Story perspectives

Canal+ Shuts Down Showmax, Impacting South African Filmmakers

3/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

Canal+ will shut down the Showmax streaming service operated by MultiChoice in partnership with NBCUniversal.
The decision follows a review of streaming activities, noting Showmax losses worsened 88% before Canal+ took over.
MultiChoice will reassign Showmax staff to other roles, avoiding layoffs.
The closure hurts South African filmmakers who relied on Showmax.
Canal+ aims to focus on financial discipline and may expand partnerships, including Netflix bundles in Francophone Africa.

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Story summary

Canal+ will shut down the Showmax streaming service operated by MultiChoice in partnership with NBCUniversal.
The decision follows a review of streaming activities, noting Showmax losses worsened 88% before Canal+ took over.
MultiChoice will reassign Showmax staff to other roles, avoiding layoffs.
The closure hurts South African filmmakers who relied on Showmax.
Canal+ aims to focus on financial discipline and may expand partnerships, including Netflix bundles in Francophone Africa.