Canal+ says Showmax shutdown will result in no job losses

Canal+, the French media giant and new owner of MultiChoice, has confirmed there will be no job losses linked to its decision to discontinue the streaming platform Showmax.

Despite this assurance, television journalist and critic Thinus Ferreira warns that the average viewer should prepare for a decline in content quality.

Ferreira suggests the industry will likely see cheaper productions per minute, signalling a significant shift in the broadcasting landscape.

The move comes as Canal+ attempts to claw back 400 million euros by 2030 after overpaying to acquire MultiChoice.

The loss-making Showmax, which has been "guzzling" billions of rands in investment, is the first major service to face the chop under the new ownership.

In an official statement, Canal+ said this shift aligns with its strategy to position MultiChoice to deploy a large-scale, in-house streaming platform designed to meet the expectations of both African and international audiences. The company added that it remains committed to investing in premium content for its subscribers.

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Ferreira remains sceptical of these promises, arguing that the entertainment company is repeating the same mistakes made by the SABC, a strategy that previously resulted in the loss of large audiences.

"I don't think there's going to be an appetite or the budget for those big types of shows. Get ready for more lower content, cheaper production, cheaper cost per minute, reality type, housewife shows, and things like that. And repeats, rebroadcasts—sort of exactly the mistakes that the SABC has made in the past."

While the shutdown is confirmed, Canal+ has not yet provided a specific date for the Showmax closure.

The company stated only that it will happen "soon," citing legal complexities involving existing contracts as the reason for the lack of a firm timeline.