French media conglomerate CANAL+ and streaming platform Netflix have expanded their distribution partnership to cover 24 Francophone African countries, beginning in July 2025.
Under the extended agreement, CANAL+ will become the first operator in Sub-Saharan Africa to integrate Netflix into its subscription offerings. This builds on a collaboration that began in 2019 in France and Poland.
According to Pascale Chabert, Chief Content Acquisition Officer at CANAL+, the agreement will enable African subscribers to access a bundled package that combines CANAL+ programming with Netflix’s streaming library. “This new agreement demonstrates CANAL+’s ability to extend its super-aggregation model beyond Europe,” Chabert said in a statement.
With more than 400 live channels—including 28 designed specifically for African audiences—CANAL+ aims to strengthen its content portfolio by incorporating Netflix series such as Stranger Things, La Casa de Papel, and Lupin, as well as African titles including Blood & Water, Anikulapo, Young, Famous & African, and Kings of Jo’burg.
For Netflix, the move offers deeper market penetration across Africa, despite recent subscription price hikes in Nigeria and South Africa. “It’s a big win for entertainment fans,” said Emma Lloyd, Vice President of Partnerships for EMEA at Netflix. “This extension allows us to reach even more people across French-speaking African countries.”
Between 2016 and 2022, Netflix invested over $175 million in African content production, primarily in South Africa. The platform has partnered with notable African creators such as Nigeria’s Kunle Afolayan and Mo Abudu to produce globally recognized original series and films.
The expansion comes amid intensifying competition in Africa’s digital streaming space. CANAL+ recently increased its investment footprint on the continent by acquiring stakes in companies like Senegal’s Marodi TV and bidding for control of MultiChoice Group. The partnership with Netflix further positions CANAL+ as a leading content aggregator in the region.
As internet connectivity improves and the demand for digital content grows among Africa’s young population, the CANAL+-Netflix alliance marks a strategic effort to enhance content accessibility and user experience across the continent.
