DStv Secures Warner Bros Channels After Crunch Talks Beat Deadline

DStv subscribers across Africa will continue to access popular channels such as CNN International and Cartoon Network after MultiChoice’s parent company, Groupe Canal+, reached a late agreement with Warner Bros Discovery, narrowly avoiding a looming blackout.

The deal brings relief weeks after viewers began receiving notices warning that several Warner Bros Discovery channels could be removed from DStv bouquets due to stalled contract negotiations. With the new agreement in place, 12 channels will remain available across MultiChoice markets, including South Africa and other parts of the continent.

Multi-territory deal keeps key channels on air

In a statement released on Wednesday, Canal+ confirmed that the agreement spans multiple regions where it operates, covering Africa as well as parts of Europe. The renewed partnership includes the continued distribution of Warner Bros Discovery’s thematic channels and extends to streaming rights for HBO Max in selected markets.

Canal+ said the arrangement strengthens its entertainment, children’s programming, news and documentary offerings, noting that some of the channels will be carried exclusively in certain territories. The channels retained on DStv include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network and Cartoonito, among others.

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Outside Africa, the renewed deal also affects countries such as Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where select Warner Bros Discovery channels have also been secured.

Relief for subscribers after weeks of uncertainty

The announcement ends weeks of uncertainty for DStv customers who had been warned from early December that the channels might disappear if negotiations failed. Those warnings followed reports that talks between Canal+ and Warner Bros Discovery had reached a deadlock.

Canal+ described the new agreement as a significant step in its long-standing relationship with Warner Bros Discovery, calling it a milestone in the expansion of their collaboration across international markets.

For now, DStv viewers can continue watching their favourite Warner Bros Discovery channels without interruption, even as competition intensifies in Africa’s pay-TV and streaming landscape.