End of an era: Curtains fall on Showmax after a decade

MultiChoice has announced it will discontinue its flagship streaming service, Showmax, following a comprehensive review of its digital operations.

The move comes as a shock to many. The streaming service had positioned itself for a global entertainment and sports content takeover. Two years ago, Showmax underwent a massive relaunch, driven by a strategic partnership with international media giants Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky.

This collaboration, which saw the platform migrate to the Peacock streaming technology, aimed to position Showmax as the leading streaming service in Africa. In partnership with SuperSport, the new platform introduced the continent's first standalone Premier League mobile streaming service, offering all 380 matches live to mobile users.

In a statement released on Thursday, MultiChoice said the closure is part of a wider effort to optimise investments in a rapidly changing industry.

“The substantial annual losses experienced by the Showmax business have proved unsustainable,” the company said. “The decision to phase out Showmax reflects our focus on building a sustainable, competitive business for the long term in an increasingly demanding global environment.”

The decision marks a strategic shift for the African media company as it focuses on financial discipline under the guidance of its parent company, Canal+ SA. It has also exposed the broader challenges in the global streaming market, where competition from both local and international players has been intensifying.

MultiChoice was quick to reassure employees that the closure would not lead to retrenchments, citing a three-year agreement tied to the Canal+ acquisition. Staff will be transitioned into other areas of the group as resources shift to DStv Stream and a future large-scale platform by Canal+.

“This evolution is also consistent with the ambition of MultiChoice, a CANAL+ Company, to deploy its in-house large-scale streaming platform capable of meeting the expectations of African and international consumers,” the statement said.

In Africa, Showmax grew rapidly, gaining recognition for local content tailored to African audiences. Despite this, its financial performance could not keep pace with subscriber growth. In the 2025 financial year, Showmax’s trading losses rose significantly. Active paying subscribers grew by 44 per cent year-on-year, but revenue of around Sh6.1 billion fell far short of the five-year Sh130 billion target set during the Showmax 2.0 relaunch in 2024.

“In places, such as villages, where data bundles are still expensive or unreliable, these avenues remain important components in the entertainment factor. What we are doing as Showmax is just enhancing the accessibility factor that smartphones offer,” General Manager of Showmax East Africa, Emma Gichonge, said during a past interview. 

Kenya played a central role in Showmax’s success. Local content helped the platform capture 39 per cent of the African streaming market, ahead of Netflix’s 33.5 per cent in late 2024. In turn, Kenya’s creative industry benefited from an aggressive investment in local stories, which included original dramas, reality series, and high-production-value projects.

Popular Kenyan titles on Showmax included The Real Housewives of Nairobi, which won top honours at the Kalasha Awards, the gritty crime drama Pepeta, the sci-fi series Subterranea, long-running drama Single Kiasi, and the docuseries Nilichoma. These productions helped set a standard for African storytelling while creating jobs for writers, actors, and production crews.

Kenyans seeking to use the platform could pay for it using mobile money, with packages ranging from Sh200 to Sh800, which included mobile plans and English Premier League coverage, a fan favourite in the country.

Its closure comes just two months after award-winning filmmaker Daudi Anguka debuted his drama thriller Mizani on Showmax. Set and shot in Mombasa, the story follows journalist Suleiman, played by Michael Saruni (The Chocolate Empire), whose daughter is kidnapped by an organ trafficking syndicate. As he searches for her, Suleiman confronts a network of political corruption and family secrets, highlighting real social issues in Kenya.

Now, after 11 years, Showmax’s exit leaves a noticeable gap for locally commissioned content. While global platforms like Netflix and Prime Video remain active in the region, they have historically produced fewer Kenyan-specific titles compared to Showmax’s high-volume strategy.