{"id":622902,"date":"2025-12-12T07:04:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T05:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=622902"},"modified":"2025-12-12T07:16:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T05:16:28","slug":"bad-start-for-new-dstv-owner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/622902-bad-start-for-new-dstv-owner.html","title":{"rendered":"Bad start for new DStv owner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MultiChoice and DStv’s new owner, Canal+, promised South African customers that its acquisition of the broadcaster would mean a slew of new content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it appears that customers will enter 2026 with fewer channels while still paying the same prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veteran broadcasting journalist Thinus Ferreira highlighted the irony of the situation while speaking to Cape Talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“So Canal+, quite ironically, just before they clinched the buyout, said or promised that DStv subscribers, of course, we’d get more content, more and better services,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Now the irony is that subscribers might end up paying more from next year for less content.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes after MultiChoice informed customers that DStv would lose four channels from Paramount and CBS AMC, while a further 12 channels from Warner Bros. Discovery are at risk of being cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 1 December 2025, the DStv owner notified customers that negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery had deadlocked. Its distribution agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery expires on 31 December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also confirmed that Paramount Africa was shutting down BET Africa and MTV Base, with the channels set to be discontinued on DStv at 09:00 on 1 January 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our customers can continue to enjoy other international channels from Paramount, including Nickelodeon, NickToons, Nick Jr, Comedy Central, and MTV,” MultiChoice said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also confirmed that CBS AMC Networks will be shutting down CBS Reality and CBS Justice on 31 December. It thanked Paramount and CBS for their partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a separate announcement, MultiChoice notified customers that it had been unable to renew its agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The twelve channels at risk are Discovery, CNN, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and the Travel Channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage,” MultiChoice said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If this remains unchanged, a number of Warner Bros Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from 1 January 2026.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No plans to reduce prices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Negotiations between Warner Bros. Discovery and Canal+ regarding the renewal of their distribution agreement stalled over pricing, people familiar with the matter revealed this earlier this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MultiChoice also revealed that it has no plans to lower DStv subscription prices if it were to lose the 12 channels from Warner Bros. Discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“While channels may be added or removed from time to time, there is currently no change to DStv subscription pricing,” it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This includes Paramount pulling BET Africa, MTV Base, CBS Justice and CBS Reality from our platform.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in its communication to customers, DStv promised it would make it up to its subscribers through “strong alternative channels”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What matters most is ensuring that your viewing experience remains rich, diverse, and enjoyable,” it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You will continue to enjoy an exceptional entertainment experience across your package, supported by strong alternative channels across every genre.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is still hope that negotiations over the distribution agreement will result in a deal. Warner Bros. Discovery informed Ferreira that it was aware of the concerns surrounding potential channel losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This situation arises because we have not yet reached a mutual agreement with MultiChoice to continue broadcasting our much-loved brands,” it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We want to assure our viewers that Warner Bros. Discovery remains unequivocally committed to finding a resolution.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many DStv customers are frustrated with the situation, considering that Canal+ Africa CEO David Mignot said South African customers should expect a slew of new content through the company’s acquisition of MultiChoice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September 2025, Mignot stated that DStv customers can expect Canal+ and MultiChoice to combine their content catalogues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“MultiChoice content is incredible. We will have the ability to use the strengths of the two groups,” he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“So customers can expect all that is available at Canal+. We have the biggest library of European content, including a lot of American content \u2026 like 9,000 movies.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that Canal+ creates 4,000 hours of African content in up to 15 languages annually, which will complement MultiChoice’s 6,000 hours of local content produced each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Combined, we will roughly provide 10,000 hours per year in 20 to 35 languages,” Mignot said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“So, in a 10- to 15-year period, we are building up a catalogue of more than 100,000 to 150,000 hours, and then we will be able to make that content travel.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that ultimately, content can be provided to a larger audience through dubbing and rescripting, providing a “fantastic competitive advantage”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veteran broadcasting journalist Thinus Ferreira says its ironic that Canal+ promised more content for DStv customers when it seems they’ll begin the new year with less content for the same price.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341076,"featured_media":573426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_facebook_post_id":"","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[22211,21383,101596,9451,85,76186,475,98139,85519],"class_list":["post-622902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-broadcasting","tag-amc-networks","tag-canal","tag-canal-africa","tag-cbs","tag-dstv","tag-dstv-channels","tag-multichoice","tag-paramount-africa","tag-warner-bros-discovery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622902"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341076"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622902"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":623058,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622902\/revisions\/623058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}