Canal+ gains control of MultiChoice, expanding its reach across Africa

CANAL+ has taken effective control of South African television and streaming company MultiChoice, marking the French media giant's biggest acquisition and a big step in its plans to become the leading pan-African pay-TV operator.

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The acquisition of control of MultiChoice, which already operates in 50 African countries, means the group will now be present in nearly 70 countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

"Today marks an important step for Canal+, as we begin to integrate MultiChoice to create a group with enhanced scale, reach, and creativity," said Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada in a statement. The deal was first announced in March 2024, but many regulatory hurdles needed to be crossed. The companies said in a joint statement that the combined group will have a workforce of 17 000 employees and serve more than 40 million subscribers. There was no change to MultiChoice billing arrangements and subscriptions from the transaction.