs await whatever is left of the company.

Paramount Looking To Increase Its Bid For Warner Bros. Discovery To $71 Billion

David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance is said to be turning to new partners in the Middle East to help back his offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in its entirety.

Paramount Skydance has formed an investment consortium with the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to submit a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, sources told Variety. The bid is being largely backed by the Ellison family (which owns 100% voting control in Paramount Skydance) with involvement from three Arab countries: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the sources said. In addition, Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital is backing the bid.

Each of the funds would put up $7 billion (for a total of $21 billion); Paramount Skydance would front $50 billion for a proposed WBD acquisition for a total of $71 billion. (It’s not clear if that price tag would be inclusive of debt.) The board of Warner Bros. Discovery had previously rejected a $23.50/share offer from David Ellison.

The board of Warner Bros. Discovery has set a Nov. 20 deadline for initial bids from interested acquirers, which also include Comcast and Netflix.

Separately Tuesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was meeting at the White House with President Trump.

Meanwhile, Comcast co-CEO Brian Roberts traveled to Saudi Arabia in late October to attend a conference in Riyadh hosted by the PIF, Variety has confirmed. He also visited Qiddiya, where the country is building a theme park destination, to scope out the area for a possible Universal park in the area. But it’s not known whether Roberts solicited investment backing from the Saudis for a Warner Bros. bid by Comcast.

Reps for Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast declined to comment.

Under the scenario in the WBD bid led by Paramount Skydance, the Saudi, Qatar and Abu Dhabi funds would hold small minority stakes in Warner Bros. Discovery. Each of the three would get “an IP, a movie premiere, a movie shoot,” a knowledgeable source told Variety. “All they care about is reputation and soft power,” the source added.

The Saudis do not have “any incentive” to join a prospective Comcast bid for Warner Bros. (excluding WBD’s linear TV networks) because their understanding is that “the Trump administration doesn’t like Comcast CEO Brian Roberts at all,” the source said.

Trump, who has regularly been upset about the coverage of Comcast-owned MSNBC (which is now called MS NOW), earlier this year called Roberts the “chairman of ‘Concast’” and a “lowlife.” Trump has equated the cable news outlet to “an illegal arm of the Democrat Party,” and claimed that Comcast “should be forced to pay vast sums of money for the damage they’ve done to our Country.”

Sky New Zealand Launches Two New Channels To Replace Paramount's Offering And Cartoon Network

Sky New Zealand is launching two new self-branded channels to replace Paramount’s Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Comedy Central and Cartoon Network, which are ceasing transmission from early December.

The new offerings, Sky Comedy and Sky Kids, will carry programming from the expiring channels in addition to new shows from a range of studios and locally commissioned content.

“Kids and comedy programming are at the heart of Sky’s entertainment offering. By bringing these important channels ‘in-house’ we can choose and curate the content that we know our customers enjoy and engage with, combining Paramount fan favourites with content from other studios,” said Fiona Murray, Sky NZ’s head of entertainment.

Sky Comedy will feature Comedy Central content including the final season of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, South Park, The Daily Show and Beavis & Butt-Head, in addition to retro classics including Cheers, Reno 911!, Nathan For You and Key & Peele.

Sky Kids is being pitched as offering educational programming for preschoolers through to primary school-age children. Former Nickelodeon and Nick Jr content will be included alongside “a strong slate of local programming.”

The new outlet will complement the existing CBeebies channel, providing local content including Katie’s Kuri and The Last Moa, as well as multiple seasons of home-grown hits such as Kiri & Lou, The Drawing Show, Extreme Cake Sports and Secrets at Red Rocks.

Sky NZ said some content from the axed channels will continue to be available via on-demand on the new Sky Experience service across the Sky Box and Sky Pod platforms. Cartoon Network content will continue to be available on-demand through the HBO Max hub via the Sky Entertainment package.

The broadcaster has also partnered with Mood TV to bring two new local music channels to its channel line-up, Juice TV and J2, which effectively replace MTV Hits and MTV 80s. In line with the global shutdown of the MTV brand, the music channels will no longer be available via linear in New Zealand.

In October, it was announced that MTV linear channels would progressively shut down in the UK, Poland, France and Brazil. In Australia, the MTV brand has suffered a similar fate, with its channels having been shut down weeks ago by OTT provider Fetch TV. Paramount owned Australian channels MTV 80s, MTV 90s, MTV 00s, MTV Club and MTV Hits which were previously carried by Foxtel in a deal that was not renewed.

All changes to Sky NZ programming take effect from December 2.

Could Nicktoons And Nick Jr. (Ethiopia) Also Be At Risk Of Exiting DStv?

Paramount is in the process of shutting down some of its linear operations in Europe and Africa by the end of 2025. This includes music brands like MTV Base alongside the black focused entertainment channel, BET both of are seen on MultiChoice's DStv.

Many insiders do warn that the cuts go beyond channel terminations but content as well. A while ago, MTV had cancelled their longest running shows Ridiculousness and Catfish: The TV Show followed by Beyond Bragga and Black Gold on BET.

For Nicktoons, Nick In Your Language has offered various shows in local languages including Paw Patrol, SpongeBob Squarepants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They also offer a musical program NickMusic which had been produced in the same production house as MTV Base.

From 2026, there's a very high possibility that alongside MTV Base and BET that these local projects on Nicktoons will be axed. 

Paramount sent a memo in July 2025 warning staff that local projects would be axed and their offices shut down. In Portugal, various channels from the company including Nickelodeon are expected to close by December 2025.

MultiChoice has seen a drop in subscriptions for their pay-tv service and following its buyout by Canal+. I'd imagine they're going to make cuts to their platform especially in markets like Ethiopia.

Canal+ had shut down its services in the region following its rollout in 2021 as they reported weak growth. MultiChoice is losing subscribers especially in Kenya and Nigeria which serve as major markets for DStv and Ethiopia is most definitely not exempt from these cuts.

MultiChoice had launched an Amharic version to Nick Jr. which very much like Nick In Your Language but as a standalone channel dubs various preschool shows. With Paramount shuttering it's offices in Africa there's no way Nick Jr. can operate independently.

Aside from BET and MTV Base, it's likely that Nick Jr. would be shutting down its localised feed in Ethiopia leaving the Pan-African feed intact. Nicktoons continues to be carried in some European markets so it's likely the one in Africa will just aligned to those markets as seen with Nickelodeon.

Channel Closure: BET And MTV Base Will Stop Airing On DStv From 31 December 2025

Paramount is in the process of shutting down some of its linear operations in Europe and Africa by the end of 2025. This includes music brands like MTV Base alongside the black focused entertainment channel, BET both of are seen on MultiChoice's DStv.

MTV Base was launched in Africa by February 2005 offering content from local and African artists. Since it's inception, MTV Base had been regarded as #1 music network in West Africa which is where most of its relevance resided.

BET followed by September 2014 offering a mixture of reality shows, drama series, sitcoms and movies. As it began bolstering it's local portfolio, BET started garnering prestige with shows like Queendom drawing in over 200,000 viewers part of which had to do with its expansion to DStv Access.

With both channels shutting down soon, MultiChoice would not only be losing two more channels but the international content slate would further diminish. BET very much like M-Net and Universal TV boasted shows like Sistas, Abbott Elementary and Empire.

MultiChoice very much Paramount in this regard is putting their focus on core brands in an effort to bolster their streaming endeavours. This included directing content from 1Magic and Me to M-Net and Showmax.

Unlike 1Magic and Me where most consumers could view select content on Universal TV, Bravo and Mzansi Magic. In BET's case, this pipeline is closing and the only other way to view similar international titles is to upgrade to a higher package.

As for shows like MTV Shuga and Having Faith on MTV Base, it's unclear whether these will resurface on MTV or get phased out. Paramount does offer a localised feed for MTV unlike it's children's channels which is conjoined to other European markets.

Last month, MultiChoice became a subsidiary of Canal+ which is set to boast about 10,000 hours of African content. The plan is to merge MultiChoice's existing catalogue with that of StudioCanal so it's likely something could come out of this perhaps to even fill the void from BET.

Paramount Is Working To “Reimagine” MTV, Leading To The Cancellations Of Ridiculousness And Possible MTV Base Africa

According to "unverified sources", MTV Base is expected to close on DStv by 31 December 2025 as it forms part of Paramount's Pan-European feeds which would see various music channels close. As Paramount wants to shift it's focus on growing the main MTV brand.

MTV Base was launched on DStv by February 2005 offering a mixture of locally produced content and international hits. Overtime, it was expanded to include reality shows like MTV Shuga even award shows from Paramount's other cable networks.

It was ranked as the #1 music destination in West Africa ahead of rivals such as TRACE Urban and SoundCity. Now Paramount is looking to shutter the brand in Africa for several reasons.

A few months ago, Paramount finalised it's acquisition by Skydance and plans are underway to shed $2 billion costs. This includes closing various MTV channels across the world and cancellations to Ridiculousness and Catfish: The TV Show.

Similar to what M-Net did with Me and 1Magic or what Disney did with Disney Junior and Disney XD in some parts of the world. Paramount wants to put all its effort improving the situation regarding MTV.

For several years, Ridiculousness was the channel's Teen Titans GO! which took at one point took over 80% of the channel's schedule. To top it off, secondary networks such as MTV Base had been causing division if not stealing potential viewers.

Paramount wants to revamp MTV's content slate in order for it to better compete with NBCUniversal's Bravo with more doccies, reality shows and music. They want to move away from heavy reliance on viral video reactions and marathon reruns. 

Channel Closure: BET Will Stop Airing In France From 30 November 2025 With Africa Likely To Follow Soon

During the month, it was reported that Paramount will be closing MTV's international music channels by the end of the year with the US being an exception. As the company is prepping for a round of layoffs affecting 2000 jobs with additional cuts for international shores.

The French version of BET is also scheduled to close on 30 November 2025 in France. Months prior, it was even reported that BET's operations in Africa could also be affected by these strings of cuts.

BET was launched in France a year after it launched as BET International in Africa by 2015. It was black based entertainment channel offering reality shows like Real Husbands Of Hollywood and The Wendy Williams Show alongside dramas like Being Mary Jane and The Oval.

Aside from Africa and France, BET was once available in the UK before Paramount opted to put more emphasis on growing its digital footprint. Following Paramount's buyout by Skydance, this endeavours now affect remaining feeds.

Paramount has remained silent on further updates regarding BET's operations in Africa but if I had to guess the channel could go dark by the end of 2025 or early 2026. BET has a weekday soap Black Gold they could be waiting on that before yanking the channel from Africa.

It wouldn't seem far fetched a stretch I mean that's what happened when The River concluded on 1Magic with Helstorm on FOX. 

Three DStv Channels Possibly Closing Soon

MultiChoice is set to go undergo further restructure as French conglomerate Canal+ had completed its acquisition of the South African company. The merged company are currently re-evaluating their strategy in the African market with more details expected in the first quarter of 2026.

Aside from MultiChoice, several entertainment brands who are currently contracted with the company are also doing some restructuring of their own. The first induction Bravo had launched in the African market as Comcast looks to fold E! and MSNBC under a separate company, Versant.

Fact of the matter is that NBCUniversal can't distribute E! as they no longer own the brand and Bravo was the only option under the restructured company. Besides that, E! had allocated several shows from the channel ahead of its launch.

Following E! in a not so distant future could be BET and MTV Base as Paramount Global following its corporate buyout by Skydance Media is looking to reduce operational costs. This includes shuttering it's local operations in South Africa which might affect MTV, Comedy Central and Nicktoons.

According to The Sun, Paramount is looking to close all of its international music channels except for the ones in the US. MTV Base would join a long list of UK/Pan-European feeds which are set to be shuttered by the end of December.

As for BET, several factors contribute to its potential demise in Africa firstly similar to MTV Base, it was the brand in which Paramount put most of its local aspirations. In Brazil, such channels are shutting down as they aren't financially feasible.

Paramount intends to retain MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons pushing their focus on core brands. BET for sometime has been pivoting toward streaming with the company's president calling it a building block to its streaming strategy.

 

Continuing on Paramount's reign of destruction would be CBS Reality that the company operate alongside AMC Networks International. The channel has seen a decline in carriage across Europe and very much like E! reduced programming and a zombified lineup.

It's not clear whether this could affect CBS Justice which would serve as the African equivalent of True Crime as AMC Networks International is still licensing content for the brand.

Developing Story: MTV Will Close All Of Its Music Channels Around The World — Except In The US

According to The Sun, Paramount Global which finalised it's acquisition deal with Skydance Media is set to close all of its music channels around the world. Following on earlier reports, MTV Base in Africa is most definitely goner for DStv consumers.

MTV Base was launched on 22 February 2005 with live performances from local and international artists, along with some music video and reallity programming from MTV. It had been ranked as the top music destination in West Africa.

MTV, the flagship channel which only airs reality TV shows, will not be affected and also not carry any content from MTV Base. This means consumers who wish to enjoy more local flavour would need to tune into Channel O, Mzansi Music and Trace Africa.

Paramount has been reviewing its international pay TV strategy and considering adjustments to its linear channel portfolio in international markets, with a focus on cable brands. Aside from MTV Base, there's even reports of them potentially closing BET in the market.

To worsen matters, CBS Reality in which Paramount operate in a joint venture with AMC Networks International is closing in Poland with Africa a likely target. For several years, CBS Reality has seen rapid declines with the UK where it converted to True Crime while it closed in CIS and Hungary.

Channel Closure: Paramount Will Be Closing Game One And J-One In November

Marcus, Kayane, Julien Tellouck... these are just a few of the names that became famous through the Game One channel, an unwavering bastion of video games on French airwaves despite the general disinterest from French television in our favorite hobby. But the adventure is about to end. Not due to a lack of resources, but because of a restructuring by the parent company that is sweeping everything in its path, like "blind pruning."

Game One started on September 7, 1998, by the initiative of Infogrames and Canal+. Initially reserved for Canal Satellite subscribers, the channel gradually grew and joined cable, satellite, and ADSL TV packages in the 2000s. It featured iconic shows, especially *Level One*, where the host Marcus – former editor of the *Tilt* magazine – would present the first level of a video game. It wasn’t MTV, although the famous American TV channel became a shareholder in early 2003, helping Game One recover after a very complicated period marked by open conflicts with Marcus and accusations of unethical editorial practices, aligned with major game publishers. Anyway, life went on, anime began to appear in the programming schedule to diversify the offerings, leading to the creation of J-One in 2013, dedicated to simulcasting the latest Japanese series.

**Game One, it’s Game Done**

All these crucial stages in the life of Game One will soon belong to the archives of the INA (National Audiovisual Institute) and our memories, as BFM Tech&Co exclusively learned that the specialized channel will soon be going off the air. Indeed, Game One is currently owned by Paramount, which is in the process of merging with Skydance to create a new mega-entertainment giant. "According to information from BFM Tech&Co, the group Paramount Networks France [...] has decided to stop broadcasting at the end of November 2025 as part of a large-scale restructuring plan affecting more than 50% of the staff in the television division," specify Melinda Davan-Soulas and Sylvain Trinel, who were able to speak with about a dozen employees, both freelance and permanent.

Game One will officially cease broadcasting at the end of November 2025. J-One will also join the graveyard. Best of luck to all the employees affected by this unfair closure. We leave you with the most iconic *Level One* episode of all: Gérard and Johann playing *Paris-Marseille Racing 2* on PS2.

Source: Gamekult

Channel Closure: Paramount Plans To Shut Down MTV, Nickelodeon And Four Other Pay-TV Channels In Brazil, Following The Skydance Merger

Paramount, which was acquired by Skydance Media in August of this year in a billion-dollar deal, will cease distributing its six linear channels in Brazil on pay TV or streaming. These are: MTV, MTV Live, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, and Paramount. 

According to sources from the report, the reason behind this decision involves a drop in advertising revenue, combined with a decrease in the number of pay TV subscribers. The sports broadcasting rights of the entertainment giant, which include events like the Libertadores, remain valid.

Additionally, the high costs associated with SeAC (Conditional Access Service) also played a role. Paramount's goal is to transform into a Big Tech company, hence the strategy of selling its content directly to the end consumer, without the need for an intermediary.

Paramount was acquired by Skydance

The restructuring of Paramount, which includes this and other significant changes, was promised as early as August 2025, when the company was acquired by Skydance Media in a $8 billion deal. 

The group is led by David Ellison, who sent a message to the entertainment giant’s employees, signaling the start of a new management and announcing guidelines aimed at transforming the industry’s operations in the coming years. 

At the time, one of the main changes announced was the unification of the Paramount+ and Pluto TV streaming platforms, which is expected to occur by 2026. With this, the company aims to make its experience more competitive to face rivals, such as Netflix.

Channel Closure: CBS Reality And Film Cafe Cease Broadcasting In Poland By December 31, 2025

By the end of the year, the film channel Film Cafe and the documentary channel CBS Reality, both from AMC Networks International and CBS Broadcasting, will cease broadcasting.

The broadcaster will stop airing these channels on December 31, and therefore we need to remove them from our offer. The channels are non-guaranteed, and customers will receive information from us with appropriate notice, informs Wojciech Jabczyński, spokesperson for Orange Polska, which carries both stations. The broadcaster itself did not respond to our inquiry regarding the planned end of the channels' broadcasts.

MWE Networks is preparing replacements for these stations. Filmax Cafe and TVC Reality will be launched. – In the unlikely event that these two channels (Film Cafe and CBS Reality – editor’s note) disappear from the market, we have excellent substitutes ready. The channels will be ready to launch in October, says Michał Winnicki, the owner of the group. The stations will broadcast under Maltese licenses.

MWE Networks is also set to launch eight other stations in response to the planned closure of some channels by Paramount Global. According to the announcement, channels like Comedy Channel Extra and Music 80s and Music 90s will be launched. The group will also launch a channel called Mesjasz TV.

According to Nielsen Media, including out-of-home audiences, in 2024, the film channel Film Cafe had an average of 0.09% share in the general 4+ group (a year-on-year decline from 0.12%; on August 21, 2024, CBS Europa changed its name to Film Cafe), while the documentary channel CBS Reality had 0.05% (down from 0.06% in 2023).

Source: Press.pl

BET's Potential Closure Or Exit From Audiences On DStv And The Rest Of Africa Explained

A few months ago, it was reported that Paramount Global prior to its acquisition by Skydance Media is looking to halt local operations in Africa. According to some insiders, Paramount Global is also looking into possibly closing BET and MTV Base in the region.

MultiChoice in a response had stated that they were monitoring the situation and would communicate in due course.

As some consumers know, BET Africa has been seen as the flagship network for shows like Being Mary Jane, The Real Husbands Of Hollywood and Tyler Perry's House Of Payne. It also offered local productions such as uBettina Wethu, Redemption and DJ Zinhle: Bossing Up.

If Paramount Global is looking to do away with BET Africa a number of reasons would factor into this.

When it comes to scale, BET doesn't have much of a global presence as seen with Paramount's other cable networks such as MTV and Comedy Central. The only reason it managed to sustain its operations in Africa is due to the pipeline of local content being funded by Paramount Global.

SABC even MultiChoice's M-Net serve as rivals to BET with shows like Generations: The Legacy, Deal Or No Deal SA, Sibongile And The Dlaminis and Date My Family. In viewers, these shows can get anywhere from 500,000 to a million viewers while Queendom on BET could only garner less than half.

In the UK, Paramount has been trying to push the brand to streaming and seeing as Showmax is the exclusive home to Paramount+. I can only assume a similar strategy is awaiting viewers in Africa with the focus shifting on MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.

Australian Entertainment Platform Fetch TV Faces Another Shake-Up, With Paramount Set To Remove All Of Its Branded Pay TV Channels In The Region

Effective 1 November 2025, Fetch has informed subscribers that the Ultimate Pack will lose a number of channels, including Nick Jr, Nickelodeon, Nick Music, MTV, MTV Hits, Club MTV, MTV 80s, MTV 90s and MTV 00s.

In a note to users, Fetch explained:

“There will also be changes to the inclusions in the Premium Channel packs as Paramount have made the decision to remove their Pay TV channels from all platforms within Australia.”

The move comes despite both companies reaching “an agreement on a long-term extension of their channel partnership” earlier in 2024, which had secured existing channels and introduced MTV 90s and MTV 00s as part of an expanded deal.

Paramount has gradually wound back its local pay TV offerings over the past two years. MTV left rival Foxtel in August 2023, while Nickelodeon switched from Foxtel to free-to-air Channel 13 around the same time, replacing the similarly programmed 10 Shake channel.

More recently, Comedy Central departed Fetch at the end of March 2025, followed by Paramount’s music channels exiting Foxtel in June. The locally programmed CMT (Country Music Channel) was also confirmed to wind down in Australia from the end of July.

In the coming months, Paramount is looking to a round of layoffs or budget cuts following its acquisition by Skydance Media. This would affect the company's local operations in Africa leading to the potential closures of MTV Base and BET in the region.

In Europe, Paramount is halt several MTV channels including Club MTV, NickMusic, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, MTV 00s by 31 December 2025. Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, MTV and Comedy Central are expected to remain in the region.