French company acquires DSTV, GOtv, others for $3b
A French company, Canal+ Group, has acquired Multichoice Group, the umbrella company for DSTV and GOtv, in a $3 billion deal.
The French media giant, Canal+ Group acquired the remaining 55% of MultiChoice Group, securing full ownership of the continent’s largest pay-TV operator.
According to the French group, Canal+ is currently present in 25 African countries through 16 subsidiaries with eight million subscribers.
The deal which is expected to close fully on October 8, 2025, has now granted Canal+ ownership of Africa’s largest pay-TV operator, giving them access to about 14.5 million subscribers in 50 countries where Multichoice currently operates.
Canal+ Chairman and CEO considered the deal a strategic milestone for the company, bringing together two iconic media and entertainment companies.
“We aim to build a unified media platform that blends Canal+’s French-language programming with MultiChoice’s English and Portuguese content, while boosting local production,” he added.
Canal+ is a French premium television channel and a subsidiary of the global conglomerate Vivendi SE. The channel was launched in Paris and Issy-les-Moulineaux on November 4, 1984, and broadcasts to Metropolitan France.
The company started increasing its stake in MultiChoice in 2020, reaching 45% through market purchases before the current final buyout, thereby expanding its influence in emerging media markets.
It has also pledged about $1.4 billion investment over the next three years to strengthen local content, maintain MultiChoice’s headquarters in South Africa, secure jobs, and further other transformation initiatives.
The acquisition deal encompasses major African media assets, which include; SuperSport, Africa Magic, M-Net, Showmax, and DStv Media Sales.
