Maxime Saada CEO of Canal+ has announced plans to deploy the company’s over-the-top (OTT) platform, the Canal+ app, across MultiChoice territories including South Africa to replace the loss-making Showmax streaming service.

Canal+

The move follows MultiChoice’s March 5 announcement to shut down Showmax, with Canal+ confirming no service disruptions for subscribers during the transition to its superior platform.

Saada described Showmax as a “severely loss-making activity” with no path to recovery despite heavy investments in content, marketing, and technology.

“We quickly agreed with Comcast to shut it down as soon as possible,” he said, prioritising a seamless migration to the Canal+ app already successfully deployed in French-speaking Africa.

Showmax recorded cumulative trading losses of R8.7 billion (approximately N1.3 trillion) over three years – R1.2 billion in 2023, R2.6 billion in 2024, and R4.9 billion in 2025 – far exceeding MultiChoice’s projections despite positioning it as Africa’s streaming growth engine. Canal+ cited the unsustainable losses in a capital-intensive global streaming market as the key factor behind the closure.

Canal+ Africa CEO David Mignot said all Showmax content and features will migrate to DStv Stream, ensuring continuity for subscribers.

Unlike U.S. markets where direct-to-home (DTH) satellite customers rapidly abandon traditional TV for pure streaming, Canal+ noted its DTH base retains access to its OTT platform, slowing cord-cutting trends across Africa.

The Showmax closure will not involve retrenchments, with MultiChoice supporting affected employees through transition options. Subscribers received assurances of uninterrupted streaming during the phase-out, with detailed timelines and migration plans to follow.

Saada and Mignot had previously signalled Showmax’s demise, with the CEO calling it a commercial failure in January 2026 and Mignot declaring it financially unviable in February.

Canal+ positions the Canal+ app rollout as delivering a stronger streaming experience while leveraging MultiChoice’s DStv infrastructure for hybrid DTH-OTT delivery across 50 million+ African households.

Starting February 2027, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has mandated mobile network operators and other communications service providers to notify it within four hours of detecting any cyberattack.

This is aimed at strengthening the protection of telecom infrastructure and subscriber data.

The directive is contained in the Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector (CRF-NCS) released by the NCC last month.

According to the NCC, the rule will take effect in February 2027, giving operators a year to put in place the necessary monitoring and reporting systems.

Under the framework, telecommunications companies must alert the regulator within four hours of detecting a cyber incident and continue to provide updates every four hours until the situation is contained.

Operators are also required to submit a confirmation report within 24 hours through a dedicated reporting portal.

The commission said the framework is designed to strengthen cybersecurity oversight in a sector that handles vast volumes of sensitive consumer and national infrastructure data.

Cyber threats targeting telecom networks can lead to service disruptions, data breaches affecting subscriber information, malware infections and other attacks capable of crippling communications systems, according to the regulator.

By introducing faster reporting timelines, the commission said it hopes to improve sector-wide situational awareness and ensure quicker response to threats before they escalate into major outages or data compromises.

The framework also requires telecommunications companies to establish dedicated Security Operations Centres (SOC) to monitor networks continuously for suspicious activity and cyber threats.

These centres are expected to detect and report malicious activities promptly while coordinating responses internally.

In addition, each operator must designate a cybersecurity lead responsible for working with the commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) to share intelligence and coordinate responses to incidents affecting the communications ecosystem.

The NCC said the new framework forms part of broader efforts to strengthen resilience across Nigeria’s communications infrastructure and promote a unified cybersecurity posture in the sector.

The measures come amid growing global and domestic concern over data breaches and cyber intrusions targeting companies that manage large volumes of digital information.

Telecommunications companies, which serve as gateways for internet traffic, mobile banking, messaging and other digital services, are increasingly seen as critical infrastructure vulnerable to cyber threats.

Nigeria’s telecom regulator has in recent years tightened rules around data protection and network security as the country’s digital economy expands.

 A United States federal court in the Southern District of New York has comprehensively dismissed all claims against Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by registered users, in a high-profile lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

Binance

The 62-page decision represents a decisive legal victory, rejecting allegations from 535 plaintiffs who claimed the platform provided material support linked to 64 terrorist attacks.

The court meticulously examined and dismissed every central allegation, ruling that plaintiffs failed to establish Binance assisted terrorists, associated itself with the attacks, participated in or sought to advance them, or engaged in any conspiracy with terrorist organisations.

This full dismissal underscores the absence of evidence supporting the claims, affirming Binance’s long-standing position that the suit was meritless.

Binance General Counsel Eleanor Hughes described the outcome as “a complete vindication of all false allegations.” She emphasised: “The court has unambiguously rejected the false and damaging narrative that Binance assisted terrorists.

“We have always maintained these claims were without merit, and today’s ruling confirms that. We will continue to defend ourselves aggressively against any litigation or reporting that misrepresents who we are and how we operate.”

While the ruling grants plaintiffs 60 days to file an amended complaint in light of a recent appellate decision, Binance expressed strong confidence that no revisions can remedy the “fundamental deficiencies” identified by the court. The exchange views this as a thorough examination and rejection of the underlying assertions.

Binance reaffirmed its commitment to industry-leading compliance infrastructure, proactive regulatory engagement, and robust legal governance worldwide.

The company stressed that its operations do not support, facilitate, or enable terrorism in any form, and it plans to maintain constructive dialogue with regulators while pursuing vigorous defences against misleading narratives.

This development bolsters Binance’s position amid ongoing global scrutiny of crypto platforms, highlighting its operational integrity in a sector often targeted by unsubstantiated claims.