The move, which has raised concerns within the industry, places the responsibility for acquiring sports rights directly under the control of Canal+’s European headquarters, undermining SuperSport’s historic role as Africa’s dominant sports broadcaster.
Veteran broadcasting journalist Thinus Ferreira told 702, a Johannesburg-based talk radio station, that this restructuring is part of a broader strategy by Canal+ to reduce costs while maintaining operational efficiency.
“Canal+ has told investors it must cut costs, but it cannot fire staff for three years. One of the things they are doing is taking away all of the acquisition power from SuperSport,” Ferreira said.
“Our new European masters are deciding for us which sports they will buy or not, directly from Paris, where Canal+’s head office is.” He added.
As a result of this shift, SuperSport, traditionally Africa’s dominant sports broadcaster, is no longer in charge of acquiring the sports content that has historically been a cornerstone of the pay-TV offering on DStv.
This change has begun to impact subscribers, with notable exclusions from SuperSport’s broadcast lineup.
Ferreira added, “DStv subscribers who are paying to get access to the stuff will, for instance, have seen that they are no longer getting the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in decades. It’s because Canal+ has decided not to buy it, like the World Darts Championships and other things.”
Impact on Broader African Markets
The impact of this shift goes beyond South Africa, affecting the broader African market. Canal+ now holds the reins of sports content decisions across Sub-Saharan Africa, including English- and Portuguese-speaking regions.
These markets, which have grown accustomed to local broadcasters, like SuperSport, maintaining an exclusive hold on high-demand content, are now facing the reality that Canal+’s focus will be on cost-cutting rather than addressing the unique demands of African audiences.
For countries where sports broadcasting is a key part of the entertainment and cultural fabric, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, the exclusion of premium content such as the Winter Olympics and popular global sports like darts could have a negative impact on viewer satisfaction and subscriber loyalty.
Canal+ Strengthens Its Footprint in Africa
The deal, which included a promise to invest “approximately 26 billion rand over the next three years” into local content production, digital innovation, and technology upgrades, signals Canal+’s ambition to increase its presence across the continent.
The combined group now serves more than 40 million subscribers across Africa, including Canal+’s existing presence in 25 African countries and MultiChoice’s footprint in 50 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.
This merger brings together MultiChoice’s DStv, GOtv, and SuperSport platforms, as well as its extensive portfolio of local programming.
However, the shift in power could undermine local content creation and cultural relevance in countries that depend on their own content for engagement.
Rising Competition from Streaming Giants
Canal+’s cost-cutting measures come as traditional pay-TV faces mounting pressure from global streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which are heavily investing in acquiring sports rights and popular content.
“Production contracts, including soap operas and series for DStv’s kykNET and Mzansi Magic channels, have been delayed due to Canal+’s slow approval process,” said Thinus Ferreira.
These delays, combined with cost-cutting strategies, have led to shifts in programming, such as the introduction of dubbed American shows like Landman on kykNET, raising concerns about the erosion of local cultural content.
With greater financial resources and more flexible strategies, streaming platforms are increasingly challenging pay-TV operators like SuperSport.
Ferreira told MyBroadband, “Streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others have more financial resources to spend on content. It’s only a matter of time before they take more sports, the lifeblood of traditional pay-TV.”
