South Africa: Canal+ Flexes Global Muscle to Keep Warner Bros. Discovery Channels On DStv

By Lindsey Schutters

Hours before the Warner Bros. Discovery channels were to disappear from the DStv bouquet, new local pay TV owner Canal+ came through with a deal.

A midday deal between Canal+ and Warner Bros. Discovery averted a looming New Year's blackout that would have seen 12 major channels vanish from DStv screens at midnight.

The French hands now firmly on the MultiChoice steering wheel leveraged its international scale to secure a multi-year, multi-territory agreement. For South African subscribers this means uninterrupted CNN International, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, and HGTV watching.

In a press statement released on Wednesday, Canal+ confirmed the renewal of these 12 thematic channels across "MultiChoice Group territories", ensuring that the kids won't lose Teen Titans and news junkies will keep their access to CNN.

A long enough lever

This agreement is an example of why Canal+ pursued MultiChoice in the first place. By bundling the negotiations for African territories with its European footprint, the multinational conglomerate has managed to extract a deal that a standalone MultiChoice may have struggled to close.

The "strengthened strategic partnership" now involves significant renewals and expansions in Europe, including HBO Max distribution in Poland, Czech Republic, and expansion into Belgium and Austria.

But while the press release explicitly trumpets the "expansion of HBO Max distribution via Canal+" in Europe, the section dedicated to MultiChoice Group territories is strictly...

Read the full story on Daily Maverick.

Copyright © 2025 Daily Maverick. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.