Big changes to DStv channels in 2026
DStv’s channel line-up and content offering have become much more attractive to entry-level Access subscribers in 2026, while adding no new value for those on its top-end Premium bouquet.
South Africa’s largest pay-TV broadcaster regularly adds and removes channels, previously stating that changes were based on viewership and the commercial value they add to DStv’s advertising business.
Channel adjustments in the year-to-date have been minimal. At the start of January, DStv removed four channels: BET Africa, MTV Base, CBS Reality, and CBS Justice.
A last-minute licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery avoided the loss of another 12 channels, including Cartoon Network, CNN International, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, and LTC.
Access subscribers received some good news in late January 2026, when DStv opened access to the Trace Ngoma, Trace Gospel, and WWE channels on the entry-level package.
Another boost came in April 2026, when SuperSport announced its plans to broadcast and stream the FIFA World Cup 2026 live across most DStv packages.
Subscribers on Access, Family, Compact, Compact Plus, and Premium will be able to watch all 104 matches of the tournament broadcast and streamed live.
In the past, the most affordable package on which all matches were broadcast and streamed was Compact.
Access customers pay R99 per month for a streaming-only plan, significantly cheaper than the R299 starting price of DStv Stream Compact on a 12-month contract.
With the shutdown of Showmax at the end of April 2026, Canal+ also migrated the service’s original content and select titles from third-party content providers to a dedicated tab in the DStv Stream app.
The tab is available to Compact, Compact Plus, and Premium subscribers. Premium subscribers already got Showmax for free, but users on other packages had to pay 50% of the regular R99 subscription.
However, not all of the content previously available on the standalone Showmax service is still available, which has frustrated many people who migrated to DStv Stream to continue watching its content.
Canal+, which acquired MultiChoice Group in September 2025, recently told MyBroadband that certain content from international studios was subject to licensing agreements, some of which had lapsed.
| DStv channel and content changes — January to May 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| DStv package | Channels or content added | Channels dropped | Month-to-month prices |
| Access | 128 — WWE 326 — Trace Ngoma 332 — Trace Gospel All FIFA World Cup matches live | 322 — MTV Base | R99 for streaming-only R150 for satellite |
| Family | All FIFA World Cup matches live | 132 — CBS Reality 322 — MTV Base | R299 for streaing-only R339 for satellite |
| Compact | Select Showmax content at no extra charge | 129 — BET Africa 132 — CBS Reality 322 — MTV Base | R399 for streaming-only R479 for satellite |
| Compact Plus | Select Showmax content at no extra charge | 129 — BET Africa 132 — CBS Reality 170 — CBS Justice 322 — MTV Base | R659 for streaming-only R659 for satellite |
| Premium | None | 129 — BET Africa 132 — CBS Reality 170 — CBS Justice 322 — MTV Base | R799 for streaming-only R979 for satellite |
Major product shake-up on the horizon
Overall, the changes to DStv’s channel and content offering have enhanced the value its low-end and mid-tier customers receive, but have not brought any benefits to Premium users.
That is despite the fact that its Premium subscribers are its most valuable and best positioned to pay for alternative international services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV+.
Canal+ believes that DStv’s package offering optional add-ons is too complex and not what South African consumers want, and plans to streamline DStv’s commercial proposition with clearer pricing.
DStv currently offers up to 17 packages per market using a range of technologies at various price points. Optional add-ons include PVR fees, reconnect fees, and its Box Office movie rental service.
Canal+ intends to rationalise its Canal+ and DStv brands in Africa, which it argued would aid in more targeted marketing.
DStv’s hardware offering is also fragmented, with four different decoders and a streaming box at prices ranging from R299 to R2,999.
Canal+ said it wants to lower the cost of entry with equipment subsidies. Paired with its channel and content changes so far, the broadcaster’s strategy appears heavily focused on mass market customers.
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