New streaming app to replace Showmax

French media company Canal+ has announced plans to introduce its Canal+ streaming app in South Africa and other MultiChoice markets as a replacement for the struggling Showmax platform.

The development follows MultiChoice’s announcement on March 5, 2026 that Showmax will be phased out, although the company assured subscribers that the transition would not disrupt their viewing service.

Canal+ chief executive Maxime Saada said the Showmax business had been generating large losses and showed little sign of recovery despite several attempts to improve its performance. He said Canal+ quickly reached an agreement with US media giant Comcast to shut down the service.

Saada said the priority now is to ensure Showmax users move to a stronger streaming platform. The Canal+ app is already operating in several French-speaking African markets and will gradually be introduced across MultiChoice territories.

He explained that Canal+ uses a strategy where satellite television subscribers also gain access to the company’s online streaming platform. According to Saada, this model has slowed the shift from satellite television to streaming services such as Netflix in Canal+ markets.

David Mignot, chief executive of Canal+ Africa, said the company will also work to ensure Showmax content and features become available on DStv Stream so that viewers can continue accessing familiar programmes.

Showmax has struggled financially in recent years despite being positioned by MultiChoice as a key growth driver in Africa’s streaming market.

Financial results show the platform recorded total trading losses of about R8.7 billion over the past three financial years, equivalent to roughly Shs1.8 trillion. Losses stood at R1.2 billion (about Shs245 billion) in 2023, R2.6 billion (about Shs530 billion) in 2024 and R4.9 billion (about Shs1 trillion) in 2025.

In a statement issued on March 5, 2026, Canal+ said the scale of Showmax losses had become unsustainable in an increasingly competitive global streaming industry that requires heavy investment.

The company said shutting down Showmax is part of a strategy to build a more sustainable streaming business in the long term. Canal+ added that the decision would not lead to job losses and that MultiChoice will support affected employees through transition arrangements.

Showmax also informed subscribers by email that the service will continue operating during the transition period. The company assured users that they can continue streaming normally for now and that further information about the migration process will be shared in advance.

Senior Canal+ executives had already raised concerns about Showmax’s performance earlier this year. In January 2026, Saada said the platform had not achieved commercial success and noted that heavy spending on marketing, content and technology had contributed to the losses.

In February, Mignot also stated that Showmax could not continue in its existing structure because the business was not financially sustainable.