MultiChoice Discontinues GOtv Stream App Across African Markets

MultiChoice has officially discontinued its GOtv Stream application across all African markets where the service was available, ending a mobile viewing option that allowed subscribers to access content outside of their traditional television decoders. The application was removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play, with its Android version disappearing on October 21. In an official notice to subscribers, the company confirmed the shutdown, advising customers to continue enjoying their active packages directly through their GOtv decoders.

Originally launched in December 2023, GOtv Stream operated in several nations including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, and Mozambique. The platform was provided at no additional cost to households possessing an active decoder subscription. It permitted users to register up to four devices, though it restricted concurrent viewing to a single stream and blocked screen casting. The application functioned primarily as a mobile extension rather than a standalone product, giving users access to live channels, catch-up programs, and offline downloads depending on their specific subscription tier.

The withdrawal of the application comes without an official explanation from MultiChoice regarding the decision. However, the move follows a period of significant structural and operational changes within the organization. Following its acquisition by the French media giant Canal+, which secured regulatory approvals for a deal valued at approximately $2 billion to create a combined group serving over 40 million subscribers, the leadership has prioritized operational efficiency, tighter financial discipline, and the elimination of loss-making or underperforming activities.

As part of this broader corporate restructuring under its new parent company, MultiChoice previously discontinued its major streaming service, Showmax, in April 2026 due to heavy annual losses. Additionally, the group implemented comprehensive package restructurings for both DStv and GOtv services across multiple sub-Saharan African regions. The removal of GOtv Stream further scales back the company's digital footprint, leaving customers in affected markets solely reliant on physical decoders for their television entertainment.

The ongoing shifts raise questions regarding the future of mobile-first television distribution in regions where smartphones serve as critical alternative viewing devices. MultiChoice Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Kemi Omotosho noted during an October press briefing that the company continues to evaluate its digital strategy. She stated that management wants to avoid cluttering platforms with excessive technologies and is conducting an audit to determine the optimal streaming platform to launch in the future, suggesting that digital ambitions remain under review rather than abandoned entirely.

In a separate legal development involving the broadcaster, the Asset Forfeiture Unit in South Africa recently obtained a high court forfeiture order for R6.2 million held in a bank account belonging to an individual allegedly operating an illicit live-streaming service. Authorities claim the suspect unlawfully distributed copyrighted MultiChoice content by reselling access codes to customers between January 2025 and April 2026. While the criminal investigation remains ongoing and no arrest has been made, the case highlights ongoing corporate efforts to combat large-scale intellectual property piracy.