MultiChoice’s takeover by French pay-TV giant Canal+ is beginning to leave a clear mark on DStv’s channel line-up. From December 31, 12 channels under the carriage agreement with Warner Bros Discovery, including popular picks like Discovery Channel, CNN International, and Cartoon Network, will go dark if negotiations between the two companies fail.
MultiChoice sent a push notification on Monday warning that its carriage agreement with Warner Bros Discovery expires at the end of December. Negotiations are ongoing, but if no deal is reached, Premium subscribers, who pay the highest fees, stand to lose the full Warner suite.
This move is about “ensuring that your viewing experience remains rich, diverse, and enjoyable,” MultiChoice said. “Our platforms already carry a wide range of local and international sport, entertainment, news, kids, lifestyle, and documentary content—and we are preparing to further strengthen and enrich our line-up in 2026 with new content, channels, and services.”
The shake-up is part of Canal+’s broader strategy to streamline costs. In France, the company only carries a subset of Warner channels, suggesting it may be unwilling to pay Warner’s asking price for all 12 channels on DStv. Industry insiders say channel bundling often leads to “unnecessary extras,” and Canal+ is likely weighing which channels are worth keeping.
The full list of channels potentially going dark:
- Discovery Channel (121)
- TLC Africa (135)
- Discovery Family (136)
- TNT Africa (137)
- Real Time (155)
- Discovery ID (171)
- Food Network (175)
- HGTV (177)
- Travel Channel (179)
- Cartoon Network (301)
- Cartoonito (302)
- CNN International (401)
Subscriber losses at MultiChoice had already accelerated before the Canal+ acquisition, with 1.2 million lost between March 2024 and March 2025, rising to 1.4 million between June 2024 and June 2025. Analysts point to rising subscription costs and competition from streaming platforms as key factors.
Warner Bros Discovery itself is in flux, having put itself up for sale earlier in 2025. Comcast and Netflix are reportedly eyeing its studios and streaming assets, while Paramount is bidding for the entire company, including channels.
For now, DStv viewers in Kenya and Africa face uncertainty: December 31 may see the disappearance of several top channels. While Canal+ is focused on reshaping MultiChoice for cost efficiency, the company also promises a strong line-up of local and international content, with new channels and on-demand offerings expected in 2026.
