Showmax axed in shock move by Canal+

MultiChoice, which is now part of the Canal+ Group, has confirmed it will discontinue its Showmax streaming service following what the company described as a comprehensive review of its streaming operations. In a statement issued on Thursday, the broadcaster wrote that the decision was taken by the Showmax board after evaluating the platform’s financial performance in an increasingly competitive global streaming market. “The substantial annual losses experienced by the Showmax business have proved unsustainable,” the statement read.

MultiChoice said the move was part of a broader effort to improve financial discipline and optimise investment as streaming services worldwide face growing pressure to compete with global giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. The company said the decision was aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of its business as competition intensifies and the cost of producing and acquiring premium content continues to climb. The closure of the service will not lead to job losses, a group statement read.

Showmax was originally launched as MultiChoice’s answer to the global streaming boom, offering both international and locally produced African content. Over the years, the platform became known for its investment in local productions and partnerships with African creators. The MultiChoice statement read that the decision to retire Showmax aligns its new parent’s broader strategy to strengthen its digital streaming capabilities through its own in-house technology platform.