MultiChoice has warned DStv customers that several major international channels including Discovery Channel, TLC Africa, TNT Africa, Food Network, Travel Channel, Cartoon Network and CNN International may go dark from 31 December 2025, deepening concerns over its shrinking content offering.
Subscribers began receiving on-screen pop-up alerts this week notifying them that the channels “may no longer be available” from 23:59 CAT on 31 December. The notice also listed Discovery Family, Real Time, Investigation Discovery and Cartoonito among the affected stations.
“Please visit our website for the latest content lineup,” the message said, without giving reasons for the potential blackout.
The looming loss of the high-profile channels comes as MultiChoice battles a steep drop in customers and intensifying competition from global streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Showmax the latter now jointly owned with NBCUniversal and Sky.
Data from the Communications Authority shows DStv’s active subscriber base in Kenya plunged from 1.19 million in mid-2024 to just 188,824 by June 2025, a dramatic decline attributed to rising subscription fees, a tough economic environment and the migration of viewers to cheaper or on-demand alternatives.
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GOtv, MultiChoice’s lower-cost digital-terrestrial service, has also suffered heavy losses, falling to 314,520 subscribers over the same period, down from nearly 2.8 million a year earlier.
Industry analysts say the possible channel removals could further weaken MultiChoice’s value proposition, especially for premium-tier customers who rely on international entertainment, lifestyle and children’s programming. TNT Africa, Discovery’s portfolio and CNN International have long been among the platform’s biggest audience drivers.
The company has in recent years faced escalating carriage-fee negotiations with global content providers, many of whom are shifting their focus toward direct-to-consumer streaming models. Analysts say rising dollar-denominated content costs coupled with depreciating African currencies have made it increasingly expensive for MultiChoice to retain foreign channels.
The pay-TV group is also contending with a surge in password sharing, piracy, and expanded mobile-data access that has made streaming more attractive across Africa.
MultiChoice has not confirmed whether negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery or CNN have failed, or if talks are ongoing. The broadcaster’s website has also not published a revised channel lineup.
If the channels disappear, customers fear further erosion of DStv’s entertainment catalogue, which has already undergone several adjustments over the last two years as the company shifts investment toward local originals and its streaming service Showmax 2.0.
Analysts warn that stripping out popular global brands could accelerate subscriber churn unless MultiChoice introduces alternative channels or lowers subscription fees.
The broadcaster has said little publicly, but industry insiders say December will be a crucial month for the company as it seeks to balance cost pressures with the need to keep its premium tiers attractive.
