Pay-TV’s Primetime Ends in South Africa

The pay-television market in South Africa is experiencing a significant decline, with subscriber numbers falling below 7 million in 2025—the first time in five years. This marks a clear shift away from traditional on-demand TV services as streaming platforms and piracy increasingly capture viewers’ attention.

Key Trends:

• Subscriber Losses: MultiChoice, the dominant pay-TV operator now owned by Canal+, lost 589,000 subscribers in South Africa during 2025 alone.
• Market Contraction: The country has lost 1.6 million pay-TV subscribers over the past four years, shrinking the addressable market for operators.
• Free Alternatives Gain: Openview, a free-to-air satellite operator, added over 300,000 subscribers in 2025 to reach 3.6 million total—signaling a preference for fast and affordable entertainment options.

Implications for Canal+:

Canal+‘s acquisition of MultiChoice presents both challenges and opportunities as it navigates this changing landscape. The company’s “pay-TV first” strategy may face headwinds in a market where user behavior has shifted dramatically toward streaming—which offers greater flexibility and mobile accessibility.

While a full return to past subscriber highs seems unlikely, Canal+ could potentially slow the decline by adapting pay-TV services to meet evolving consumer preferences. The key will be finding ways to make traditional TV more agile and responsive to how people now consume entertainment.