Showing posts with label WBD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WBD. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

BREAKING. Canal+ signs new multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to keep 12 TV channels on DStv and HBO content on M-Net and add HBO Max streamer


by Thinus Ferreira

By high noon on 31 December, just hours before its channel carriage agreement was to lapse by midnight, Canal+ and Warner Bros. Discovery signed a new multi-year deal that will keep WBD's 12 TV channels on DStv, as well as HBO content on M-Net (DStv 101), that will also see the roll-out of the HBO Max streamer in 2026 in Africa as a tile through MultiChoice.

TVwithThinus has reliably learnt that part of the contentious and months-long channel carriage agreement extension negotiations was the fact that Canal+ as the new owner of Africa's MultiChoice, didn't just want to renew the South African and sub-Saharan African rights, but rather as a subset lump Africa into a new, wider overall carriage agreement with Europe.

It was therefore also no longer MultiChoice negotiating with Warner Bros. Discovery but Canal+ negotiating with WBD - and not just for South Africa, or Africa, but for Africa and Europe as a bigger umbrella rights deal.

Besides South Africa, the new multi-year agreement between Canal+ and WBD covers African countries including Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, Réunion, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Saint Helena, Somalia, Eswatini (ex. Swaziland), Sudan, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Canal+ isn't willing to say for how many years the new channel carriage agreement is to keep WBD's content being seen in South Africa and across the African continent.

The deal is for all 12 existing pay-TV channels from Warner Bros. Discovery to remain on DStv in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa.

With the extension deal, M-Net (Dstv 101) subscribers are at least assured to see new drama series in 2026 like the Game of Thrones spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and the third season of House of the Dragon, as well as the new Green Lantern science fiction series Lanterns, and in 2027 the first season of the new Harry Potter drama series.

CNN International and Cartoon Network will be on DStv in South Africa exclusively, and non-exclusively in other African countries, meaning these two channels will be carried on other services elsewhere in Africa as well. 

Cartoon Network Porto will be exclusively carried in Angola and Mozambique, and non-exclusively in other territories.

The Cartoonito, Cartoonito Porto, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Real Time, ID, TLC, HGTV, Travel, TNT Africa and Food Network channels will be carried on DStv as non-exclusive TV channels.

Canal+ was playing hardball: The French didn't want to renew just the African and South African carriage agreement but insisted on folding it into a bigger overall deal for Canal+ to "consolidate and expand" its WBD deal across Europe.

Canal+'s African deal is folded into a bigger carriage agreement between Canal+ and WBD for Europe where Canal+ at the same time negotiated for the renewal of Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and CNN International in Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia; the renewal of Warner TV in the Czech Republic and the renewal of HBO Max, HBO, and Cinemax in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.

Expanding WBD's streamer HBO Max through Canal+ into Belgium and Austria as two new countries was also part of the contract negotiations.

Look for WBD's streamer, HBO Max, to also be rolled out in at least South Africa and possible elsewhere in Africa, during 2026, in the same way MultiChoice carries Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as partnership streamers alongside its own Showmax.

Not yet known: Whether the new agreement between Canal+ and WBD will include or exclude the carriage of WBD and HBO content on Showmax itself.

Canal+ says in a press statement the "expanded agreement covers both the distribution of HBO Max and the renewal of several Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels across numerous regions in Africa and Europe".

"This agreement enables Canal+ to strengthen its entertainment, kids, news, and documentary channel offerings in African markets."

Warner Bros. Discovery, in response to a media query, tells me "We are pleased to confirm that Warner Bros. Discovery and MultiChoice have reached an agreement that will see all our channels and content remain available to DStv and GOtv viewers across Africa".

"We value our long‑standing partnership with MultiChoice and remain committed to delivering the world‑class entertainment, kids' programming, factual content and global brands that audiences know and love."

WBD was asked on Wednesday afternoon for how many years its multi-year agreement for South Africa and Africa is with Canal+'s MultiChoice.

WBD said "We cannot disclose the duration of the agreement as this information is commercially sensitive."

WBD was also asked when HBO Max will be added and rolled out.

WBD said "HBO Max is now available in more than 100 markets worldwide. Our current focus is on the upcoming expansion into the UK, Germany and Italy in early 2026. Beyond these planned launches, we continue to evaluate opportunities to grow our global footprint in markets where we can build a meaningful, scaled, and profitable direct-to-consumer business, and we will consider additional market entries thereafter."


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'Black Swan' moment for Canal+'s MultiChoice facing a Y2K crisis at midnight as Warner Bros. Discovery prepares to pull 12 TV channels from DStv on 31 December 2025


by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s MultiChoice is ensnared in a "Black Swan" moment and is staring a TV-type of Y2K destruction in the face due to the threatening, massive loss of pay-TV content at midnight tonight when Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will pull its 12 TV channels from DStv when its channel carriage contract runs out.

Canal+ and MultiChoice will not only lose these 12 TV channels without a new deal, but also all of WBD's content like HBO from M-Net (DStv 101) and the M-Net Movies channels on DStv, as well as everything supplied by all of Warner's TV studios and film studios to M-Net, but also to the struggling Showmax streamer run by MultiChoice and Comcast's NBCUNiversal.

Twenty-five years after the so-called Y2K bug that threatened to shut down computers on New Year's Eve before the arrival of the year 2000, the clock is ticking down to midnight tonight for an utterly massive and unthinkable loss of content from DStv in terms of TV channels, shows and movies.

MultiChoice's new French Canal+ bosses, who have been closing the money taps for the past few months since October, have so far failed to sign a new channel carriage agreement with WBD, which expires at the end of 2025.

Without a new multi-year channels carriage agreement, TV channels from CNN International, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, Food Network, TLC, HGTV, TNT and several more will all vanish from DStv on 1 January 2026.

An M-Net insider told me that the threat represents a "true extinction-level event" for legacy M-Net's value proposition for DStv subscribers.

Ironically, the possible destruction of M-Net's premium content pipeline from America, through Warner, comes on the eve of M-Net's 40th anniversary year in 2026, with M-Net became synonymous with HBO as the home of premium shows that M-Net acquired exclusively for DStv subscribers in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa.

Negotiations between Canal+ and Warner Bros. Discovery continued this week.

According to several sources, Maxime Saada, Canal+ CEO in Paris, as well as David Mignot, the recently installed new Canal+ Africa boss in Johannesburg, are adamant that the financial exploitation by third-party content providers like WBD must end.

They apparently want to send a "strong and clear signal" that MultiChoice under Canal+ control and ownership "will no longer simply pay content providers their asking price".

One source tells me it's a "cost-cutting principle" and to "definitively indicate that MultiChoice's days as simply a price taker are over under Canal+" to all other entertainment and sports content distributors whose international contracts will also be expiring and coming up for renewal talks.

Warner Bros. Discovery on the other hand, is adamant to get paid what Warner knows its TV channels and content are worth, including its extremely desirable HBO series, as well as its studios' overall output volume.  

Insiders say the fear is that Warner Bros. Discovery's channels going dark, together with the ripping away of HBO content on M-Net, will lead to further millions of DStv subscribers cancelling their DStv subscriptions in early 2026 as they jump to streamers like Netflix and Disney+.

MultiChoice has already lost a shocking 2.8 million DStv subscribers since April 2023.

MultiChoice said that it continues to negotiate with WBD.

WBD told TVwithThinus that it "remains fully committed to finding a resolution and keeping our channels available for our audience".

"We are in regular contact with Canal+/MultiChoice and we remain hopeful that a constructive path forward can be agreed that benefits all parties, especially our viewers."

According to insiders, both sides are posturing and behaving like cowboys in a Hollywood movie.

"Canal+ and Warner are both hard-knuckled gunslingers because they can be. Neither side is blinking. They've been negotiating for months and neither one is willing to budge. Canal+ and Warner, both global players, are more than willing to pull the trigger and leave DStv subscribers with black screens where CNN, Cartoon Network, Discovery and all the rest are - even if it leads to immense reputational and financial pain for both."

The loss of WBD's TV portfolio alone will inflict immense damage on DStv.

Just Cartoon Network alone has a 49% audience share of all children's viewing. All of the other DStv channels combined represent the other half.

WBD confirmed this and said Cartoon Network has maintained its leadership position since 2006 as DStv's biggest kids TV channel.

Cartoonito, WBD's other children's channel that will also be ripped away at midnight from DStv, is, according to WB,D "the number one kids' channel on the DStv Family package".

Meanwhile, TNT holds the number one position as the most popular international movie channel on DStv, while TLC is hugely popular as a lifestyle TV channel.

MultiChoice says it's working on "alternative" channels and content plans to replace Warner's content if no deal is reached by the end of today, but sources explain that there exists no like-for-like equivalent replacement content for the Warner offering anywhere else in the world for Dstv to acquire and package.

Prof Lizette Rabe, media expert and emeritus professor at the University of Stellenbosch, told TVwithThinus that entertainment content can still be negotiated, but that the reduction of information and the news offering, especially during a time where democracies are under pressure is a serious matter.

"MultiChoice had already started scaling back channels, which represents a loss for viewers looking for a wider perspective," she said.

"BVN, the Dutch service, and Deutsche Welle, for example, simply disappeared quietly after on-screen messages of 'this service will no longer be available a month from now' - without any explanation to consumers."

"The fact that MultiChoice and Canal+ have to renegotiate for a new contract - of which the clock is ticking down to 31 December - in addition to Warner Bros. Discovery fielding buyers in the United States - has set the stage for a perfect storm for the South African company that has basically always had a monopoly over pay-TV information and entertainment."

"And as a consumer, I have to add - one apparently not concerned about its subscribers and not communicating truly and honestly. The result is that DStv is bleeding subscriptions."

"Now the company is in a position where possibly even more people are going to decide whether the R1000 plus per month for the DStv premium package are worth it, for what they're getting in return. It is indeed an unexpected 'Black Swan' moment for MultiChoice/Canal+," she explained. 


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Monday, December 22, 2025

Why Canal+'s DStv faces massive downfall danger after a Warner content wipeout


by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s MultiChoice is facing a massive DStv content crisis from 2026 if it is unable to retain Warner Bros. Discovery's channels through a contract extension, with Cartoon Network grabbing half of all kids viewing, and TNT as the most-watched international movie channel.

France's cost-cutting Canal+, MultiChoice and WBD are still locked in contentious channels carriage agreement negotiations.

In a week and a half from now, MultiChoice and M-Net are set to lose up to 12 TV channels on DStv, as well as all of the HBO content and the other content acquired from Warner Bros. Television and Warner's film studios shown on the M-Net (Dstv 101) and M-Net Movies channels.

While MultiChoice says it's working on replacements, the stark reality is that Canal+ and MultiChoice don't have access to like-for-like content.

Nothing really exists to fill the utterly massive content gap that will be left if M-Net loses HBO, and DStv loses hugely popular TV channels like the Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, Food Network, HGTV, CNN International, TLC and a litany of others.

As a third-party channel distributor, the WBD linear TV channel bundle, in addition to the HBO and other Warner studios content, represents a very big - and extremely important - content chunk of the overall DStv and M-Net content universe. 

The WBD portfolio - channels like Cartoon Network, which has been on DStv since it launched thirty years ago, as well as Cartoonito - captures a staggering 49% of all kids' channel viewing on DStv.

In other words, just those two kids channels on DStv get half of the total kids viewing, while all of the other kids channels combined, represent the other half. 

The loss of Cartoon Network would be immeasurable to DStv subscribers who pay to keep their kids entertained. 

Cartoon Network by itself remains the number one kids' channel on DStv, and delivers double the audience of its nearest competing kids channel on DStv.

In response to a media query, WBD confirmed Cartoon Network's channel lead position on DStv and told TVwithThinus that "Cartoon Network has maintained its leadership since 2006 as the leading kids’ channel on pay TV, available from the DStv Access package and higher".

"Cartoonito’s appeal is clear: it ranks as the number one channel in the DStv Family package and again took the top spot during the November open period, celebrating DStv’s 30th anniversary," WBD said.

Meanwhile, TNT ranks as the number one international movie channel on DStv, while the reality-focused TLC holds the crown for lifestyle content.

While 24-hour TV news channels have a much lower viewership on DStv, similar to worldwide, these channels do have a dedicated audience and court an often highly informed audience.

A DStv without CNN International on it - also one of the TV channels that DStv started out with 30 years ago - would be difficult for MultiChoice to justify and also impossible to replace.

WBD says "These figures highlight the unique value our portfolio continues to deliver to South African families. Audiences in South Africa have loved our channels for almost 30 years and remain among the most watched and valued."

MultiChoice says it is working on "strong alternatives" if a channel carriage contract extension with WBD can't be worked out, and that it is working on "enhancements to the 2026 line-up, including new content, new channels, and new services to ensure customers continue to receive exceptional value".

MultiChoice says "At this stage no new agreement has been reached between the parties".

"Should this remain the case, these channels will no longer form part of the DStv line-up from 1 January, 2026. As always, any updates that may affect our customers will be communicated directly and transparently."

It's impossible to predict whether there would be a deal or not, since Canal+'s new Canal+ Africa division is busy with aggressive cost-cutting at MultiChoice after buying out the legacy pay-TV operator.

Meanwhile, WBD knows the value of its content and is becoming less and less dependent on the revenue coming in from its legacy linear pay-TV channels as more and more content is shifted to streaming platforms like its own HBO Max and licensed to other platforms.
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Monday, December 8, 2025

Paramount launches hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. Discovery with cash offer directly to its shareholders after Netflix said it's buying WBD


by Thinus Ferreira

Paramount isn't going gently into the good night and on Monday launched a hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. Discovery, after Netflix and WBD on Friday announced that Netflix is buying WBD.

Paramount Skydance is offering an all-cash buy to WBD's shareholders, backed by the Ellison family and RedBird Capital.

Whereas Netflix is buying Warner Bros.'s TV and film studios as well as its streamer HBO Max, Paramount wants all of WBD, including its Discovery Global set of linear TV channels.

Paramount on Monday said that its deal to snap up WBD is of superior value to shareholders and won't face the uncertain regulatory process that a Netflix buyout of WBD will confront.

Since Netflix is the world's and the United States' largest video streaming service, it will raise anti-trust issues when it wants to acquire HBO Max as a big video streaming service as well that specialises in premium content.

On Monday, Paramount said that it is taking its all-cash offer directly to WBD shareholders since Paramount believes that they were not presented with "the most compelling and superior transaction".

According to Paramount, a Netflix transaction of WBD represents "inferior and uncertain value, a protracted and uncertain multi-jurisdictional regulatory clearance process, a complex and volatile mix of equity and cash, and ownership of Global Networks as a standalone over-leveraged company whose future trading value is uncertain".

Paramount says it is offering $18 billion more than Netflix to buy the entirety of WBD.

David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, in a statement, says, "WBD shareholders deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company".

"Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros Discovery board of directors in private, provides superior value and a more certain and quicker path to completion."

"We believe the WBD board of directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process."

"We are taking our offer directly to shareholders to give them the opportunity to act in their own best interests and maximise the value of their shares."

"We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theatre industry."

"We believe they will benefit from the enhanced competition, higher content spend and theatrical release output, and a greater number of movies in theatres as a result of our proposed transaction. We look forward to working to expeditiously deliver this opportunity so that all stakeholders can begin to capitalise on the benefits of the combined company."

Neither Netflix nor Warner Bros. Discovery had immediate comment.

Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes told Reuters "The Warner Bros Discovery acquisition is far from over. Netflix is in the driver's seat but there will be twists and turns before the finish line. Paramount will appeal to shareholders, regulators and politicians to try to stymie Netflix. The battle could become prolonged."

Canal+'s MultiChoice is currently in contentious channel carriage negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery for a carriage extension of 12 TV channels on the DStv pay-TV service in South Africa and the Rest of Africa (RoA) region.

With no new deal, MultiChoice will lose the 12 TV channels by the end of December 2025, as well as studio output like the TV content from Warner Bros. Television and films from Warner Bros. Pictures, as well as everything from HBO, all bought for M-Net (DStv 101), the M-Net Movies channels, as well as MultiChoice's streamer Showmax it runs with Comcast's NBCUniversal.

On Monday afternoon, MultiChoice Group said that it "is aware of the announcement made regarding Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix".

"Our own commercial discussions with WBD remain ongoing, and we are not in a position to comment on the negotiations of other industry players. There is no final decision regarding any WBD channels or content on our platforms."

"As always, any updates that may affect our customers will be communicated directly and transparently. Our focus remains on providing the best possible content offering."
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M-Net and Showmax at risk of losing HBO and all other Warner Bros studios series and film output in TV channels carriage fight between Canal+'s MultiChoice and WBD


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."


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Sunday, December 7, 2025

Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's studios and HBO Max streamer for $72 billion: 'The Albanian army has taken over the world'


by Thinus Ferreira

Netflix will buy Warner Bros. Discovery's TV and film studios, as well as its HBO Max streaming service for $72 billion, excluding its Discovery Global TV channels.

Netflix and WBD announced the deal on Friday that will give Netflix control of the content produced by TV studios like Warner Bros. Television, film studios like Warner Bros. Pictures, as well as premium pay-TV channel HBO and the video streaming service HBO Max.

Canal+'s MultiChoice is currently in contentious negotiations with WBD for a channels carriage contract extension for its 12 TV channels included on DStv in South Africa and the Rest of Africa (RoA) which expires at the end of December 2025.

Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net is furthermore in negotiations for a new content output deal as well with WBD for HBO originals, as well as the TV series and films shown on M-Net (DStv 101), DStv's M-Net Movies channels, and MultiChoice's video streamer Showmax.

Both of these contracts - for the linear TV channels, as well as for the series and films content from WBD - form part of the same negotiations.

Fifteen years ago in December 2010 in an article headlined "Time Warner views Netflix as a fading star", Jeff Bewkes, then the CEO of Time Warner that owned Warner Bros. and HBO, in an interview with the New York Times, said, referring to Netflix, that "It's a little bit like, is the Albanian army going to take over the world? I don't think so".

Now that Netflix "Albanian army" has indeed taken over the world - or at least Warner Bros. Discovery.

Netflix's buyout of WBD has to pass regulatory scrutiny in the United States, with the deal expected to take between 12 to 18 months to complete.

It will exclude Discovery Global, the TV channels division that will house WBD's linear TV channels like CNN, CNN International, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Travel channel, Magnolia Network, Discovery Channel and others.

On Friday, Netflix was adamant that nothing would change, that Netflix would continue to operate according to how it always has, and that Warner Bros.' currently operations and distribution would continue independently, including its theatrical film releases and schedule.

The TV and film studios of Warner Bros. are combined the biggest in the world.

Where the deal might run into trouble is the anti-trust issue that will arise with the world's and the United States' biggest video streaming service buying another streaming service and by all measures HBO Max as the one with arguably the most premium content.

The Netflix deal is strongly opposed by Hollywood.

"Together we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling," said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, in a statement.

"Today's announcement combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world," said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, in the statement.


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Wednesday, December 3, 2025

SHOCKER. Canal+'s MultiChoice now says 12 TV channels from Warner Bros. Discovery will definitely be removed 31 December 2025 in channel carriage fight.


by Thinus Ferreira

In its channel carriage fight with Warner Bros. Discovery, Canal+'s MultiChoice has announced that the 12 TV channels from WBD will now definitely be removed on 31 December 2025 for DStv subscribers in South Africa as well as across the Rest of Africa (RoA).

In a statement, MultiChoice says "Please be advised that Discovery Channel, TLC Africa, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, Travel Channel, Investigation Discovery (Discovery ID), Cartoon Network, Cartoonito and CNN International will not be available from 31 Dec."




MultiChoice's face-off and unprecedented announcement come after a stalemate between WBD and MultiChoice in channel carriage negotiations for a new channel carriage extension of WBD's linear TV channels.

WBD was MultiChoice's largest third-party TV channel supplier, with some channels like CNN International, Discovery and the Travel channel which were part of DStv's line-up for 30 years since it launched in 1995.

Comment from Warner Bros. Discovery will be added here when received.

MultiChoice's unequivocal announcement on Tuesday that the 12 TV channels are gone comes just a day after MultiChoice on Monday evening still said that "discussions between the parties continue".

It's not yet clear what changed on Tuesday.

On Monday WBD told TVwithThinus "Warner Bros. Discovery remains unequivocally committed to finding a resolution."

Maxime Saada, Canal+ CEO, promised regulators and South Africa's Competition Commission - something that was reiterated by David Mignot, Canal+ Africa CEO - that DStv subscribers across Africa would be getting more content, not less, after Canal+'s buyout of MultiChoice.

Now DStv subscribers are going into 2026 with the four TV channels gone from Paramount Skydance when BET Africa, MTV Base and CBS Justice and CBS Reality all disappear from DStv on 31 December.

Then the 12 TV channels from Warner Bros. Discovery are also removed, bringing it to a total of 16 TV channels that will be gone from DStv at midnight on 31 December 2025.

Six years ago in October 2019 the Lifetime and Crime + Investigation (C+I) channels from Hearst Networks (then A+E Networks) went dark on DStv after extremely acrimonious channel carriage negotiations between MultiChoice and the channel provider that saw only the History channel remain. 

In 2013 in another channel carriage negotiation that went bad, MultiChoice yanked Bloomberg TV from DStv.

The backtracking and restoration of Bloomberg Television after a blackout of three weeks on DStv followed after massive negative reaction and immense pressure on MultiChoice's top brass .

MultiChoice's top executives and content execs were told in no uncertain terms behind-the-scenes by South African government officials as well as business leaders that Bloomberg is crucial for business leaders, the image of the country, economists, traders and viewers and must be restored.


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Monday, December 1, 2025

Stalemate in channel carriage extension negotiations between Canal+'s MultiChoice and Warner Bros. Discovery could see 12 TV channels axed from DStv at the end of December 2025: 'You trust us with your money'


by Thinus Ferreira

A stalemate in contentious channel carriage negotiations between Canal+'s MultiChoice and Warner Bros. Discovery could see DStv subscribers lose another 12 TV channels at the end of December, in addition to the 4 channels from Paramount Global, which are getting axed.

With Paramount Africa's four linear TV channels - BET Africa, MTV Base, CBS Justice and CBS Reality - all definitely going dark on 31 December, DStv subscribers in South Africa and across the Rest of Africa (RoA) region, might now soon face a blackout of yet another 12 TV channels provided by WBD.

These channels are Discovery Channel, Cartoonito, Cartoon Network, CNN International, Food Network, TNT, TLC, ID: Investigation Discovery, Real Time, HGTV, Discovery Family and the Travel Channel.

MultiChoice hints that WBD wants too much money, noting that it's always trying to give the best content "at the best possible pricing. Every time you subscribe, you trust us with your money, and we take that responsibility seriously".

Shows and movies acquired for M-Net's set of self-packaged channels, like the M-Net (DStv 101) channel and M-Net Movies channels, are presumably safe from the looming Warner Bros. Discovery channels blackout.

This is because HBO series like House of the Dragon and The Gilded Age, as well as other content, are distributed and licensed separately by Warner Bros. Television Group and Warner Bros. Discovery International to individual TV channels.

The deal or no-deal also won't affect the money-guzzling Showmax, MultiChoice's struggling video streaming service, which carries WBD content under different agreements.

How channel carriage agreements with American channel distributors work is that a traditional pay-TV operator like MultiChoice pays a certain amount per TV channel, based on the number of subscribers.

A selection of TV channels from one provider is often bundled together at an overall price.

Further complicating negotiations and giving rise to channel carriage conflict is that either side can baulk at the form, number of channels and type of channels which are part of these "must-take bundles".

Often, the taker only wants certain specific TV channels and not the added pork they're forced to take, and often the provider gives a "take all of these or lose them all" ultimatum.   

The latest linear DStv channel carriage agreement standoff for the 12 linear TV channels between MultiChoice and WBD is similar to when MultiChoice and A+E Networks (now Hearst Networks) six years ago, saw the Lifetime and Crime+Investigation channels axed. 

In that case, MultiChoice was adamant that it only wanted to continue with History and not all three.

In October 2019, the loss of Lifetime and C+I led to a petition signed by over 5 000 DStv subscribers who demanded these TV channels back, although it never happened.


Four possibilities
It's still unclear what exactly gave rise to the standoff between Warner Bros. Discovery and MultiChoice, with both sides who would have started negotiations for a channel carriage extension months ago already.

One of four possibilities is on the table. 

Firstly, it could be that both MultiChoice and WBD want to continue with the same 12 TV channels but that Canal+, which is busy with dramatic cost-cutting at MultiChoice, no longer wants to pay the same price.

It's possible that Canal+ wants MultiChoice to pay less to WBD, given that MultiChoice has lost millions of DStv subscribers over the past few years since the last carriage deal was clinched.

Secondly, it could be that WBD wants an increase in the payment on the existing deal for the 12 channels, and which could be a price that MultiChoice considers to be way too high to pay.

Thirdly, MultiChoice might no longer want some of these 12 channels and only be interested in a smaller bundle but with WBD unwilling to remove them from the existing bundled offer. 

And fourthly, WBD itself might want to remove some of the 12 channels from the pay-TV bundle but with MultiChoice being the one who is unwilling to take a package that doesn't include its "must-haves" - and at a price it's willing to pay.

MultiChoice hints that WBD is asking too much money for whatever number of TV channels MultiChoice wants to carry.

The pay-TV provider says "At MultiChoice, our priority is to provide you with the best entertainment experience at the best possible pricing. Every time you subscribe, you trust us with your money, and we take that responsibility seriously".




Warner Bros. Discovery: No deal yet with MultiChoice
MultiChoice confirmed that "The distribution agreement between MultiChoice and Warner Bros. Discovery is scheduled to end on 31 December 2025".

"While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, a number of Warner. Bros Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from 1 January 2026," the pay-TV operator says.

If no new deal is reached between MultiChoice and WBD, cost-cutting Canal+ will let WBD's 12 TV channels go and try to find alternatives.

MultiChoice already alludes to a possible future without WBD content, noting that it is already "preparing to further strengthen and enrich its line-up with new content, channels and services".

In a message to subscribers about the likelihood that the pay-TV operator might lose another 12 TV channels, MultiChoice told DStv subscribers that it is ready to replace Warner Bros. Discovery's TV channels with alternatives.

"What matters most is ensuring that your viewing experience remains rich, diverse and enjoyable".

"You will continue to enjoy an exceptional entertainment experience across your package, supported by strong alternative channels across every genre."

Warner Bros. Discovery told TVwithThinus in response to a media query on Monday night that there's no deal yet with MultiChoice and that it understands "the concern" around the axing of WBD's TV channels from DStv.

WBD said that it "deeply values its long-standing partnership with MultiChoice across multiple territories, and most importantly, our connection with the millions of viewers who cherish our channels".

"We understand the concern surrounding the potential discontinuation of our brands, including Discovery, Cartoonito, Cartoon Network, CNN International, Food Network, TNT, TLC, ID: Investigation Discovery, Real Time, HGTV, Discovery Family, and Travel Channel, from DStv and GOtv as of 1 January 2026".

"This situation arises because we have 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."

"Besides the recent change in the ownership of the MultiChoice business, and the potentially different strategy pursued by its new owner, the French media group Canal+, we are actively engaged in discussions with them to ensure that the customers can continue to enjoy the high-quality, diverse content they expect and love, from the compelling storytelling of 90 Day Fiancé and Gold Rush, to the latest seasons of Regular Show and Teen Titans Go, as well as essential news coverage from CNN International."

"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."


Trying to douse flames
As new MultiChoice owner, France's Canal+,  and David Mignot as new Canal+ Africa CEO, is trying to put out multiple fires.

After running out of toilet paper at the MultiChoice City headquarters in Johannesburg and almost losing SuperSport live broadcasts due to the failure to pay suppliers because of a heavy-handed demand that all suppliers cut their invoices by 20% across the board, Canal+ executives and MultiChoice have angered numerous longtime partners, producers and providers over the past two months.

Meanwhile, Canal+ is battling MultiChoice content losses like Paramount Africa's demise and its TV channels, as well as the ongoing churn of DStv subscribers across Africa.

To try and improve subscriber numbers, MultiChoice is now flooding the market with massive DStv decoder subsidies, hoping to entice new potential DStv subscribers to buy set-top boxes and stay subscribed. 

Canal+, in its latest investors' presentation, also revealed that MultiChoice's subscriber losses kept increasing, from 1.2 million year-on-year by the end of March to 1.4 million year-on-year by the end of June.

Then there's Showmax. Mignot is yet to make a decision on its future after billions have been pumped into the loss-making streamer following a partnership relaunch with NBCUniversal's Comcast.

And then there's MultiChoice's latest headache for Canal+: Its expiring WBD channel carriage agreement.

With less than a month to go, Mignot will have to solve the stalemate or see WBD go from DStv. 

Some of these TV channels, like The Travel Channel, Cartoon Network and CNN have been available on DStv right from its beginning in 1995, for over 30 years, with the Discovery Channel that was added just a few weeks after DStv launched.

A new content agreement between WBD and Sky in the United Kingdom, exactly a year ago, was similarly contentious until both WBD and Sky signed a new deal and averted a content blackout.


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