Canal+ has revealed plans to start selling some of MultiChoice’s home‑made content to overseas markets. Through StudioCanal, a European content distributor, Canal+ is making moves to market DStv content and boost its revenue by exporting quality series to international markets.
Canal+ Africa CEO, David Mignot, explained that a couple of South‑African contents qualify for international consumption. However, he pointed out that the productions must be vetted and of high quality before they can be exported, per MyBroadBand report.
Through its financing, production and distribution entity StudioCanal, the new MultiChoice owner will look to scale up local content production and its promotion. It presents an opportunity for Canal+ to leverage MultiChoice’s existing local content production and adapt it for international acceptance.
“StudioCanal is everywhere…they are the biggest seller of European content worldwide. So they are very open and already organised to sell,” Mignot said.
Spinners and Shaka Ilembe, two recent local content series, are at the top of the list ready for global rollout, according to Mignot.
Spinners, a co‑production by Showmax and CANAL+, is a 2023 South African crime drama series created by Benjamin Hoffman. It tells the story of Ethan, a young man drawn into the world of extreme motorsports called “spinning” as a way to escape his family’s involvement in a gang war in Cape Town.
The series, set in Cape Town, delves into gang life, the search for a better future, and offers an empowering, feminine perspective on the spinning culture. Spinners made history as the first African series in competition at Canneseries, winning awards at the Dakar Series.
Also, Shaka iLembe is a South African series produced by Bomb! for M‑Net’s channel Mzansi Magic, a MultiChoice company. It’s a historical drama series that chronicles the rise of the legendary Zulu king Shaka, from his childhood to becoming a formidable ruler.
The series drew a record 3.6 million viewers in its premiere week in June 2023, the highest ever for a MultiChoice‑produced show. A year later, Shaka iLembe became the most awarded series at the South African Film and Television Awards. On reviews, it holds a 96 % rating on Google and an 8.9 / 10 rating on IMDb.
For such records, Canal+ will be banking heavily on this platform to ramp up revenue and promote local content.
MultiChoice get new wings
Coming from its recent merger with the French media giant, MultiChoice is already seeing the results of that decision. It’s a strategic deal that looks to reclaim its place in Africa and tap into international markets. And one of its notable products is set to be the first beneficiary.
MultiChoice has been producing local content/series for a while. Through its international sales arm, MultiChoice Studios, the company has been licensing and co‑producing content for international markets. It also recorded a total cost of $1.17 billion on its production in the last financial year.
With StudioCanal comes a larger stage to promote its localised content. By leveraging its established network, Canal+ aims to make more profit by selling the content in larger markets with stronger currencies.
It’s also a win for MultiChoice’s Showmax. As a direct competitor with streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, the deal boosts investors’ confidence in Showmax. While these international companies have funded and promoted South African content on the international stage, Showmax will look to claim bragging rights.
Recently, Netflix championed the production of Beauty and the Bester, a documentary that recounts the infamous prison escape of the tagged Facebook rapist Thabo Bester with the help of Dr Nandipha Magudumana. The documentary aired on September 12 across South Africa.
Produced by local production house Storyscope, the local content made rounds at international markets, including topping Netflix’s streaming charts in the United Kingdom.