DStv Premium loses seven channels as MultiChoice pushes value to cheaper packages

DStv Premium subscribers have lost seven channels this year, with four more set to exit from September 16, 2026. MultiChoice is cutting content costs and shifting benefits to cheaper packages, raising questions about the value of the top-tier offering.

Four more channels exit in September

The broadcaster said M-Net Movies 1, KykNET Lekker, Mzansi Bioskop and Mzansi Music will leave the DStv line-up from September 16, 2026. That brings the number of channels lost by DStv Premium this year to seven.

Earlier in 2026, subscribers lost BET Africa, CBS Reality, CBS Justice and MTV Base after Paramount wound down its African linear television operations. The latest removals are partly linked to external licensing decisions, but they have intensified concerns over what Premium subscribers get for their money.

Premium benefits under pressure

The squeeze goes beyond channel removals. MultiChoice has been cutting costs and reducing content licensing expenses to improve profitability. One major casualty was the Winter Olympics. SuperSport did not broadcast the event for the first time in more than a decade, a sign that major sporting events may no longer automatically be part of the Premium proposition.

The change was initially associated with Canal+, which took control of MultiChoice in 2025. But the company later clarified that the Olympics decision was made before the acquisition was completed.

Premium subscribers also lost a significant add-on when MultiChoice shut down Showmax at the end of April 2026. The streaming service had previously been a free benefit for DStv Premium customers.

In June, HBO and first-run Warner Bros. Discovery programmes disappeared from DStv packages following changes to licensing and distribution agreements. The loss was particularly significant for Premium subscribers because some affected programming had been available through channels tied to the top-tier package. Historically, M-Net founder Koos Bekker had modelled the original M-Net channel on HBO when the service launched in 1986.

MultiChoice focuses on cheaper packages

Since Canal+ took over, MultiChoice appears to be targeting lower-income and price-sensitive customers. DStv Access, one of its more affordable packages, has received channels that were previously restricted to higher-priced bouquets. DStv has also expanded access to FIFA World Cup matches for customers on cheaper packages.

The strategy helped drive a significant increase in subscribers towards the end of the second quarter of 2026. MultiChoice has additionally increased decoder subsidies, potentially targeting households without reliable internet access or affordable broadband for streaming.

For Premium subscribers, the major new benefit has been limited to the ability to split bills between two subscribers, a feature available across DStv's customer base.

The big question is whether Premium can retain its position as the flagship offering while more value is pushed towards cheaper packages. For Nigerian DStv subscribers, the trend points to fewer exclusive channels on the top tier and more content moving to lower-cost bouquets. The piracy warning from authorities, which has hit illegal streaming operations distributing DStv and GOtv content, is another reminder of the pressures facing the broadcaster across Africa, including Nigeria.