French media company Canal+ has announced a €100 million investment aimed at reviving growth at MultiChoice Group, the parent company of DStv and GOtv, following a decline in subscribers and revenue.
The investment plan was disclosed in Canal+’s 2025 financial results released on Wednesday. The move comes months after the French broadcaster completed its acquisition of MultiChoice.
According to the report, MultiChoice ended 2025 with 14.4 million subscribers, down from 14.9 million recorded the previous year. Revenue also fell by 6% to €2.4 billion, while adjusted earnings before interest and tax dropped 14% to €159 million.
The company attributed the downturn to several economic and operational challenges across its African markets, including currency depreciation in Nigeria, electricity shortages and rising operational costs.
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It noted that although the company attempted short-term fixes such as reducing subscriber acquisition subsidies and increasing prices, these measures further reduced subscriber growth and deepened profitability concerns.
Canal+ warned that MultiChoice could face a negative financial impact of about €140 million in 2026 due to the ongoing decline in subscribers and rising costs.
To reverse the trend, the company said it would invest approximately €100 million to stimulate subscriber growth. As part of the strategy, more than 1,000 additional sales staff will be recruited across African markets, shifting the business toward a stronger sales-driven approach.
The announcement follows Canal+’s full takeover of MultiChoice, a deal valued at roughly $3 billion that significantly expanded the French company’s presence in global pay-TV markets.
With the acquisition completed, the combined group now serves over 40 million subscribers across nearly 70 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia, and employs around 17,000 people.
Canal+ also said it plans to present a comprehensive integration strategy, including operational partnerships and growth initiatives, during a strategic update scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
Meanwhile, the company has been reviewing several cost-cutting measures. Reports earlier this month indicated that Canal+ may discontinue Showmax, the streaming platform previously operated by MultiChoice.
The service, launched in 2015 to compete with global platforms such as Netflix, Apple’s Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, has struggled to achieve profitability.
Before the Canal+ acquisition, MultiChoice disclosed that trading losses from Showmax had risen sharply while revenue from the streaming platform declined.