Canal+ Strips SuperSport of Rights Power as DStv Faces Growing Threat from Netflix and Streamers
- French ownership shake-up shifts key sports rights decisions from South Africa to Europe
- Premium subscribers begin feeling the impact as major global events quietly disappear from screens
- Industry insiders warn that deep-pocketed streaming giants are circling, threatening DStv’s long-standing grip on live sport
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
Sports fans in South Africa are in for a rude awakening, as reports coming from MultiChoice do not make for good reading.
Source: Facebook
The French company, Canal+, acquired MultiChoice and became its parent company, a move that has changed the dynamics at DStv and, subsequently, at the sports channel, SuperSport.
According to MyBroadband, decisions on which sports shows and programmes to purchase no longer reside with SuperSport in South Africa, but now lie squarely in the hands of executives in Paris, France.
PAY ATTENTION: Briefly News is now on YouTube! Check out our interviews on Briefly TV Life now!
Already, sports fans would have noticed that, for the first time in decades, SuperSport failed to cover the ongoing Winter Olympics taking place in Milano, Italy. That would have rubbed many sports fanatics the wrong way. It turns out this may be just the tip of the iceberg.
Canal+ cost-cutting measures impact SuperSport
Veteran broadcasting journalist Thinus Ferreira told 702 that the changes were linked to cost-cutting measures imposed by Canal+, which had informed investors that expenses needed to be reduced.
He explained that this created complications, as the company is unable to retrench staff for the next three years. Ferreira said management had started trimming costs in other areas and had removed SuperSport's acquisition powers. According to him, decisions about which sports rights to purchase are now being made by executives in Paris rather than locally.
He added that the chief content officer at Canal+’s headquarters in France is now responsible for determining which sporting events SuperSport will secure.
Ferreira noted that DStv subscribers paying for premium access have already felt the impact, citing the absence of coverage of the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in decades. He said the company has stripped SuperSport of its acquisition powers as part of its cost-reduction strategy.
Source: Getty Images
Streaming platforms threaten DStv's sports dominance
In January 2026, Ferreira told MyBroadband that it was only a matter of time before well-funded international streaming platforms began taking more sports content away from SuperSport.
He warned that MultiChoice’s DStv is under increasing pressure and risks losing its long-held dominance in South African sports broadcasting.
Ferreira said global streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have significantly larger budgets to spend on acquiring content. He cautioned that traditional pay television’s reliance on live sport makes it particularly vulnerable, adding that more key sporting properties could soon be lost to streaming rivals.
SuperSport has long been the go-to channel for many sports fans in South Africa, as it has a deal with SA Rugby to broadcast Springboks international matches and local rugby fixtures. The current blackout of the Winter Olympics has not gone down well with many subscribers, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for the new era of SuperSport and sports coverage in South Africa.
F1 legend to maryy boyfriend
Briefly News previously reported that Formula 1 champion and icon Ralf Schumacher has announced that he will marry his boyfriend, shortly after coming out as gay.
He is reportedly set to tie the knot with his partner, Etienne Bousquet-Cassagne, 36, in May 2026.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
