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MultiChoice Group (MCG) has released its Integrated Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2025, showcasing significant milestones across its operations, including the growth of its SuperSport YouTube channel to 4.82 million subscribers. This achievement underscores the company’s commitment to leveraging digital platforms to expand its reach and engage with audiences across Africa and beyond. This comes not so long after the group had announced having a sport dedicated package after a huge decrease in subscribers.
Since its launch in 2013, the YouTube channel has accumulated 1.1 billion views, and SuperSport says it has undergone several changes in the 12 years since its inception. The report highlights MultiChoice’s strategic focus on digital transformation, with SuperSport emerging as a key driver of this initiative. The SuperSport YouTube channel, which offers highlights, live streaming, and exclusive sports content, has become a cornerstone of the company’s digital strategy.
By Gamuchirai Mapako
“SuperSport’s digital and social media department made a significant imprint during the financial year,” MultiChoice said in the report.
“The launch of various YouTube-first digital content offerings such as SuperSport Unplugged and digital build-up has grown SuperSport’s following and engagement across various platforms.”
The channel has gained 756,000 subscribers over the past two years and posted 16.1 million hours of content.
The broadcaster said SuperSport Unplugged has accumulated 18 million views across Meta’s platforms, X, TikTok, and YouTube.
The company has been investing heavily in over-the-top (OTT) streaming services, including Showmax and DStv Stream, to cater to evolving consumer preferences. The report notes that Showmax, in partnership with Comcast’s NBCUniversal, has seen significant traction since its relaunch in February 2024, with improved user experience and expanded content offerings.
SuperSport has also leveraged YouTube Shorts to deliver quick sports highlights to fans who prefer concise content. In 2024, two of its Shorts ranked among the channel’s top 10 videos, and by 2025, that number rose to seven.
According to MultiChoice, these short-form videos have gained 16.5 million views and added 35,000 subscribers in the past year. Additionally, live-streaming pre-match shows introduced during events like the Betway SA20 and Soweto Derbies, has boosted the channel’s growth, generating over 1.3 million views. One notable example was the Springbok vs. Barbarians pre-match show on June 28, 2025, which drew 200,000 viewers.
The channel’s audience is predominantly (54%) aged 18 to 44, with strong viewership in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. MultiChoice views the platform as both a supplement to its core offerings and a way to attract potential DStv or Showmax subscribers.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, MultiChoice’s SuperSport broadcast over 47,000 hours of live sports, marking a 7% rise compared to the previous year.
This growth was driven by coverage of major cricket tournaments, three for senior men and one for women along with the Paris Summer Olympics, the men’s Euro 2024 football championship, and 13 Springbok rugby tests. SuperSport highlighted its extensive Olympic coverage, airing 1,200 live events across 2,900 hours over 19 days.
Football viewership remained strong, partly due to La Liga being offered in more affordable packages and additional UEFA Champions League matches. The Soweto Derby in February 2025 was the most-watched football derby of the financial year.
Rugby also saw notable growth, with viewership for the United Rugby Championship up 23% and the Currie Cup up 29%. Additionally, SuperSport’s 30% stake in the Betway20 T20 cricket tournament proved successful, with local viewership jumping 47% year-on-year. The tournament aired for 799 hours across seven channels, attracting over 1.3 million South African viewers, according to Nielsen Sports SA.
The broadcaster is leveraging viewers’ love for sports to grow their subscriber number and so far it has yielded positive results.
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