MultiChoice’s plan to win the streaming war
MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela said streaming has changed the broadcasting landscape, with linear TV stagnating and streaming showing strong growth.
To ensure that MultiChoice is not left behind, it is investing heavily in its Showmax and DStv Stream products.
“We know that the future is in streaming. We are seeing in the United States and Europe that linear broadcasting will stagnate,” he said.
He said with increased broadband penetration across Africa, the growth in streaming will also happen on the continent.
To ensure MultiChoice becomes a big player in the streaming market, it partnered with Comcast to launch Showmax 2.0 in February 2024.
“If you are using Showmax, you would have seen the user interface improvement, the slickness of the product, and how well it works,” he said.
“You can compare Showmax 2.0 to any competitor, including global platforms, and it holds its own.”
In the first half of the 2025 financial year, MultiChoice invested R16 billion in Showmax to position it for growth.
Mawela said this investment was required to position MultiChoice for the future and capitalise on the streaming revolution.
To further drive Showmax’s growth, it is enhancing its content line-up, bedding down distribution partnerships, and expanding payment channel integrations.
MultiChoice’s results for the first half of the 2025 financial year showed that the company is progressing well.
Showmax delivered a 30% year-on-year increase in paying subscribers, or 50% when excluding discontinued services.
Taking on Netflix is difficult, so Showmax focuses heavily on local content, an area where MultiChoice has a significant advantage.
The initial signs are encouraging. Showmax Originals continued to excel, engaging viewers and earning local and international accolades.
Showmax local content received over 118 South African Film and Television Awards nominations, the most of any streaming platform.
It is also enhancing its sports offering following an encouraging trial to bring other sports content to the Premier League product during the off-season.
Showmax added the Premier Soccer League season in South Africa to the Premier League mobile-only product in September 2024 at no additional cost to our customers.
MultiChoice is also enhancing Showmax’s operations and improving its on-the-ground presence and sales networks.
MultiChoice has a great network and expertise in Africa, built up through its DStv offering, from which Showmax can now benefit.
“This also allows Showmax to focus on payment, product and customer journey improvements with Moment, Peacock, and DStv, respectively,” it said.
To ensure that MultiChoice is not left behind, it is investing heavily in its Showmax and DStv Stream products.
“We know that the future is in streaming. We are seeing in the United States and Europe that linear broadcasting will stagnate,” he said.
He said with increased broadband penetration across Africa, the growth in streaming will also happen on the continent.
To ensure MultiChoice becomes a big player in the streaming market, it partnered with Comcast to launch Showmax 2.0 in February 2024.
“If you are using Showmax, you would have seen the user interface improvement, the slickness of the product, and how well it works,” he said.
“You can compare Showmax 2.0 to any competitor, including global platforms, and it holds its own.”
In the first half of the 2025 financial year, MultiChoice invested R16 billion in Showmax to position it for growth.
Mawela said this investment was required to position MultiChoice for the future and capitalise on the streaming revolution.
To further drive Showmax’s growth, it is enhancing its content line-up, bedding down distribution partnerships, and expanding payment channel integrations.
MultiChoice’s results for the first half of the 2025 financial year showed that the company is progressing well.
Showmax delivered a 30% year-on-year increase in paying subscribers, or 50% when excluding discontinued services.
Taking on Netflix is difficult, so Showmax focuses heavily on local content, an area where MultiChoice has a significant advantage.
The initial signs are encouraging. Showmax Originals continued to excel, engaging viewers and earning local and international accolades.
Showmax local content received over 118 South African Film and Television Awards nominations, the most of any streaming platform.
It is also enhancing its sports offering following an encouraging trial to bring other sports content to the Premier League product during the off-season.
Showmax added the Premier Soccer League season in South Africa to the Premier League mobile-only product in September 2024 at no additional cost to our customers.
MultiChoice is also enhancing Showmax’s operations and improving its on-the-ground presence and sales networks.
MultiChoice has a great network and expertise in Africa, built up through its DStv offering, from which Showmax can now benefit.
“This also allows Showmax to focus on payment, product and customer journey improvements with Moment, Peacock, and DStv, respectively,” it said.
