With DStv falling apart and streaming on the rise, here’s what’s next for viewers

For almost three decades, South African television has been ruled by DStv and its parent company MultiChoice. It was a fantastic run. But that’s over now.

In practical terms, MultiChoice was a monopoly. An exceptional service, expertly managed, with only the SABC posing any theoretical competition. Real competition, of course, never materialised, with our state-owned broadcaster pursuing a very different agenda. And with no competition it picked up just about all of the broadcast rights, presumably at a bargain, and built the most powerful media machine on the continent.

When Netflix arrived, MultiChoice looked to have it covered. They dished out Explora decoders and invited their delighted subscribers to record, download, and watch on their terms. The storm appeared to have been weathered. In fact, it was just getting started.

Along came Amazon Prime. Disney+. YouTube on TV. TV on phones. Instagram Reels. TikTok. All competing for our eyeballs. The streaming wars saw networks pulling their content from legacy media and consolidating under their own platforms. Licensing became harder, programming deteriorated, and channels outright disappeared. DStv became more expensive while offering less. Throw in a kick in the pants with piracy and password sharing, and the writing was on the wall.

DStv’s original genius was the bundle. It made economic sense in the satellite era because distribution was expensive and bandwidth was limited.

Streaming broke that model, allowing you to pick up Netflix, Prime, Disney+, YouTube, Spotify and a cup of coffee for R600 a month. Suddenly your R1,000 satellite bundle feels egregious. Especially when the Friends back catalogue is now elsewhere.

In the past two years alone, MultiChoice has lost roughly 2.8 million subscribers. That was before it announced that its strategic streaming bet, Showmax, will be packing it in.

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The sporting question

Live sport still commands massive audiences. It is the one category that people consistently watch in real time, which is why SuperSport has remained the network’s most valuable asset. But global rights markets are changing quickly, and in recent years Amazon has acquired Premier League rights in the UK, Apple bought global rights to Major League Soccer, YouTube streams the NFL in the US, and ESPN is available to South Africans on Disney+.

Earlier this year, it became clear that SuperSport would not be airing the 2026 Winter Olympics. Admittedly, we don’t have a bobsled team or too many aspiring cross-country skiers, but this was a watershed moment.

Whether new owners Canal+ were being fiscally responsible, or simply underestimated how much we love Curling, this signalled the beginning of an end. But what does it mean for MultiChoice, and for us?

Satellite isn’t going anywhere, but SuperSport is

Broadband and electricity remain inconsistent across much of the continent, so for millions of households satellite television remains the easiest way to receive content. But those dishing out R1,000 for Saturday sports viewing need a better solution. So, instead of requiring a full DStv subscription, the likelihood is that SuperSport launches as a standalone streaming platform.

In the short to medium term, this will probably be the place for rugby, cricket and football. But with global platforms buying up sports rights, we can probably expect these platforms to challenge SuperSport in the near future, if they aren’t already.

YouTube, TikTok and social platforms have become the predominant highlights and commentary ecosystems. In the future, free highlight reels will attempt to lure consumers to subscribe to the magic of live sport. For younger audiences, sport will increasingly be consumed as delayed clips rather than full live broadcasts. We will see an entirely new category of sporting products created for YouTube and the like. We are already.

The future of watching sport in SA: Fragmented and chaotic

Ten years from now, a typical sports fan might subscribe to a version of SuperSport, various global streaming platforms, YouTube, and a few niche upstarts. You’ll have to make some tough decisions if you want to watch Gaelic Handball, the Mongolian Football League, or Finnish Chess-Boxing, but there will be options.

If you’re a hopeless sports fanatic, you will look back at the heyday of satellite-era DStv with wistful affection, and cherish the memory of the good old days. But worry not, because the internet will know all of your preferences, and your personal AI agent will be in charge of your subscriptions.

Hopefully it remembers your log-in details and passwords too. DM

James Bisset is a writer and director at New Agency, which consults with brands and organisations on their communication strategies.