From 1st April, 2026, new subscriptions and renewals on Showmax will no longer be available.
By Adedamola Jones Adedayo
Showmax has announced plans to move its content library to DStv Stream as the streaming platform prepares to shut down operations.
In an official email notice to users, the pan-African streamer confirmed that it will gradually phase out its service over the coming months. Subscribers have until 31st March, 2026, to renew their plans or redeem vouchers.
From 1st April, 2026, new subscriptions and renewals will no longer be available. Existing users will, however, retain access to the platform until their subscriptions expire or until the end of April 2026, whichever comes first, effectively setting a final window for usage ahead of the shutdown.
Showmax, a subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service, is a subsidiary of MultiChoice, a South African company acquired by French media conglomerate Canal+ in September 2025. Since launching in 2015, it has featured a broad range of African content, international hits and live sports, with operations cutting across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Earlier this month, Showmax came under scrutiny after its French owners announced a decision to shut down its service, citing losses worth $522 million, recorded between 2023 and 2025, as a factor. This came after the French outfit retracted the sports acquisition rights of SuperSport, also a MultiChoice subsidiary, moving decision-making to its headquarters in Paris, as part of restructuring plans for the French conglomerate.
Showmax is set to close on 31st April, 2026. Thereafter, viewers will have to rely on DSTV Stream to access Showmax original titles or Africa Magic titles, which were previously available on Showmax, and on other local platforms, such as Kava, EbonyLife On Plus, and Circuits, as well as Netflix and Prime Video, both of which continue to license African titles, albeit less vigorously in recent times.