DStv subscribers may be cut off from 12 major Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) channels — including CNN, Discovery Channel, TLC and Cartoon Network — from January 1, 2026, should ongoing negotiations between MultiChoice and WBD fail to produce a new distribution deal.
The pay-TV operator, now under the ownership of Canal+, issued an alert to customers on Monday, notifying them via text message that its current carriage agreement with WBD would expire on December 31, 2025. It added that discussions aimed at renewing the contract were still unresolved.
“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, several Warner Bros. Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from 1 January 2026,” MultiChoice said.
The affected channels include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito and Travel Channel.
The looming blackout adds to MultiChoice’s mounting challenges, as the broadcaster continues to battle a steep decline in active subscribers across its African markets.
In the last two financial years, MultiChoice shed 2.8 million linear customers, with 1.2 million lost in 2025 alone — an 8 per cent slump recorded between South Africa and the rest of the continent.
In Nigeria, the drop has been even more pronounced. According to Nairametrics, the company has lost 1.4 million subscribers in two years, a trend largely linked to recurrent subscription price hikes.
MultiChoice is also bracing for additional content losses. Paramount Africa is expected to discontinue BET Africa and MTV Base from January 1, 2026, while CBS Reality and CBS Justice will shut down operations on December 31, 2025.
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