American streaming service Paramount+ has confirmed it will not move forward with launching a standalone app in South Africa.
The company will instead distribute its content through existing licensing deals with MultiChoice, the parent company of DStv and Showmax.
The decision marks a significant shift from Paramount’s earlier ambitions for the South African market. For more than a year, the company teased a local rollout on its website, inviting users to sign up for updates and touting that its platform was “coming soon.”
But a February 2024 agreement with MultiChoice appears to have altered that trajectory.
As part of the deal, a branded Paramount+ hub was launched on both DStv and Showmax, housing a curated selection of content under the Paramount+ label.
In a statement, a Paramount+ spokesperson said the company only launches its full service in markets where such branded content hubs are not already established. “This is a licensing deal for content within a branded area called Paramount+,” the spokesperson said, confirming that the standalone app is no longer being considered for the region.
About Paramount+ Services
Launched globally in 2014, Paramount+ carries titles from CBS, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV, and other ViacomCBS properties.
While it is available as a direct-to-consumer app in 13 countries, South African audiences will now continue accessing the platform’s library exclusively via Showmax and DStv.
The curated selection on Showmax and DStv includes major titles such as Yellowstone, Yellowjackets, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Showmax also offers a broader catalog overall, with more than 5,000 titles—compared to the U.S. version of Paramount+, which offers around 1,283 titles.
Pricing is another critical factor. A standard Showmax subscription costs R99 (about $5.50) per month, compared to Paramount+’s standalone rates of roughly R145 ($8) in the U.S. and R120 in the UK.
The move also aligns with broader trends in the South African streaming market, where partnerships between global media firms and local players are becoming increasingly common.
MultiChoice, facing stiff competition from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, has sought to bolster its offerings by integrating international brands into its ecosystem—a strategy that has helped retain market share, especially with the relaunch of Showmax earlier this year.
