CANAL+ is in the middle of a real test with MultiChoice South Africa. Revenue at the country's biggest pay-TV operator fell 3% on a like-for-like basis in the nine months to September 2026, dragged down by weaker subscription income. On a reported basis, figures looked slightly better at 0.4% growth, reaching €1.81 billion, but that was largely down to favourable currency movements rather than genuine momentum on the ground.
There is a small but meaningful sign of progress buried in the numbers. The like-for-like decline eased to 2% in the third quarter, compared to 3.4% in the first half of the year. CANAL+ was careful to flag, though, that the improvement had as much to do with easier comparisons from the sporting events calendar as it did with any structural shift in the business.
The France-based media group is betting on a simplified DStv package to change the story. On September 7, MultiChoice launched a revamped value proposition in South Africa, promising subscribers more content and greater choice at the same price. Because the launch came right at the end of the reporting period, its real impact has not yet shown up in the numbers.
CANAL+ CEO Maxime Saada struck a confident note in the company's trading update, saying the group is "making good progress with the MultiChoice turnaround plan." The rollout of the new packages is set to continue across English- and Portuguese-speaking African markets in the months ahead.
Whether simplified packaging and stronger content can actually stop subscriber losses is the question now. The next reporting period will be the real verdict.
Originally published by TechCabal.