As subscription-based streaming services hit growth limits in mature regions like North America and Europe, companies are now turning to untapped markets for new audiences. According to research from Ampere Analysis, Netflix is taking a big step to expand its reach in Sub-Saharan Africa, where streaming still faces several challenges.
Starting in July 2025, Netflix will become available as part of a bundled package for Canal+ subscribers across 24 French-speaking countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Cameroon. This means that Canal+ customers will be able to watch Netflix directly through their existing pay-TV platform a move expected to make streaming more accessible and affordable in the region.
“For Netflix, this partnership presents a significant opportunity to expand its audience in Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Motohiko Ara, the report’s author.
Currently, Netflix has about 4.5 million subscribers in the region, which represents less than 2% of its global subscriber base. One of the main reasons for this slow growth is the difficulty of streaming in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are several obstacles: traditional pay-TV remains dominant, internet access is often limited, and the cost of OTT (Over-the-Top) streaming services like Netflix is considered high compared to local income levels.
Furthermore, Netflix has traditionally been one of the more expensive streaming platforms in the area, with an average revenue per user (ARPU) of around $5.70. In comparison, local competitor Showmax, owned by MultiChoice, has an ARPU of about $2.90 and already has 1.45 million subscribers.
By teaming up with Canal+, Netflix instantly gets access to the 8.2 million subscribers Canal+ has across its Sub-Saharan African markets. These subscribers can now access Netflix through discounted bundles, similar to packages Canal+ already offers in France and Poland. This bundled approach is expected to appeal to price-sensitive viewers who may have previously found Netflix too expensive. It could also increase Netflix’s visibility in regions where Canal+ has a strong market presence, especially in French-speaking nations where Netflix previously had limited access.
Netflix already has a deal with DStv, another major pay-TV service in Africa, allowing customers to add a Netflix subscription to their DStv account since 2020. However, this setup has not resulted in significant growth for Netflix in the region. Unlike the new Canal+ deal, the DStv partnership does not offer discounted pricing, and most of DStv’s 10.7 million subscribers are concentrated in South Africa and Nigeria. This meant that Netflix’s exposure remained limited in many other African markets.
“The focus of this new partnership for Netflix is its enhanced access to Canal+’s 24 French-speaking markets, to which it lacked access under the existing DStv partnership. The streamer will be banking on its popular French original titles, such as Lupin and Sous la Seine, to move the needle in these markets,” continued Ara.
With this new partnership, Netflix is expected to see a significant boost in reach across Sub-Saharan Africa. It now has entry points into both Canal+ and DStv subscriber bases, and notably, there is minimal overlap between the two. This means Netflix can cover a much larger portion of the continent than before.
“With this latest partnership, Netflix will secure much broader reach across Sub-Saharan Africa: It will soon have access to both Canal+’s 8.2 million subscribers — primarily in French-speaking markets — as well as DStv’s subscribers, with minimal overlap between the two audiences. Though Netflix is already the leading SVoD service in the region, this deal is poised to reinforce its market position and, more importantly, drive subscriber growth that can contribute meaningfully to its global revenue,” Ara concluded.