Canal+, the new owner of MultiChoice, is deploying advanced technology to track and disrupt illegal streaming services that copy and redistribute DStv and GOtv content across Africa. The company's cybersecurity and software business, Irdeto, is combining forensic watermarking, internet service provider (ISP) blocking, investigations, and other enforcement measures to tackle an increasingly sophisticated piracy industry.
How Canal+ is Fighting Piracy with Sophisticated Technology
In an article published on the MultiChoice Group website, Canal+ said illegal streaming services, pirate websites, and unauthorised IPTV platforms have evolved into a digital ecosystem capable of copying and redistributing content almost instantly. The impact, it said, goes beyond lost subscription revenue. Producers, actors, writers, technicians, and other professionals in Africa's creative economy also suffer when content is illegally distributed.
Pirate Services Becoming Harder to Stop
Canal+ said today's pirate operators can make their platforms look remarkably similar to legitimate streaming services. Some provide subscriptions, customer support, and access to premium movies, series, and live sports, while bundling thousands of channels and programmes into a single illegal service. The operators can also quickly switch websites, domains, and servers whenever enforcement action is taken. This means simply taking down an illegal website may not be enough.
According to Canal+, effective anti-piracy operations now require a combination of technology, intelligence, enforcement, and disruption to target the infrastructure supporting illegal streams.
ISP Blocking Targets Pirate Websites
One of the tools being used is ISP blocking. The technology allows internet service providers to restrict access to identified pirate websites, domains, and IP addresses. Canal+ said this is particularly important for live events, where illegal streams can attract huge audiences within minutes. By the time a conventional content takedown is completed, a pirated sports match or programme may already have reached thousands of viewers and generated revenue for the illegal operator. ISP blocking allows rights holders and authorities to intervene much faster.
Invisible Watermarks Expose the Source
Perhaps the most sophisticated weapon in the fight is forensic watermarking. Canal+ said DStv content can contain invisible identifiers that help Irdeto trace where pirated material originated. Its TraceMark technology is designed to retain traceability even when content has been re-encoded, resized, captured, or otherwise manipulated. That gives investigators a potential trail from a pirated stream back to its source. Rather than simply discovering that content has been stolen, rights holders can potentially establish how it was obtained and take enforcement action against the source.
DStv Pirate Accounts Deactivated
The technology is already being combined with physical investigations. In March 2026, DStv confirmed that it had deactivated 819 end-user pirate streaming accounts following raids in Cape Town. Authorities reportedly gained access to a pirate streaming provider's management panel and identified 715 active accounts. The operation, conducted on March 5, resulted in arrests and the seizure of mobile phones for forensic examination.
Canal+ said suspects linked to the sale of illegal internet streaming services were arrested and charged under the Cybercrimes Act for offences involving unauthorised access to and interception of data. The crackdown signals a broader shift in Africa's battle against content piracy, with Canal+ making clear that illegal streaming is no longer being treated simply as a content-removal problem, but as a sophisticated digital network requiring technology-driven disruption.
MultiChoice Announces Swap Programme for DStv Subscribers
Legit.ng earlier reported that MultiChoice is encouraging DStv customers who no longer rely on satellite dishes to switch to its streaming-only service, a move that could significantly reduce monthly subscription costs for households with reliable internet access. The streaming option allows subscribers to access DStv content without a decoder or satellite dish.
