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Canal+, StarTimes, and the African Television Market After Showmax: A New Baseline

With Showmax gone, Canal+ and StarTimes now define the pay-TV landscape across sub-Saharan Africa. This dispatch maps Canal’s production infrastructure, its Francophone subscriber base, the StarTimes footprint, and what the field looks like after the continent’s most-watched streaming platform shuts down.

Tambay Obenson·March 6, 2026·9 min read
Canal+, StarTimes, and the African Television Market After Showmax: A New Baseline

I'm not going to recap the Canal+/MultiChoice acquisition here. That ground has been covered extensively on this platform. Those who still need the background before going further can catch up on the earlier Showmax Shutdown dispatch.

Canal+’s African content strategy predates the MultiChoice deal by several years. Its current phase of equity investments in African production companies began with the acquisition of Nigeria’s ROK Studios from IROKOtv in July 2019, after which Canal+ began building a portfolio of stakes in African production companies. Each operates in a distinct language market.

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