DStv Cuts Movie Repeats 40% After Channel Consolidation

In Short

MultiChoice says it has cut movie repeats across DStv by 40%.

It achieved this by shutting down some channels and moving their exclusive content elsewhere on the platform.

What Happened: How MultiChoice Reworked DStv Channels

The company also changed how several DStv channels are organised. It shut down four entertainment channels and moved several others to lower-tier packages.

Mzansi Wethu (DStv 163) was rebranded as Wethu+. It combined Mzansi Wethu’s existing content with programming from Mzansi Bioskop and Mzansi Magic Music, which were shut down.

MultiChoice also merged M-Net Movies 1 and M-Net Movies 2 into M-Net Movies+ (DStv 106). M-Net Movies 3 became M-Net Stars (DStv 107), which MultiChoice said would feature more recent Hollywood films. M-Net Movies 4 became M-Net Legends (DStv 108), focusing on older blockbuster films.

MultiChoice shut down kykNET Lekker, which was exclusive to its entry-level DStv Access package. It then made kykNET and Kie accessible on DStv Access.

Why It Matters: Fewer Repeats, Same Content Promise

Canal+ Africa chief content officer Nomsa Philiso said subscribers would not lose access to content they had before. “No content is leaving the ecosystem. It is simply being repositioned into one very strong channel,” she said.

Philiso said one driver was high repeat levels on some channels. “The truth of the matter is that with Mzansi Bioscope, by way of example, we had an 80% repeat ratio, which was not good for the customer,” she said.

MultiChoice has previously said repeats are a normal part of linear programming, meaning scheduled TV channels rather than on-demand viewing. It said repeats help viewers without PVR and Catch Up watch shows and movies when convenient.

In its 2023 annual report, MultiChoice also linked more frequent repeats to intensified load-shedding, saying it created channels to repeat popular programming to help viewers manage disruptions.

Willington Ngwepe, CEO of MultiChoice SA LicenceCo, said consolidating channels reduces reliance on repeats. “The more channels you have, the higher the likelihood of having a channel reliant on repeats,” he said.

LicenceCo, formally MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd, was carved out of MultiChoice Group to hold South African operating licences after Canal+ acquired the company in 2025. MultiChoice said this was to comply with local rules that cap foreign voting rights in local broadcasters at 20%, and require local broadcasting licensees to be 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups.