CANAL PLUS SA - 2026 Half Year Results
What this filing means
CANAL+ prints a strong first half: revenue up 40% to €4,287m and adjusted EBIT up 68% to €433m, with free cash flow before exceptional items of €414m. But the headline growth is largely MultiChoice consolidation — like-for-like revenue rose only 1.4%, and MultiChoice's €143m EBIT includes €120m of synergies plus a flattering comp from the Showmax discontinuation. Full-year guidance is confirmed rather than raised. The fresh numbers are genuinely new, but the quality underneath is mixed: a constructive read, with caveats.
CANAL+ is a global TV company that recently bought MultiChoice, the South African pay-TV giant. This half-year shows revenue and profits jumping sharply — but almost entirely because MultiChoice is now rolled into the numbers, not because the existing business suddenly grew much. Like-for-like revenue rose only 1.4%, and most of MultiChoice's profit swing came from cost-cutting plans and shutting down the Showmax streaming service. Credible progress on the cost-saving targets, year-end outlook confirmed — but the +40% headline isn't pure organic growth.
Bull case
- MultiChoice Adjusted EBIT jumped 160% to €143m, driven by €120m of synergies P&L impact including Showmax discontinuation, evidencing real turnaround traction.
- FCF before exceptional items reached €414m, supported by refinancing and MultiChoice's financial year-end change, demonstrating robust cash generation.
- June 2026 marked the best single-month subscriber acquisition in South Africa in a decade, signalling tangible momentum behind the MultiChoice turnaround.
- Management has already achieved half of the €250m synergies target at H1 and confirmed full-year 2026 guidance including adjusted EBIT of €735m and FCF above €250m.
Bear case
- Headline 40% revenue growth collapses to just 1.4% on a like-for-like basis excluding MultiChoice consolidation, flagging weak organic momentum.
- MultiChoice's €143m EBIT includes €120m of synergies, so the underlying operating turnaround contributed only roughly €23m.
- H1 cash generation explicitly benefitted from favourable payment phasing and positive seasonality on content costs, implying H2 reversal risk.
- Short-form announcement omits balance sheet, net debt and segment cash flow detail needed to assess leverage and capital structure post-MultiChoice.
- Showmax discontinuation removed a €52m prior-period EBIT drag, artificially flattering the MultiChoice turnaround comparison.
AI-generated summary by SENS-AI, based on the original JSE SENS filing.
SENS-AI conclusion
The H1 print is genuinely fresh data — revenue +40% to €4,287m, adjusted EBIT +68% to €433m, FCF €414m — and the share hadn't run into it, with CAR-20 slightly negative and the stock in the lower quartile of its 52-week range. But the underlying quality is mixed: organic growth is thin at 1.4% like-for-like, MultiChoice's €143m EBIT carries €120m of synergies including a flattering Showmax discontinuation comp, and H1 cash got help from payment phasing and seasonality. Net read: confirmed guidance, real synergy traction, but quality questions temper the upside. So what: the audited full-year results are where the market will test whether the synergies and cash conversion are durable rather than one-off. Missing evidence: No HEPS or EPS figures disclosed in short-form announcement; No balance sheet, debt, or net cash position provided; No segment-level revenue or margin breakdown for Content Production/Distribution; No prior trading statement or consensus range to assess surprise vs expectations; No dividend policy or capital allocation framework discussed; No detailed cash flow bridge or exceptional items reconciliation
The audited full-year results will test whether the H1 synergy uplift and FCF hold up without the payment phasing and Showmax discontinuation effects.
Evidence from the filing
MultiChoice Adjusted EBIT jumped 160% to €143m, driven by €120m of synergies P&L impact including Showmax discontinuation, evidencing real turnaround traction.
“MultiChoice Adjusted EBIT before exceptional items up 160% to €143m (H125: €55m), mainly due to synergies P&L impact of €120m (including Showmax discontinuation impact).”
FCF before exceptional items reached €414m, supported by refinancing and MultiChoice's financial year-end change, demonstrating robust cash generation.
“FCF before exceptional items up to €414m, supported by refinancing and MultiChoice's financial year-end change.”
June 2026 marked the best single-month subscriber acquisition in South Africa in a decade, signalling tangible momentum behind the MultiChoice turnaround.
“June 2026: best subscriber acquisition month in South Africa in a decade.”
Management has already achieved half of the €250m synergies target at H1 and confirmed full-year 2026 guidance including adjusted EBIT of €735m and FCF above €250m.
“We have achieved half of our €250m synergies target and remain well on track for the year, and we confirm our full-year and medium-term guidance.”
Headline 40% revenue growth collapses to just 1.4% on a like-for-like basis excluding MultiChoice consolidation, flagging weak organic momentum.
“Total Group revenue increased by 40% to €4,287m (H125: €3,072m) primarily reflecting the consolidation of MultiChoice Group revenue; excluding MultiChoice increased by 1.4% like-for-like.”
H1 cash generation explicitly benefitted from favourable payment phasing and positive seasonality on content costs, implying H2 reversal risk.
“CFFO before exceptional items up to €559m driven by cash optimisation initiatives and favourable phasing of payments within the year.”
Short-form announcement omits balance sheet, net debt and segment cash flow detail needed to assess leverage and capital structure post-MultiChoice.
“The information disclosed is a summary of the information in the full announcement and does not contain complete details.”
Showmax discontinuation removed a €52m prior-period EBIT drag, artificially flattering the MultiChoice turnaround comparison.
“Following the discontinuation of the Showmax service in Africa at the end of April 2026, the contribution of Showmax (revenues: €23 million in H1 2025 ; Adjusted EBIT (EBITa) before exceptional items : -€52 million in H1 2025 ; CFFO after exceptional: -€39 million in H1 2025; FCF after exceptional: -€39 million in H1 2025) is excluded from the Group's financial performance metrics and is presented within "Profit/(loss) from discontinued operations" in discontinued operations in the income statement and in the consolidated statement of cash flows, in accordance with IFRS 5 in H1 2026 and as if IFRS 5 had been applied in H1 2025.”
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