![Canal+ headquarters as the French media group projects nearly $479 million in annual cost savings from its MultiChoice acquisition, with Africa central to its long-term growth strategy. [X, formerly Twitter]](https://ocdn.eu/pulscms/MDA_/fa6303505ce4e98229bceb732e7f399b.jpg)
Canal+ SA, the French media group that recently acquired South African pay-TV operator MultiChoice in a deal valued at about $3 billion, is preparing to launch a unified streaming service across the region.
- Canal+ is considering launching its all-in-one streaming app for MultiChoice customers in South Africa.
- The French media group acquired MultiChoice in a deal valued at about $3 billion.
- Executives say the platform could integrate content from AppleTV, HBO Max, and local offerings.
- The move is part of a broader strategy to revive subscriber growth and cut costs across Africa.
The move could reshape how subscribers access content in South Africa and beyond, as the company weighs the future of MultiChoice’s existing streaming platform and broader rollout plans.
The potential launch centres on Canal+’s app, which already aggregates content from partners including AppleTV and Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max.
Chief Financial Officer Amandine Ferre said the appeal of the service is its simplicity, where “all of the content is embedded on the Canal+ app, and as a user, you do not have to go on another app.”
Ferre spoke to reporters on a Thursday following the acquisition, which was completed late last year. Canal+ has not yet made a final decision on how to position MultiChoice’s Showmax streaming offering or where to expand the Canal+ platform across the markets where MultiChoice operates, including parts of eastern and southern Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Market reaction to the transaction was strong. Shares in Canal+ surged as much as 15 per cent in London trading on the news, reaching record levels. Investors responded to forecasts from Canal+ projecting that the combined platform could deliver more than $475 million in earnings before interest, tax, and amortisation by 2030, alongside roughly $357 million in free cash flow savings.
These projections are based on converting the company’s estimate of more than €400 million and around €300 million into US dollars at current rates.
![Canal+ headquarters as the French media group projects nearly $479 million in annual cost savings from its MultiChoice acquisition, with Africa central to its long-term growth strategy. [X, formerly Twitter]](https://ocdn.eu/pulscms/MDA_/ce120a43cb8262c686a05c4005b6e051.jpg)
Canal+ executives are now focused on stemming subscriber losses at MultiChoice, which shed nearly 3 million customers over the past two financial years.
Ferre said the group has already renegotiated set-top box contracts and has been supplying lower-cost units since November to make premium TV more accessible.
“We are really working on the entry ticket and the best packages, and making sure we have the best price,” she said.
The merged platform has also expanded its sports content, restoring National Basketball Association coverage on SuperSport after an eight-year absence and adding French Ligue 1 football matches to its offering.
MultiChoice, originally part of Cape Town-based Naspers, was spun off in 2019 and targeted by Canal+ for takeover in 2024. Its premium service currently costs around $60 per month.
As Canal+ finalises its strategy, attention will be on whether the company can marry its global streaming ambitions with local demand across diverse African markets.
