James Omokwe learned this week that the platform that paid for his early series no longer exists: MultiChoice has discontinued Showmax and migrated its content to DStv Stream, placing a curated section of Showmax Originals on the streaming service.
That move matters to viewers and creators now because eligible showmax subscribers who subscribed directly — and who do not have an active DStv subscription — will receive trial access to DStv Stream Compact until May 31, 2026; after the trial, customers can continue on DStv Stream Compact at N6,500 per month for 12 months, provided payments remain up to date.
MultiChoice said the decision to stop Showmax operations was taken after "a comprehensive review" by the board, and Canal+, the new parent company, announced the discontinuation across the continent in March.
The weight of the change is in the catalogue and the devices: Showmax Originals now have a dedicated section on DStv Stream and Nigerian titles moving over include Wura, Flawsome, Cheta M and The Real Housewives of Lagos and Abuja. Other shows available from the migration include The Wife, Single Kiasi, The Mommy Club and The Real Housewives of Durban and Johannesburg, and more movies and series will be added over the coming weeks.
For viewers the practical differences are immediate. DStv Stream Compact offers a wider catalogue with international series, films, kids' content and a selection of local and international TV channels, plus live channels such as Brit, Discovery, Comedy Central and BravoTV. Sport is also part of the package: the Compact tier includes ten SuperSport channels and two channels, and the platform works across smart TVs, mobile devices, tablets and browsers — a change for some Showmax Premier League subscribers who previously could watch certain matches live on mobile but not on smart TVs.
Creators who built careers on Showmax greeted the news with guarded relief. "That green light changed my life," said James Omokwe, who credited the platform with raising budgets and technical standards. "For a long time, we were making magic with nothing. But Showmax brought ‘real money’ to the table. They brought technical standards that forced us to level up." He added: "Before then, most of us were developing for TV slots or waiting for cinema. Showmax came in and said, ‘Pitch us a six-episode limited series. They validated our ambition by providing the resources to match it."
ID Africa, which has worked on several of the platform's commissions, framed the migration as continuity: "The curtain may have closed on Showmax, but the stories that made it special are far from over," the company said, adding that "For years, Showmax brought audiences closer to some of the most talked-about African stories that kept viewers coming back for more. While the platform itself has now been discontinued, many of those fan-favourite titles are still available to watch on DStv Stream."
The transition also exposes friction. Subscriptions will not be migrated automatically; customers who wish to continue watching will be required to complete a new sign-up process on DStv Stream. ID Africa reiterated the commercial terms being offered to affected subscribers: "After the trial period, customers can continue on DStv Stream Compact at N6,500 per month for 12 months, provided payments remain up to date" and "The offer applies to Showmax customers who do not have an active DStv subscription and who subscribed directly to Showmax."
For Nigerian audiences the change closes a chapter that began in 2019, when Showmax entered the country, and accelerated with a formal launch of Showmax Originals in October 2021 with the premiere of Ghana Jollof — the first Showmax Original commissioned specifically for the market. Industry executives say those commissions helped lift production standards and create a new commissioning route for local writers and producers.
What happens next is clear and immediate: eligible showmax subscribers have trial access until May 31, 2026, after which they must either sign up for DStv Stream Compact at N6,500 a month for the next 12 months or lose access. MultiChoice says the shift is intended to strengthen its overall digital offering, and the most consequential consequence is practical rather than artistic — audiences keep many of the shows they loved, but they must re-enter the market on DStv Stream and, for many, pay under a different billing and device arrangement.
