The Digest:
French media conglomerate Canal+ has completed its acquisition of Multichoice, effectively taking control of the South African pay-TV giant and creating a combined entity with a presence in nearly 70 countries. The merger, valued at around $3 billion, brings together 17,000 employees and over 40 million subscribers across Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Key Points:
- Canal+ now controls Multichoice after South Africa’s competition authority approved the deal.
- The merged group becomes a dominant force in African pay-TV and streaming.
- Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada described the move as strengthening their leadership in a dynamic market.
- The acquisition is the largest ever undertaken by the French media giant.
- Multichoice operates DStv, GOtv, and SuperSport across 50 African countries.
- The deal was finalized more than a year after Canal+ launched its initial offer.
- The new entity aims to leverage Multichoice’s strong presence in English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa.
- This comes as Multichoice recently reported a loss of 243,000 DStv and GOtv subscribers.
Sources: AFP
