In a single year, GOtv’s presence in Kenya shrank by 15%. This means that GOtv, designed for price-sensitive households, effectively lost one out of every six active customers.
According to the financial year 2025 report, various factors have caused the decline in GOtv subscribers. One is the growth in YouTube and social media video consumption. Viewers are pivoting to free content.
Combine this with the affordability of mobile data and growing internet access. Latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) show the country has 44.6 million smartphones and 2.29 million fixed-data subscribers.
MultiChoice claims internet penetration has led to a growth in piracy and content streaming on illegal sites.
“Difficult macro environment, coupled with increased levels of connectivity leading to a rise in piracy,” reads part of the financial report.
A dual wave of price adjustments in April and November (amounting to a 12% increase) ultimately broke the limit for price-sensitive users, forcing a mass exit from GOtv.
It is not the only direct-to-home (DTH) service provider experiencing a drop in customers. Subscriber churn is high in Kenya, with Azam TV and Startimes also going through a tough time.
All 3 providers offer affordable packages targeting price-sensitive customers.
For MultiChoice Kenya, the subscriber exodus was concentrated entirely within the GOtv segment. DStv’s premium and mid-tier offerings remained stable.
These tiers are largely insulated due to a niche of subscribers with higher purchasing power and an unwavering demand for live sports broadcasting.
GOtv Replacement Financial Struggles
The deeper ironic wound is Showmax. While GOtv was losing subscribers, MultiChoice’s streaming arm’s subscriber base in Africa grew by 44%.
Showmax was positioned as the digital successor to the DTH market across Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa. Its strategy centered on local content, fintech integration, and a price point designed to capture the mass-market audience moving away from traditional satellite TV.
Despite all these, it is a loss-making entity. Over the past three financial years, investment in Showmax has resulted in a combined loss of KES 68.67 billion.
When Canal+ completed its takeover in September 2025, the case for maintaining two streaming platforms across the same African markets evaporated.
It is now replacing Showmax with its own globally established platform, Canal+ App, which already spans over 30 countries. Recently, Showmax issued official correspondence to its users announcing the imminent closure of the platform.
“Now the priority is to make sure that the people who have chosen this offer end up with something that is an even stronger experience going forward,” said Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada.
Canal+ Africa CEO Jérôme Mignot confirmed that the company plans to move Showmax content to DStv Stream.
