22.9.2025
French entertainment/media outfit Canal+ has taken effective control of South African television and streaming company MultiChoice.
With the successful acquisition Canal+ is set become the leading pan-African pay-TV operator. The acquisition of control of MultiChoice, which already operates in 50 African countries, means the group will now be present in nearly 70 countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia.
“Today marks an important step for Canal+, as we begin to integrate MultiChoice to create a group with enhanced scale, reach, and creativity,” said Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada in a statement. The deal was first announced in March 2024, but many regulatory hurdles needed to be crossed.
The companies said in a joint statement that the combined group will have a workforce of 17 000 employees and serve more than 40 million subscribers. There was no change to MultiChoice billing arrangements and subscriptions from the transaction.
As of the close of business on September 19, 2025, Canal+ owned 46% of the shares of MultiChoice, 2.2% more shares had been tendered as acceptances of their offer, and the shareholding will increase further if more shares are tendered, a statement from MultiChoice said.
“We will be able to leverage the diverse talent which sits throughout the group to bring to life compelling local and international stories, both from our in-house production studio STUDIOCANAL and global platforms, and the best national and global sports, all on a world-leading platform,” said Saada.
Canal+, which is already the sector’s leader in French-speaking African countries, now controls what it described as the leader in the continent’s English- and Portuguese-speaking regions.
“This acquisition allows us to strengthen our position as a leader in Africa, one of the most dynamic pay-TV markets in the world,” Saada said in the statement.
