Broadcasting
FG Approves N10Bn to Boost Digital Switch-over
President Bola Tinubu has approved a grant of N10 billion for the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to embark on a transformative journey to achieve the Digital Switch-Over (DSO) dividends for Nigeria.
The Director-General of NBC, Mr Charles Ebuebu, made this known on Thursday in Abuja at a joint news conference with the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida.
DSO is a project to transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.
Launched by the Federal Government in 2008, the DSO project aimed to enhance the quality and quantity of television programming, increase access to television services, and free up spectrum for other uses.
Addressing the newsmen, the NBC boss explained that, to achieve the desired results in the DSO journey, the commission would collaborate with the NCC and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
“Under the visionary leadership of Mr President, we are embarking on a transformative journey to achieve the DSO dividends for Nigeria.
“As you are all aware, the process of switching over from analogue to digital terrestrial television platforms began fully in Nigeria in 2016. However, the process has stalled due to enormous challenges.
“In view of this, the President has graciously approved a grant of N10 billion from spectrum sales by the Federal Government to the NBC,” Ebuebu said.
He added, “This grant is not just a financial allocation; it is a testament to Mr President’s collective commitment to driving technological advancement, economic growth, and cultural enrichment through the DSO project.
“The areas of utilising this grant include developing and managing channels that cater for diverse interests, leasing transponders, and establishing a robust satellite backbone to ensure 100 per cent signal coverage across Nigeria.
“Others are audience measurement, marketing and publicity, content production studios, digital set-top boxes, FreeTV APP, and conducting comprehensive training sessions and workshops for stakeholders,” Ebuebu said.
According to him, adopting the digital broadcasting standards will align Nigeria with global norms, enhance competitiveness, and attract foreign investments.
Ebuebu added that digital broadcasting will bridge the digital divide, ensuring access to vital information, education, and entertainment for remote and unserved communities.
He also said that traditional platforms would not fade out but adopt the new digital system because the ecosystem is huge and has a lot of dividends.
“With the introduction of DSO, a lot of people are going to be introduced to a new set of skills; there is technology; you are going to learn to use software in production; and all of that, and we are partnering to ensure it is done right.”
Also speaking, Maida said convergence is the new way to go in digital operations.
“Convergence has changed the media landscape. About 90 per cent of the media we consume today is not traditional broadcast.
“This convergence has given us the option to consume media in so many ways, but primarily through the internet and as a regulator for communications.
“It is very important that the NCC be part of this journey.
“To do justice to the DSO project, there is a need to create content with the notion that the mode of production has changed and that the majority of this content is going to be consumed on demand,” he said.
Maida added that contents in DSO, required some levels of interaction in real-time, which the traditional broadcast did not allow or do optimally.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
Paramount Africa is officially shutting down at the end of December 2025, drawing the curtain on more than two decades of operations in South Africa and Nigeria.
The company, which once reached over 100 million viewers across 52 African territories, confirmed it will close its doors as part of a massive global restructuring at its parent company, Paramount Global.
This is the same Paramount Africa behind channels like BET, MTV, MTV Base, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and more.
Its digital footprint has also been significant, with millions of monthly page views, social media engagements, and content partnerships across Africa.
But despite that scale, rising costs and a global strategic reset have caught up with the business.
Paramount’s retrenchment has been building for months.
Earlier this year, plans to launch a standalone Paramount+ app in South Africa were quietly shelved.
Then in August, the company said its content would remain available only via DStv and Showmax.
And last month, MultiChoice confirmed that BET Africa and MTV Base will disappear from DStv and GOtv on January 1, 2026, as Paramount Africa winds down entirely.
The shutdown is tied to aggressive cost-cutting after Paramount’s merger with Skydance. The company is targeting a 15% reduction in global staff and $3 billion in savings.
International divisions, including Africa, have taken the hardest hit as the business pivots away from linear TV and doubles down on a more streamlined streaming-first model.
At the same time, the global media landscape is being shaken by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chaotic auction. Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast have all submitted fresh bids for WBD, with some offers reportedly focusing on the studios-and-streaming division, home to HBO, HBO Max, DC, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Analysts say the crown jewel bundle could go for as much as $70 billion, a deal that would reshape Hollywood and accelerate the decline of traditional TV.
DStv subscribers may lose access to 12 major Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) channels, including CNN International, Discovery Channel, TLC, and Cartoon Network, from Jan. 1, 2026, if MultiChoice and WBD fail to conclude a new distribution agreement.
DStv
MultiChoice, now owned by Canal+, issued a notice to customers on Monday, warning that its current carriage deal with WBD will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, and negotiations to renew the contract remain inconclusive.
“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, several Warner Bros. Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from Jan. 1, 2026,” the company said.
The channels at risk include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and Travel Channel.
The development comes amid subscriber losses for MultiChoice, which has shed 2.8 million active linear subscribers over the last two financial years.
This includes 1.2 million customers lost in 2025 alone, representing an 8 per cent decline across South Africa and the rest of Africa.
In Nigeria, MultiChoice has lost 1.4 million subscribers in the past two years, largely due to repeated subscription price increases, according to Nairametrics.
The broadcaster is also set to lose additional content in the coming months. Paramount Africa will discontinue BET Africa and MTV Base from Jan. 1, 2026, while CBS Reality and CBS Justice will cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025.
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