African entertainment giant, Multichoice has signed a game-changing deal licensing deal with US entertainment company, Paramount, which will see Paramount’s streaming platform—Paramount+—enter the African market via Multichoice’s DStv all and its streaming platform, Showmax.
The deal will see a dedicated “Paramount+ branded destination” feature within the MultiChoice platform, with access to an audience of 22 million MultiChoice subscribers across 16 African countries. It also means Paramount+ won’t have to go through the lengthy licensing process foreign companies are subject to.
MultiChoice viewers, on the other hand, will gain access to a wealth of content through this collaboration. They can expect programming from CBS, Paramount+ Originals, SHOWTIME, and Paramount Pictures, all housed within the dedicated “Paramount+ branded destination.”
DStv subscribers will also find a dedicated Paramount+ section within the DStv app, as well as a tile available within the Showmax app.
This aligns with Paramount’s global strategy, which includes making Paramount+ available through “bundled partnerships” in key markets and “branded destinations” in local markets like Africa. MultiChoice, also continues its efforts to consolidate its position as the leading gateway to streaming services in Africa, following a successful relaunch of Showmax 2.0 in February 2024.
This deal comes in spite of a financial dip of $50 million for April to September 2023 at MultiChoice, and a battled takeover bid from French giant Canal+. MultiChoice has shown no signs of slowing down.
In November 2023, its streaming platform, Showmax, claimed the top spot in subscriber numbers, reaching 1.8 million subscribers, surpassing competitors like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
