by Thinus Ferreira
M-Net and Showmax are both at risk of losing all of Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO content, as well as all of the TV series and films licensed from WBD's TV and film studios, in separate negotiations that form part of the bigger channels carriage agreement negotiations and standoff between Canal+'s MultiChoice Group and WBD.
The existing channels carriage contract between MultiChoice and WBD expires at the end of December 2025.
The months-long talks to hammer out a new channels carriage extension contract have become contentious, with the risk that DStv subscribers could lose the 12 TV channels supplied by WBD at the end of the month.
It is however not just the 12 TV channels that might get axed from DStv but also all of the HBO content seen on MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax, as well as on the M-Net (DStv 101) channel, and the M-Net Movies channels, which are bought "separately" from the full linear TV channels as part of output deals.
A source told TVwithThinus that the potential loss of WBD's content for MultiChoice's DStv, M-Net and Showmax is its "biggest existential threat in its history".
Talks between Canal+, MultiChoice and Warner Bros. Discovery again took place on Thursday evening.
The WBD channels at risk of going dark on DStv on 31 December include CNN International, Discovery Channel and Cartoon Network - all three of which have been on DStv since it launched 30 years ago in 1995 - as well as Cartoonito, Food Network, TNT, TLC, ID: Investigation Discovery, Real Time, HGTV, Discovery Family and the Travel channel.
Another source made it very clear to me that the current negotiations with MultiChoice involve separate agreements for both Warner Bros. Discovery’s channel brands, as well as for all of its premium content like HBO series and Warner Bros. titles.
It means that HBO shows and Warner Bros. films appearing on M‑Net,
M‑Net Movies and Showmax are also part of the
ongoing discussions - not just the 12 TV channels, creating a much bigger possible content loss catastrophe than what DStv subscribers realise.
If MultiChoice and WBD fail to sign a new channels carriage agreement, M-Net and Showmax will also lose the individual shows and films acquired from WBD's TV and film studios like Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema, as well as HBO.
HBO series titles range from The Gilded Age, The White Lotus and Dune: Prophecy to House of the Dragon, the new upcoming spinoff Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that will debut in 2026, the new Green Lantern series Lanterns that will start in 2026 as well, and also the highly anticipated new Harry Potter drama series, currently filming its first season and is expected to run for a decade like Friends.
M-Net didn't respond with any answers or clarification to multiple media queries made last week about this output deal that it is at risk of losing.
A concerned and angry DStv subscriber has now started an online petition, entitled "Save our DStv channels from cancellation" to implore MultiChoice not to allow these 12 TV channels to get axed from DStv.
A third insider told me "things are not looking good".
"WBD, which is now taken over by Netflix, is the largest American content supplier of third-party entertainment to DStv and M-Net. You can't replace that massive loss with anything else, even if MultiChoice says it will work on finding replacement content."
"How will they explain to DStv subscribers paying exorbitant monthly subscription fees already why they no longer have CNN, Discovery or Cartoon Network, but that you want them to keep paying?" another source said.
MultiChoice says "While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage".
MultiChoice also hinted that WBD's asking price for whatever content the negotiations are over, might be too high.
MultiChoice says it's trying to acquire content "at the best possible pricing. Every time you subscribe, you trust us with your money, and we take that responsibility seriously".
Warner Bros Discovery told TVwithThinus that it has "not yet reached a mutual agreement with
MultiChoice to continue broadcasting our much-loved brands. We want to
assure our viewers that Warner Bros. Discovery remains unequivocally
committed to finding a resolution".
"Our primary goal is to keep these channels accessible to
our loyal audience. We are hopeful that a constructive path forward can
be found that benefits all parties, especially
the viewers."
Before Canal+'s takeover of the MultiChoice Group, Maxime Maada, Canal+ CEO, told South African regulators that DStv would have more content and more services after Canal+'s buyout and not fewer.
The Competition Commission of South Africa told TVwithThinus in response to a media query about the potential loss of WBD's TV channels and content from DStv, M-Net and Showmax, that "The Competition Commission is not able to comment on this at this stage until
it has established all the relevant facts".
"However,
it is important to note
that any changes to the business of the merged entity will have to be
done in a manner that ensures that the merger conditions are not
undermined or violated."
