DSTV Era Ends? Channels That May Leave in Dec 2025/Jan 2026
MultiChoice, a renowned African network provider, is now owned by Canal+, a prominent media group with operations in Africa, Asia, and Europe, headquartered in France.
Channels under the DStv service are scheduled to be permanently removed if Warner Bros. Discovery Channel and MultiChoice do not renew a distribution deal. It is confirmed that 12 channels are slated for this removal.
The channels
The 12 channels at risk include:
• The Discovery Channel
• Travel Channel
• Cartoonito
• CNN International
• TLC
• Discovery Family
• Real Time
• TNT Africa
• Cartoon Network
• Investigation Discovery
• HGTV
• Food Network
Such a significant change will result in a drop in subscription numbers, since these channels offer niche lifestyle and featured content.
Despite the cuts, Nickelodeon, Nick Toons, Nick Jr, Comedy Central, and MTV remain. MultiChoice states that: ‘‘While discussion between parties continues, no agreement has been reached at this stage.”
What does this mean for Kenya?
In 2013, Kenya launched a nationwide switch-off for analogue media. This move is responsible for the widespread use of GOTV and DSTV today. Local channels like Citizen TV, NTV, and KTN, to name a few, benefit from this switch-off. While many networks transition completely, some, like KBC, are virtually free-to-air, even though they are still offered to subscribers by MultiChoice services.
This strategic move enabled local channels to transition to a digital medium. The dynamic nature of MultiChoice also factors in services such as personalisation, which allows subscribers to pay through local services like M-Pesa.
The era of streaming
If Multichoice and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) fail to find common ground, GOTV and DSTV subscriptions risk fluctuating. With major lifestyle-oriented television channels leaving the service, subscribers may gravitate toward sports and entertainment.
Remote communication specialist Nomsa Mnguni commented, “If CNN, HGTV, and Food Network go, we would consider investing in a smart TV and cancelling DSTV.”
In an age of Netflix, HBO, and Hulu, decoder services aren’t a first option for most. Nomsa Mnguni concludes, “With a lot of changes happening at MultiChoice, we don’t know what’s happening next.”
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