Insidus

During the week, it was reported that NBCUniversal would be shuttering E! Entertainment from Africa's shores after 21 years on the air. With Bravo set to replace the channel on DStv in October, at the time of publishing NBCUniversal hadn't stated why E! Entertainment is being discontinued. But if we could guess, it likely has to do with E! Entertainment being spun off from NBCUniversal. With the channel folded under Versant, NBCUniversal can't distribute E! Entertainment in Africa besides that it has seen a rapid decline in Europe. Bravo being a reality tailored brand has a well established presence in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. For sometime, E! Entertainment had been distributing various content from Bravo including the Below Deck franchise; Married to Medicine and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. For the most part, NBCUniversal hadn't stated what is to become of Live From The Red Carpet or E!'s remaining shows. But from what we've s...

MultiChoice has announced that the shareholders of its Phuthuma Nathi black economic empowerment investment vehicle have approved the reorganisation proposed as part of the Canal+ acquisition. The Competition Tribunal recently approved the R55-billion transaction, subject to several agreed-upon conditions, including a reorganisation of MultiChoice South Africa Holdings (MCSAH). The transaction faced two major challenges that had to be overcome by a clever restructuring of the MultiChoice organisation to comply with local requirements. Firstly, the Electronic Communications Act stipulates that foreign shareholders are limited to 20% of the voting rights of broadcasting licensees. Secondly, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) requires licensees to be 30% owned by historically disadvantaged individuals, including black people, women, and the disabled. To comply with local regulations, MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd will be carved out as an independent entit...

Fans of reality TV in South Africa are in for a treat. NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-To-Consumer announced today that Bravo Africa will officially launch on 7 October 2025, replacing E! Africa and delivering DStv subscribers a premium selection of reality programming that promises drama, laughs, and unmissable moments. A Global Brand Comes Home Bravo, NBCUniversal’s globally renowned hub for unscripted entertainment, is now expanding its footprint across Africa. Already available in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the brand is known for driving cultural conversations through a mix of bold, witty, and engaging content that spans lifestyles, relationships, and high-stakes drama. A Rebrand Packed With Hits The rebranded channel promises more Bravo content than ever before, including the return of Dating #NoFilter South Africa and the exclusive territory premiere of The Real Housewives of London. Viewers can also look forward to fan favourites like The Re...

e.tv is proud to announce the debut of Ithemba Alibulali, a gripping Zulu-dubbed drama that promises to capture hearts and inspire viewers across South Africa. Starting on Tuesday 19 August and airing weekdays at 4PM, the series is a powerful tale of determination, sacrifice, and the unwavering belief that hope is unstoppable. The story follows Rani, a young woman with a lifelong dream of becoming a doctor, as she navigates the complexities of her marriage to an emotionally distant surgeon, motherhood, and the weight of societal expectations. With its universal themes and culturally rooted storytelling, Ithemba Alibulali is set to resonate deeply with South African audiences. The show's relatable characters, engaging plot twists, and emotional depth will keep viewers hooked from Mondays to Fridays. “Ithemba Alibulali is more than just a series it’s a story that mirrors the struggles and triumphs many of our viewers face every day,” says Helga Palmer, Manager of Local Pr...

DStv, in collaboration with JioStar, is launching Star Khanya — a general entertainment channel with a lineup of Indian telenovelas and soapies dubbed in isiZulu and subtitled in English. It starts on 18th August 2025 on DStv Channel 160, Star Khanya will be available to Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, and Access customers. Tunte - Mon - Sun 6 pm CAT Tunte’s extraordinary journey of becoming a fashion designer Tunte is the inspiring story of a small-town girl with big dreams. Coming from a rural weaving family, Tunte moves to the city to become a fashion designer but ends up working as a house help in a wealthy household. Her resilience and determination help her fight social barriers and chase her dreams. Uthando Lweqiniso - Mon- Sun 6:30 pm CAT Anandi escapes an abusive marriage to reclaim her life  Follow Anandi’s journey, a woman determined to rebuild her life after escaping a difficult marriage. Despite the stigma of being divorced, she faces society’s...

MultiChoice is set to announce that it will be adding it's second Zulu dubbed Bollywood channel called Star Khanya to the DStv platform soon. This comes two years after the rollout of Zee Zonke with the channel proving to be a popular addition and with Star Khanya set to bolster this lineup. Star Khanya comes from Disney Star who are responsible for brands like Star Life, Vijay TV and StarPlus on DStv. The channel is set to rollout with 8 new series: IThemba Alibulali, Inhliziyo Ayiphakelwa: Blind Love, Titli, Unami Na?, Tunte, Elinye Ithuba, Uthando Lweqiniso and Isivumelwano.  Titli Titli follows the journey of a girl who aspires to become a pilot despite suffering from hearing impairment overcoming all the hurdles she faces. The story starts with Titli's childhood, her choice was to listen to variety of sounds. One day, a plane crashes near her and a dangerous sound of that plane damages her eardrums.  One day, she goes to the crashed plane and takes oath that s...

Ghana’s communication regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), has ordered the local shutdown of MultiChoice – Africa’s largest pay-TV operator — in 30 days from now, on Sept. 8, due to the streamer’s refusal to cut its subscription rate by 30%. Like other countries in West Africa, Ghana has been up in arms about the steep increase in subscription charges for local pay-TV services which is partly caused by rampant inflation rates and weak currency across the continent. Over the past two years, MultiChoice has drastically raised fees for its traditional satellite pay-TV business in several African countries, such as Nigeria and Kenya, as well as Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Namibia, among others. In Ghana, the pay-TV group increased the subscription fees by 15% in April with little notice, prompting the communications minister, Samuel George, to give MultiChoice an ultimatum to lower its rate by 30% by Aug. 7. MultiChoice didn’t oblige and instead offered to main...

MultiChoice Group has announced details for the first time about its plans to restructure the shareholding in its main South African operation to facilitate the JSE-listed broadcaster’s sale to France’s Groupe Canal+. The move comes 10 days after the two companies secured the green light from the Competition Tribunal for their transaction to proceed. The merging parties have agreed to a special shareholding structure in South Africa to comply with South African legislation that prevents foreign entities from holding more than 20% of the voting rights in locally licensed broadcasters. Although the 20% restriction is likely to be lifted to 49% through proposed legislative changes, this could still take years. MultiChoice South Africa Holdings will declare an extraordinary dividend to its shareholders of R1.375-billion MultiChoice said last month that the new structure for its South African operation will meet the requirements of “all applicable laws, including the restrictions on foreign...

As reported, MultiChoice is planning to restructure it's DStv packages giving consumers the option of paying for TLC and Mzansi Magic minus SuperSport. Also within the test run, is the possibility of unbundling SuperSport from the rest of the DStv offering. This has been something Sky in the UK and their potential new owners Canal+ had in France. MultiChoice had acknowledged falling behind with other parts of the world and in its bid to attract DStv consumers will be the unbundling of its offering. There's a reason various outlets have been highly skeptical about SuperSport becoming its own standalone platform. Take a page of Showmax PRO, some consumers would subscribe for certain matches then cancel making it hard for MultiChoice to accommodate these viewers. Canal+ had also offered such service in the markets in which it operates and concluded to say everyone that has tried this failed. So what MultiChoice proposed in earlier drafts was giving consumers the option...

Following the successful rollout of Zee Zonke on DStv, it looks MultiChoice is looking to expand this offering with another TV channel on the platform. This news comes just after reports that eMedia Investments is also looking to venture into this crowded space with Uzozisola - Regrets . Not much has been disclosed about the channel but by looking at the content in question it's clear that Star India is distributing this brand to the platform. Star India already offers Star Life, Vijay TV and StarPlus brands on DStv. There was a report I was planning to make regarding another channel on DStv some consumers probably wouldn't have noticed it, Zambezi Reloaded. Zambezi Reloaded was a pop-up channel similar to the Switch'd On channels on DStv which served as a catch-up channel to content viewed on Zambezi Magic. What was weird about this was MultiChoice's sudden decision to remove the channel by the end of July. Switch'd On remains operational de...

MultiChoice and Canal+ are currently engaging with (ICASA) regarding MultiChoice Pty. Limited (LicenceCo). During the year, ICASA had asked for written submissions from various parties and following recommendations from the Competition Authority are likely in the final stages of transaction. When MultiChoice and Canal+ manage to complete all the regulatory requirements by October 8 including that of LicenceCo. I think one question that remains in mind would be the overlap between the broadcasters. While Canal+ doesn't have existing foothold in South Africa they do clash with MultiChoice Africa primarily Ghana, Rwanda and Niger. MultiChoice and Canal+ may say that the two compliment each other as one caters for Anglophone with the other Francophone. But the reality is that both companies cater for each other's target group to a lesser degree. As reported, Canal+ already owns ROK Studios and with the acquisition of MultiChoice brings Africa Magic under one umbrella. T...

The Competition Tribunal has agreed to support the acquisition of MultiChoice Group by London-listed Groupe Canal+, removing a major hurdle to their deal being consummated. The tribunal approved the proposed transaction, subject to conditions agreed earlier this year by the merging parties. “As was previously disclosed, the agreed conditions include a robust package of guaranteed public interest commitments proposed by the parties. The package supports the participation of firms controlled by historically disadvantaged persons (HDPs) and small, medium and micro enterprises in the audio-visual industry in South Africa. This package will maintain funding for local South African general entertainment and sports content, providing local content creators with a strong foundation for future success.” The approval by the tribunal “concludes the competition review process in South Africa” and followed a “positive recommendation” by the Competition Commission in May. “The parties re...

Paramount Global‘s Africa offices may close, local channels may be shuttered, and staffers’ roles could be impacted, company executives told employees in the region on Tuesday. The company has been prioritizing investments in its growing streaming business and core global content as it navigates shifts in audience behavior and the macro-economic environment. As part of that, it is reviewing its international pay TV strategy and considering adjustments to its linear channel portfolio in international markets, with a focus on cable brands. Management has also signaled a focus on businesses and regions with the most opportunity for revenue growth. Tuesday’s news comes as Paramount continues to wait for FCC approval of Skydance Media’s deal to acquire it. THR understands that Paramount has fewer than 100 employees in Africa between its offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria. “We are at a point in our journey where we are facing immense industry disruption,” Mo...

MultiChoice and Canal+ began talks with the Competition Tribunal on its first day of the hearing in which various topics were uncovered. But here's where things got more interesting: Showmax, Africa's leading streaming service that was recently revamped in partnership with Comcast's NBCUniversal. From what we know, NBCUniversal owns a 30% stake which has helped Showmax bolster it's international portfolio and user interface. MultiChoice was hoping to almost double DStv's subscriber numbers through Showmax in a few years and while they still haven't revealed subscriber numbers. Showmax on top of making a loss isn't living up to their expectation on subscriber count. If it weren't for Canal+ (at least from what was implied), they wouldn't need outside help (NBCUniversal) to bolster Showmax with MultiChoice open to selling more shares in the streamer. The interesting part was when they brought up Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. ...

The Competition Competition said on Thursday that the planned acquisition of MultiChoice Group (MCG) by the French television powerhouse Canal+ has revealed minimal overlaps between the two entities, given their respective market sizes. However, the proposed merger will necessitate a fundamental restructuring to separate the licensed broadcasting unit, which will transition into a standalone entity named LicenseCo. MultiChoice has been struggling to retain subscribers for its pay television platform, DStv, ven as it seeks to expand its digital footprint through investments in online streaming service Showmax.  The acquisition by Canal+ is positioned as a revitalising force for MultiChoice, pending final approvals from regulatory bodies and competition authorities. The Tribunal on Thursday heard from the Competition Commission that there were overlaps between MultiChoice and Canal+. These overlaps include included horizontal and vertical considerations. During the procee...

Canal+ and MultiChoice have committed an additional R2 billion to public interest initiatives in South Africa, as part of a growing list of undertakings tied to their proposed R30 billion deal. The funds cater for commitments that include increased support for local content production, supplier development, and the establishment of a university to develop media and broadcasting talent. The merger, if finalised, would create a media giant with a footprint across Africa and a combined subscriber base of 41 million. French media group Canal+ currently owns a significant stake in MultiChoice and last year offered to buy out the remaining shares, valuing the company at R55 billion. MultiChoice’s current market capitalisation is R51 billion. Heather Irvine, acting on behalf of Canal+, confirmed that the group’s corporate and social investment offer had been formalised. “The proposed contribution towards corporate and social investment is now a firm number,” said Irvine. Print...

The Competition Tribunal will hear the proposed merger between French media giant Canal+ and South Africa’s MultiChoice Group on Thursday and Friday, 17 and 18 July 2025. Canal+ wants to acquire MultiChoice, which owns DStv, Showmax, SuperSport, and several other media assets, and triggered South Africa’s mandatory offer threshold of 35% ownership in early 2024. During the hearings, the Tribunal will consider submissions from the Competition Commission, Media Monitoring Africa, Pambili Media, and the merger parties themselves. South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition will attend the hearings and is also expected to submit inputs. “The Commission has recommended to the Tribunal that the proposed merger be approved, subject to a package of public interest conditions,” the Tribunal said in a statement. The proposed merger reached a major milestone in March 2025, when South Africa’s communications regulator published an application to transfer the control of Orbicom’...

Canal+ has been vocal with the media on MultiChoice's decision to diversify outside of pay-tv which they don't deem a necessity. These include NMIS Insurance Services (Insurance), Moment (finance), Namola (emergency services) and SuperSportBET (gambling). MultiChoice initially being insolvent had to scale back on these endeavours with Sanlam that acquired a 60% stake in NMIS Insurance Services. Then there was the end of SuperSport United which MultiChoice acquired in 1994 as Pretoria City. With the deal almost near completion as it awaits final approval from the Competition Tribunal and ICASA. There has been questions about what may become of SuperSportBET as it too is deemed a non core asset. SuperSportBET which forms part of a joint venture between MultiChoice and Kingmakers had launched in 2021 and still operates at a loss if you were to compare it with existing competitors such as Betway and HollywoodBet. But then again, it's something Canal+ might retain as...

MultiChoice is currently in the process of completing its acquisition by Canal+ with deal being reviewed by the Competition Tribunal. Prior to this, their DStv service has been losing subscribers and their turnaround plan is a possible unbundling to its services. In a media briefing, MultiChoice was able to provide more context on the matter and apparently the restructure goes beyond SuperSport. It was stated that if the outcome of the investigation was successful people would have the option to pay for only TLC and Mzansi Magic minus the sports. Just as I've mentioned several stories done the line, MultiChoice could look to merge packages best guess would be DStv Premium and Compact+. Following the closure of 1Magic and the inclusion of History and CBS Justice to DStv Compact there's not much sought after from those packages.  They might try to bundle more services as a means to drive in subscription. Like the option to give premium subscribers the chance to watc...

Canal+ is currently in the process of completing it's acquisition of MultiChoice after recieving a recommendation from the Competition Commission. Now the deal sits with the Competition Tribunal and Independent Communications Authority Of South Africa (ICASA) for further analysis.  Reports going around is that MyCanal which is basically international version of DStv Stream and rival to Pluto TV from Paramount Global is looking to launch in Eastern Europe by the end of 2026 with Asia likely to follow in the first half of 2027. The app combines a package of live content, replay and subscription video on demand. In addition to Canal’s own original content, it has also aggregated the platforms of Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Paramount+, BeIN, Eurosport and Dailymotion. MyCanal currently operates in Africa namely Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda and Niger basically regions in which it pay-tv service resides. What was interesting about this report is that it mentioned Canal+ plans to r...