South Africa’s SuperSport loses control as Canal+ centralises sports rights in Paris

South Africa’s SuperSport has ceded control over its sports rights acquisitions as French media conglomerate Canal+ moves these decisions to its Paris headquarters, following its $3 billion acquisition of MultiChoice.

The shift marks a major realignment in African sports broadcasting, raising concerns over local autonomy, programming choices, and the future of pay-TV offerings on DStv.

European centralisation replaces local decision-making

Historically, SuperSport has dominated the African sports broadcasting landscape, curating premium content that has driven DStv subscriptions across the continent. With Canal+ now steering acquisition strategies from Paris, the broadcaster no longer holds authority over which events it purchases.

Veteran journalist Thinus Ferreira told Johannesburg-based 702 radio, “Canal+ has told investors it must cut costs, but it cannot fire staff for three years. One of the things they are doing is taking away all of the acquisition power from SuperSport. Our new European masters are deciding for us which sports they will buy or not, directly from Paris.”

The move is designed to increase efficiency and reduce operational costs, but its impact is already evident on programming.

Ferreira noted, “DStv subscribers who are paying to get access to the stuff will, for instance, have seen that they are no longer getting the Winter Olympic Games for the first time in decades. It’s because Canal+ has decided not to buy it, like the World Darts Championships and other things.”

Implications for African markets

The centralisation extends far beyond South Africa, affecting Canal+’s broader Sub-Saharan footprint, including English- and Portuguese-speaking territories.

Audiences in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and other key markets have long relied on SuperSport to secure exclusive access to high-demand sporting events.

Industry analysts warn that decisions made in Paris may not align with local preferences, potentially reducing subscriber satisfaction and loyalty. “Premium events such as the Winter Olympics and globally followed sports like darts could increasingly be excluded from the lineup, which risks alienating traditional audiences,” Ferreira explained.

SuperSport: the home of African football in limbo

For decades, SuperSport has been synonymous with African football, broadcasting competitions such as the Africa Cup of Nations, CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, and national league highlights across the continent. Its role has been critical in promoting African talent and bringing local football to international audiences.

The centralisation of rights acquisition in Paris leaves the future of this content uncertain. Questions now arise over whether Canal+’s European management will continue to prioritise African football, or whether cost-cutting decisions may lead to reduced coverage.

For fans, this creates a limbo over the availability of their favourite competitions and threatens SuperSport’s long-standing identity as the home of African football.

Canal+ strengthens its African ambitions

The acquisition positions Canal+ as a dominant player across the continent. The deal included a commitment to invest roughly 26 billion rand over three years in local content, digital platforms, and technology upgrades.

Combined, the group now serves more than 40 million subscribers across Africa through MultiChoice’s DStv and GOtv platforms and Canal+’s existing operations in 25 African countries.

While the merger expands Canal+’s reach, some observers caution that centralising rights acquisition could undermine the cultural relevance of local content, particularly in markets that depend on regional programming to engage viewers.

Rising competition from global streaming

The timing of the restructure coincides with intensifying competition from international streaming platforms. Ferreira told MyBroadband that services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video possess greater financial capacity to acquire premium sports content. “It is only a matter of time before they secure more sports, the lifeblood of traditional pay-TV,” he said.