Canal+ Africa has informed subscribers outside South Africa that Showmax will cease accepting new subscribers on March 31 and will shut down entirely by April 30, 2026. This decision affects South African subscribers as well, as confirmed by a MultiChoice representative, the owner of Groupe Canal+.
In response to the shutdown, select Showmax Originals and other titles will be transitioned to DStv Stream. A new section dedicated to Showmax content will be added to the DStv Stream app, where subscribers can access it. Many Showmax Originals are already available through the DStv app.
The pay-TV operator stated, “This transition ensures that award-winning African stories remain accessible even after the Showmax service is discontinued.” Content from Showmax on DStv will be available to both Compact and Premium satellite subscribers, as well as streaming-only customers through the DStv Stream app.
While Canal+ had previously indicated that a replacement streaming service was in the pipeline, the announcement caught many off guard because it lacked a direct alternative.
Currently, a streaming-only DStv Compact subscription costs US$17.77 per month, while the decoder-based package costs US$28.47 per month. In comparison, a regular Showmax Entertainment subscription costs US$5.88 monthly, with a mobile package available for US$2.97.
Soccer fans, in particular, may feel the impact, as Showmax offers mobile-only access to both the English Premier League and South Africa’s PSL for US$5.88 per month. This could also be bundled with Showmax Entertainment for US$7.13 per month for mobile access or US$8.92 for a combined package including football and entertainment.
In its recent annual results presentation, Canal+ hinted at developing its own streaming service to replace Showmax; however, this seems no longer to be the case. Standalone Showmax users now face the choice of paying more for DStv Compact or cancelling their subscriptions.
Canal+’s confirmation of Showmax’s closure follows the discontinuation of prepaid vouchers by major banks, including Absa, Capitec, Discovery Bank, and FNB. For years, many banks incentivised the purchase of Showmax vouchers through discounts or reward points.
Showmax had previously notified its customers at the beginning of March about the forthcoming shutdown. Initially positioned as a cornerstone of MultiChoice’s growth strategy, Canal+ now describes Showmax as an expensive failure that must be dismantled.
The decision to wind down the service came after an in-depth review of the streaming segment. MultiChoice reported that Showmax had been facing significant annual losses, which became unmanageable in a fiercely competitive global streaming market.
Fortunately, the shutdown will not result in job losses, as the company assured its employees of support and transition options.
Showmax’s ambitious target to generate US$1 billion in annual revenue by 2028 would require approximately 16 million active subscribers, as articulated by former MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela and Showmax CEO Yolisa Phahle. The partnership agreement with NBCUniversal also led to Showmax’s migration to the more advanced Peacock platform.
However, Showmax pulled out of markets outside Africa that catered to expats and diaspora, and terminated its Showmax Pro service, which featured limited live sports, leading to an immediate revenue decline. Additionally, it faced a substantial R6 billion platform fee obligation to Peacock.
MultiChoice’s 2025 annual results revealed a dramatic 88% increase in Showmax’s operating losses, escalating from US$154 million to US$291 million. Previously optimistic forecasts by Mawela and Phahle indicated that losses would begin to shrink from 2025; instead, they grew worse, paving the way for Canal+’s recent announcement about closing Showmax. This left many customers surprised by the forced shift to DStv Compact.
