MultiChoice to Close Loss-Making Showmax Streaming Service

African outlets describe the Showmax closure as a turning point for the continent’s streaming market, driven by Canal+’s push for profitability and integration. They stress that African subscribers lose a homegrown platform that invested in local stories, while a Canal+ “super-app” could centralise viewing under a single foreign-controlled brand. Commentators question whether Canal+ will keep funding African original productions at the same scale without a standalone Showmax service.

• •African commentators link the shutdown of Showmax to Canal+’s plan to fold MultiChoice content into a single subscription super-app.
• •Media in South Africa and Nigeria argue that the loss of Showmax reduces competition for Netflix and Amazon in African streaming.
• •Regional coverage warns that African creators may face fewer commissioning outlets for local series and films after Showmax closes.
• •Some African writers say Canal+ is prioritising MultiChoice’s traditional pay-TV and sports rights over long-term investment in streaming.
• •Business columns in Johannesburg and Lagos predict that viewers will be pushed back toward bundled pay-TV and mobile data deals instead of pure streaming subscriptions.