Against the backdrop of Africa’s rapidly expanding digital audience and evolving viewing habits, Canal+ and DStv are positioning their combined media assets, streaming capabilities and advertising technologies to unlock fresh opportunities for brands.

Notably, this is as media executives, advertisers and marketing communications leaders gathered in Lagos for the Africa Forward event.

Held at The Royal Box, Victoria Island, the gathering explored the changing media landscape, the journey ahead under Canal+ and what the integration of the two businesses means for advertisers seeking broader audience reach, stronger engagement and greater value across Africa.

The organizer revealed that, following Canal+ Group’s acquisition of MultiChoice Group, the parent company of DStv, that  the integration of DStv Media Sales and Canal+ Advertising brings together complementary content.

Not only that, it includes distribution networks and commercial capabilities, connecting brands to more than 23.5 million households and approximately 100 million people across 50 countries.

According to them, through this expanded proposition, advertisers can explore campaigns across linear television, video-on-demand services such as Catch Up and streaming platforms, including DStv Stream.

Meanwhile, opening the floor of discussion,  Doris Ohanugo, Executive Head of DStv Media Sales, emphasised DStv’s extensive content portfolio and its mission to deliver entertainment alongside tangible value for subscribers.

She stressed the importance of deepening consumer connections in a crowded media environment by demonstrating value for the time and money customers invest in the platform.

Welcoming guests, Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee, CEO of Media Sales at Canal+, expressed appreciation for longstanding relationships with advertisers and agencies, describing the integration as an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and deliver greater value through expanded content, audience access and digital capabilities.

She also highlighted the business’s presence across French-speaking, English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking African markets, identifying connected television, cross-platform advertising management, artificial intelligence-powered planning and scheduling, and improved campaign measurement as important areas of development.

Providing the Nigerian perspective, Kemi Omotosho, CEO of Canal+ Nigeria, identified the country’s estimated population of 230 million and approximately 21 million electrified households as significant opportunities for expansion.

She said the company’s ambition to reach one in every two electrified households globally informs its Nigerian growth strategy, while referencing MTN’s subscriber base of more than 57 million as part of the wider connectivity opportunity.

Beyond audience expansion, the media expert  outlined plans to improve subscriber experience, protect premium content against piracy, widen distribution and simplify subscription choices.

She disclosed plans for four principal packages, such as Starter, Select, Hot and Premium, with Starter presented at ₦6,000, while the Hot package would make major football competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, more accessible at a more affordable price.

Additionally, she announced plans for new channels, including African Magic Family Plus and a SuperSport channel, alongside a loyalty initiative offering eligible subscribers a seven-day upgrade when they renew before their subscriptions expire.

Importantly, she revealed that the  changes were scheduled to begin in November.

Again, she  also reported that sales volumes had risen to approximately four times the level recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year,  pointing to further commercial opportunities through expanded content distribution and streaming.

Turning to digital innovation, Shamiel Sallie, Senior Vice President of Digital Advertising at Canal+ Africa Group, highlighted Nigeria’s growing influence in digital advertising, commending the country’s agencies, clients and industry innovators.

Citing a PwC projection discussed during his presentation, he said Nigeria could lead the world in digital advertising growth by 2029.

Sallie also referenced approximately 170 million connected devices in Nigeria and described connected television as an important meeting point between traditional broadcasting and digital consumption.

According to his presentation, more than 10 per cent of Nigerian subscribers were already watching content through connected devices, while DStv Stream was commercially available across 47 African countries and had recorded more than 61 million viewing sessions over the preceding nine months.

He further highlighted advertising technology, including solutions from Magnite and Google Ad Manager, as part of the capabilities supporting more sophisticated digital campaigns across the group’s platforms.

These developments, he explained, offer brands opportunities to connect with audiences through live television, catch-up programming and streaming on different devices.

From the marketing communications industry, Seni Adetu, Chairman and Group CEO of First Primus W.A., Ogilvy Nigeria Limited and Algorithm Media Nigeria Limited, welcomed the progress following the Canal+ and MultiChoice merger.

Reflecting on his organisation’s decade-long relationship with the businesses, he pointed to improvements in innovation, engagement and content quality, expressing particular optimism that the partnership could help take African content to wider international audiences.

Similarly, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, described the longstanding partnership as beneficial, commending the introduction of new packages and innovations designed to attract more viewers.

She congratulated Canal+ on the progress made and highlighted opportunities for advertisers, stressing the importance of delivering compelling content, an engaging viewing experience and the flexibility consumers increasingly demand.

Across the discussions, the speakers highlighted how broader distribution, richer content, connected television and improved advertising technology could reshape opportunities for brands operating in Africa’s diverse markets. T

They affirmed that the  combined platform offers advertisers potential access to audiences across countries and viewing environments.

Again, this is also while giving agencies additional options for coordinating campaigns. For Canal+ and DStv, the challenge ahead is to translate their expanded reach into stronger audience engagement, improved customer value and measurable commercial opportunities.

The central message of Africa Forward was that closer partnerships, technological innovation and compelling content will be essential to helping brands navigate the continent’s changing media and advertising landscape.