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. 

Warner Bros. Discovery Puts Itself Up For Sale, Citing Interest From ‘Multiple’ Suitors

The media giant says it has received “multiple” expressions of interest from potential buyers, indicating that Paramount Skydance is not the only suitor for the media company.

In a Tuesday morning statement, WBD said its board of directors has started a “review of strategic alternatives,” which could result in a sale of the entire company, a continuation of the current plan to split the company into two, or some other outcome.

Paramount has been making overtures to buy all of WBD in advance of the planned split, signaling that a behind-the-scenes bidding war is underway. The WBD board rebuffed the first offer, two people with knowledge of the matter told CNN last week. One of the sources said both sides recognized it was a “lowball” proposal by Paramount’s new CEO, David Ellison.

Paramount has declined to comment on its interest in WBD, but Ellison has kept up the pressure in recent days, the sources said.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has been preparing to split the company into two publicly traded halves, believing Warner Bros. (which would house the HBO Max streaming service and the movie studio) and Discovery Global (which would house CNN and other cable channels) will be much more highly valued that way.

WBD may still decide to complete the planned split, but Tuesday’s announcement suggests that other outcomes may be more likely.

Comcast is one of the other media industry heavyweights that is evaluating WBD’s assets, given Warner’s openness to a deal, two people with knowledge of the matter said. A Comcast spokesperson declined to comment.

Wall Street analysts have asserted that both Comcast and Netflix could be interested in the streaming and studios half of WBD, given the iconic brands and shows that the company controls.

Rather than kicking the proverbial tires next year, after the breakup would take effect, suitors are likely to conduct due diligence and consider a bid now, since WBD has said it is open to offers.

“It’s no surprise that the significant value of our portfolio is receiving increased recognition by others in the market,” Zaslav said in a statement. “After receiving interest from multiple parties, we have initiated a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives to identify the best path forward to unlock the full value of our assets.”

Zaslav told employees in a separate memo that “evaluating potential interest, conducting due diligence, and assessing next steps will take time, likely over a period of weeks and months.” He said “there’s no set timeline for final decisions.”

Zaslav outlined several possibilities: The already-planned split, “a transaction involving the entire company,” “separate transactions for Warner Bros. and/or Discovery Global,” or “an alternative separation structure that would enable a merger of Warner Bros. and spin-off of Discovery Global to our shareholders.”

Warner Bros. Discovery Rejects Paramount Skydance Second Bid For The Company

Paramount Skydance boss David Ellison has bid $24 a share for Warner Bros. Discovery – a mega-deal worth $57 billion that was nevertheless rejected as takeover negotiations between the media giants heat up.

The latest back and forth – which has played out only in recent days – marks the third straight time Ellison has been rebuffed as WBD’s wily CEO David Zaslav shops the company to a number of large media and tech outfits, sources said. 

News of the spurned $24-a-share bid hasn’t previously been reported. On The Money reported last week that such a bid was in the offing. Now, people inside WBD are expecting a fourth bid from Ellison imminently, On The Money has learned.

On Tuesday, WBD disclosed that it has received “unsolicited interest” from prospective acquirers and said it was open to a sale – news that sent the company’s stock soaring nearly 12%. The shares on Tuesday recently added $2.12 to trade at $20.44. 

A rep for Zaslav had no comment; a Skydance spokeswoman also declined to comment.

WBD said it has “initiated a review of strategic alternatives” following “unsolicited interest the Company has received from multiple parties.” Those include bids for the whole company as well as offers for parts that include its top-ranked studio and popular streaming service, HBO Max, which WBD plans to spin off from its cable properties in April.

Prompting the Tuesday announcement, sources said, was the belief by Zaslav and his team that Ellison was imminently prepared to ramp up pressure on them to sell with a public announcement of his intentions, one that could bring his bid to between $26 and $28 a share.

Such a move, known as a hostile takeover, is where the suitor appeals to shareholders of a target company as opposed to privately working with a company’s board. Zaslav & Co sought to circumvent Ellison’s attempt to use a public bid as leverage on WBD to take what management believes is an inferior offer, these people add.

Zaslav believes his properties — which include the No. 1 ranked studio, the No. 3 ranked streaming services, a top cable channel in HBO, a still profitable news channel in CNN as well as billions of dollars worth in intellectual property — is worth as much as $30 a share or more, meaning he wants Ellison to pay above $70 billion for the entire company.

He has successfully argued to his board in rejecting three offers from Ellison that he can hold out for more money; some analysts have just his streaming and studio businesses – set for a May spin-off from his global cable properties – valued at $30 a share.

Zaslav has the support of his board to continue to reject offers until they come close to $30 a share, people with knowledge of the matter say. In the meantime, he will continue to pursue the breakup of his company, while he shops either all of it or various pieces, The Post has learned.

The Post was first to report WBD has received interest – particularly in its studio and streaming service – from Netflix, Amazon, Comcast and even media giant Apple. Microsoft, which also has a small streaming service, is also said to have looked at parts of the company.

The hard “no” from Zaslav is the latest rebuff for Ellison after the independent movie producer – who also is the son of tech tycoon Larry Ellison, the world’s second-richest person – snapped up Paramount in August.

As previously reported, Ellison has tapped private equity giant Apollo for financing of the deal. His media company, Paramount Skydance, is part of a partnership with private equity powerhouse Redbird Capital run by veteran media-dealer Gerry Cardinale.

It’s still unclear what role Larry Ellison will play in the unfolding drama in terms of funding a mega purchase like WBD, which would cost many multiples of the $6 billion David Ellison recently paid for Paramount, a mid-sized media company with flailing assets like MTV and CBS and a middling studio. 

Some media business observers say the elder Ellison has been reluctant to sell his Oracle stock for the purchase of WBD, which accounts for David Ellison’s so-far tepid bidding for the company and has given Zaslav room to reject those bids.

DStv Open Time Weekend Has Been Announced

Three familiar faces from South Africa’s television past, Ashley Hayden, Scot Scott and Doreen Morris, are among the many icons returning to the screen to celebrate DStv’s 30th anniversary.

To mark the milestone, the platform is reviving Open Time, the programming block that first introduced South Africans to pay-television in the 1990s.

For one weekend only, from Friday to Sunday, 7-9 November, all active DStv satellite customers will get full access to every DStv Premium channel for three days of pure entertainment

  

“DStv has grown up alongside its viewers,” says Byron du Plessis, CEO: SA PayTV at MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company. “For three decades we have been part of South Africans’ homes, their weekends and their memories. Open Time is part of our broader strategy to reignite the DStv brand and make world-class entertainment more accessible. From the start of November, we will be reducing our HD Decoder pricing by 30% in retail channels and over 40% through our newly launched DStv store to make joining and reconnecting with DStv easier and more affordable than ever.”

A nostalgic return to where it all began 

When DStv launched in 1995, Open Time was a window into a new world of television. It gave South Africans a taste of the stories, stars and formats that would shape pop culture for decades to come, from Carte Blanche and Egoli to the presenters who became household names. 

Former M-Net presenter Ashley Hayden remembers those early years fondly. “I remember so clearly the first time I went on television. M-Net had just started airing morning movies and there were maybe two housewives watching,” she recalls with a laugh. “Everyone wanted a decoder.” 

Another familiar face, Scot Scott, says being part of the 30th anniversary campaign reminded him just how far local television has come. “In those days we wrote our own scripts, dressed ourselves and there was no autocue. You had to have everything in your head and keep going no matter what.” 

For television producer and former presenter Doreen Morris, the revival of Open Time feels like a meaningful gesture. “It is a lovely way to give back to loyal viewers. For long-time customers on other packages, it opens up access to Premium stories and experiences they may not have seen before. It is a wonderful 30th birthday gift.” 

The anniversary celebrations also feature the talent who are shaping entertainment today, such as Sweet Guluva (Big Brother Mzansi), and Abongwe Mseleku (reality smash-hit Uthando Nes'thembu and spin-off show Ingane Zesthembu). 

DStv Premium customers are also getting more value than ever – as part of the celebrations, customers are being gifted two additional all-device streams from November to the end of December, bringing all-device streams to four in total. The newly launched Premium Concierge service offers personalised service and express troubleshooting, 24/7. 

Rewards have also been revamped for DStv Premium subscribers, with more vouchers, free BoxOffice movie rentals, invites to exclusive screenings, set visits to popular local DStv shows, celebrity meet-and-greets, VIP experiences at Rugby Championship and SA20 matches, as well as chances to win luxury experiences overseas at the F1 in Brazil or Qatar, LaLiga in Spain or AFCON in Morocco, as well as the occasional surprise gift.  

DStv Premium subscribers also continue to receive Showmax at no additional cost. 

A weekend of must-see entertainment 

The Open Time weekend features a packed sports lineup on SuperSport, including the Springboks vs France match on Saturday night, Manchester City vs Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, and the F1 Brazil Grand Prix on Sunday night.  

 

In addition to ongoing favourites like airport heist drama Levels (8PM on Sunday on Mzansi Magic), content highlights to look forward to include:  

 

The latest season of Emmy-winning reality series Survivor(5:30PM on Friday on M-Net) 

Piece by Piece, the animated biopic of 13-time Grammy winner Pharrel Williams(4:30PM on Saturday on M-Net) 

• Local reality series Short and Sweet S3 (6PM on Saturday on Mzansi Magic) 

• A new season of X-Repo, just nominated as Best Non-Scripted Reality Series at The National Film & TV Awards, where presenter Xolani Maphanga is up for Best Male TV Personality (7PM on Saturday on Moja Love) 

• The 20th anniversary special of America’s Got Talent (7PM on Saturday on M-Net) 

• The first episode of NCIS: Tony & Ziva (5PM on Sunday on M-Net). The trailer for the spinoff hit a franchise record 93m views in its first week. 

• Drop, a twisty thriller about the worst date ever, starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar (8PM on Sunday on M-Net). 

And no DStv milestone would be complete without Carte Blanche on Sunday evening at 7PM, continuing its legacy of investigative journalism that has shaped public life for over three decades. 

How to take part:

Open Time runs from 12:01AM on Friday, 7 November to 11:59PM on Sunday, 9 November 2025, for active DStv decoder customers in South Africa. The Open Time weekend doesn’t apply to streaming.  

DStv’s online store is being refreshed and updated with celebratory deals, including an offer for a standalone DStv HD decoder at R299 (or R699 with installation), or alternatively from leading retailers at R399 (or R899 with installation), from 1 November. 

TLC Goes Free-To-Air In The UK As HGTV Closes It's Linear Operations

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) UK & Ireland has today announced plans to launch a new-look TLC in the UK & Ireland. 

 

From January 2026, TLC will become a free-to-air (FTA) entertainment channel in the UK and will bring viewers a bumper line-up of scripted content including multi award-winning The Big Bang Theory and spin-offs Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, plus Mike & Molly. 

 

This new content represents WBD’s biggest order of scripted entertainment across their FTA linear portfolio in the UK and will be combined with a host of new unscripted series, signalling WBD’s ongoing commitment and investment in its linear portfolio in market.

 

New unscripted series coming to TLC in 2026 will include a new-look Mock the Week, the UK’s much-loved topical, satirical celebrity panel show, produced by Angst, and Zero Stars, produced by CPL and based on an original Danish format from Liquidminds and distributed by Primitives, which sees comedians and BFFs Roisin Conaty and Sara Pascoe journey across the globe, experiencing places with only the funniest and worst reviews in search of a truly unique travel experience. 

 

Fans of TLC will still have access to their favourites including Dr Pimple Popper and My 600Lb Life, the channel will also be home to the hugely popular 90 Day Fiancé franchise, including the UK spin-off. 

 

In addition to a new-look TLC, from January 2026 WBD’s FTA channel Really will see an injection of HGTV shows, including Celebrity IOU with the Property Brothers, Home Town and My Lottery Dream Home. This makes it even simpler for viewers to enjoy the best of lifestyle, property, home and garden content in one place, with the HGTV channel sunsetting in the UK & Ireland. HGTV content will also continue to be available via discovery+. 

 

With the planned changes from January 2026, WBD’s UK FTA portfolio will consist of six channels with Quest, Quest Red, Food Network and DMAX, alongside TLC and Really – bringing viewers their favourite genres and shows across antiques and restoration, true crime, food, reality, comedy, home, motoring and much more. This FTA line-up is combined with a host of Pay-TV channels in the UK - including the Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network and TNT Sports - totalling more than 20 linear channels and giving WBD the position of #5 Commercial Broadcaster in the UK. 

 

As well as the new content confirmed across TLC and Really, viewers can also look forward to a brand-new series coming to Quest in mid-2026 with Francis Bourgeois & Chris Harris: We Saved a Train (w/t). The 8x60 series from Naked West, a Fremantle label, follows friends and engineering obsessives Francis Bourgeois and Chris Harris as they take on the challenge of restoring a dilapidated diesel locomotive and bringing it back to life. Francis, a mechanical engineer and passionate train enthusiast, and Chris, famed for his love of speed, precision, and no-nonsense engineering, make the perfect duo. Together, they combine expertise, humour, and genuine passion as they navigate the highs and lows of turning a rusting relic into a fully working locomotive. 

 

Also coming to Quest in 2026 is the recently announced Ricochet-produced Guz Khan’s Custom Cars (w/t) which sees the comedian testing a new role as a car modder, and a bumper new order of the Auction House franchise, with Angus Ashworth returning for a seventh series of Yorkshire Auction House (18x60), a sixth series of Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House (6x60) and third season of the Derbyshire Auction House (12x60) with Irita Marriott - all produced by STVStudios Factual. Henry Cole and Fuzz Townshend will also be back at the wheel for an eighth series of Quest’s Shed & Buried (20x30), a fourth series of Shed & Buried: Classic Cars (10x60) and a new format Shed & Buried: Classic Bikes (6x60), all produced by HCA Entertainment. 

 

Food fans can also look forward to a brand-new series from Adam Richman next year. Following the success of Adam Richman Eats Britain and Adam Richman Eats Football, the globally renowned super-foodie is back, this time journeying to the Mediterranean in Adam Richman Eats Italy, a 10x30 series produced by Raise The Roof Productions for Food Network. 

 

Graham Lafferty, SVP Content Strategy & Networks, WBD UK & Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to announce a new-look line-up of content for TLC in the UK and Ireland for January 2026 - and that we are able to bring the channel to more viewers with a move to free-to-air in the UK. Through TLC, we are excited to commission and curate a broad entertainment channel that spans both scripted and unscripted content, including award-winning shows like The Big Bang Theory, through to a new-look British comedy staple like Mock the Week.

 

“We are also delighted to commission a host of new and returning linear series for 2026 with Francis Bourgeois and Chris Harris: We Saved a Train (w/t), a bumper Auction House and Shed and Buried re-order for Quest, and a new Food Network series in Adam Richman Eats Italy. These series, combined with recently announced commissions including Guz Khan’s Custom Cars and Zero Stars, demonstrate our ongoing commitment to linear television and working with both new and long-standing valued UK production partners to commission local stories and local talent for local audiences.”

 

WBD’s current UK and Ireland linear television channel offering will continue to be in place for remainder of 2025.