The dust has barely settled on the Canal+ acquisition of MultiChoice, but the French media giant isn’t wasting any time rearranging the furniture. If you were hoping for a "business as usual" transition, think again. Canal+ has hit the ground running with a massive cost-cutting mission, and it looks like the African creative industry is first in line to feel the pinch.
On January 29, Canal+ laid out a bold roadmap to shave over €400 million off its annual expenses by 2030. It’s a move born out of necessity; MultiChoice has been navigating rough seas lately, losing a staggering 2.8 million pay-TV subscribers over the last two years. Between a shrinking audience and the relentless pressure from global streaming giants, the old way of doing things simply isn’t sustainable anymore.
While Canal+ has signaled that it won't immediately hike DStv subscription fees or start firing internal staff, the financial pressure has to go somewhere. That "somewhere" appears to be the wider ecosystem of production houses, technical vendors, and independent creators.
Only weeks after the deal was finalized, reports emerged that Canal+ requested a blanket 20% discount on invoices from its suppliers. For an industry where many producers are already operating on razor-thin margins, this "ask" feels more like an ultimatum. Industry veterans are sounding the alarm, warning that these cuts could lead to a drop in production quality and, worse, put many small-to-medium studios out of business entirely.
For years, "local content" was the secret sauce that kept MultiChoice ahead of its rivals. However, with the new regime’s focus on fixing the bottom line, the appetite for risk is disappearing. Instead of investing in experimental projects or giving new voices a platform, commissioning editors are becoming much more conservative. The focus is shifting toward "sure bets" the kind of high-impact hits that are guaranteed to bring in viewers but often leave the creative pipeline feeling a bit hollow.
This shift doesn't just affect what we see on our screens; it stunts the growth of the entire industry. When big players stop taking chances on smaller productions, the opportunities for skill development and cultural storytelling shrink along with the budgets.
Even the shiny jewel in the crown, Showmax, isn’t safe from the scrutiny. Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada was surprisingly blunt recently, admitting the streaming platform has yet to become a "commercial success." This admission signals a move away from the "spend at all costs" growth strategy we’ve seen in recent years. While the company insists it still believes in Africa’s long-term potential, the immediate goal is crystal clear: balance the books first, and worry about the "art" later.
As Canal+ reshapes the landscape to fit its financial goals, the African creative community is left wondering if they are still partners in this journey or just another line item to be trimmed.