African streamer Showmax relaunched in 2024 with a focus on an expanded content lineup, including local originals, Hollywood hits and English soccer, attractive pricing and plans to “change the game” in streaming on the continent.
Last year, South African regulators cleared the takeover of MultiChoice by European pay-TV powerhouse, and StudioCanal parent company, Canal+. And on Thursday, Canal+ unveiled the looming end for Showmax.
MultiChoice unveiled “the forthcoming discontinuation of the Showmax service, following a comprehensive review of its streaming activities.” In a statement, it explained: “This decision was made by the Showmax board of directors and reflects the continued focus of MultiChoice, a Canal+ company, on financial discipline and investment optimization in an increasingly competitive and capital-intensive global streaming environment.”
Added the company: “The substantial annual losses experienced by the Showmax business have proved unsustainable. The decision to phase out Showmax reflects our focus on building a sustainable, competitive business for the long term in an increasingly demanding global streaming environment.”
The Showmax service, which launched in South Africa before over time expanding to 44 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, previously summarized its goals this way: “to change the game for streaming in Africa” and to be the “number one streamer in Africa.”
Showmax’s original content has included the likes of high-octane sports drama Spinners, university drama Wyfie, crime thriller series Reyka, and Shaka iLembe, the epic story of an iconic African king.
MultiChoice said it would be “engaging and supporting employees through various transition options” and plans to “deploy its in-house large-scale streaming platform capable of meeting the expectations of African and international consumers.” It didn’t immediately share further details.
“Canal+ will continue to invest in premium content for MultiChoice subscribers, technological innovation and strategic partnerships to consolidate its leadership in the African entertainment market,” the company also said on Thursday. “Further details regarding our expanded content offering and platform upgrades will be shared in due course. We want to reassure our Showmax subscribers that they are our priority as we evolve our services to deliver a superior streaming experience.”
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