The decision by Canal+ to shut down Showmax has been the industry conversation of the month all over the continent!
Showmax is closing its doors on April 30th. For many of us, Showmax wasn't just another app; it was the "Big Hope" for Kenyan originals, a platform with MultiChoice roots that actually felt like it belonged to the continent. Seeing it shut down after reported losses of over $500 million is a heavy reality check.
As a production company, we’ve been sitting with what this means for the stories we tell and how they reach audiences.
1. A shift in the market
For the last few years, many in the industry have been chasing the "Streaming Dream", the idea that global platforms would eventually solve every distribution and funding gap. The Showmax exit reminds us that streaming is an incredibly expensive, capital-intensive business.
Showmax may be closing, but its parent company, Canal+, is staying in the African market. They are simply changing their approach. As filmmakers, this is a nudge to look beyond the hype of streaming apps. We have to reconsider the power of linear TV, theatrical runs, and diverse distribution models.
The market isn't disappearing; it’s changing shape. We have to be as fluid as the technology that carries our work.
2. Building Independent Foundations
Relying on foreign-owned platforms driven by global venture capital or international balance sheets is a precarious way to build a local industry. When a corporate strategy in Paris or New York shifts, our local stories shouldn't have to go homeless.
For the last few years, many in the industry have been chasing the "Streaming Dream", the idea that global platforms would eventually solve every distribution and funding gap. The Showmax exit reminds us that streaming is an incredibly expensive, capital-intensive business.
Showmax may be closing, but its parent company, Canal+, is staying in the African market. They are simply changing their approach. As filmmakers, this is a nudge to look beyond the hype of streaming apps. We have to reconsider the power of linear TV, theatrical runs, and diverse distribution models.
The market isn't disappearing; it’s changing shape. We have to be as fluid as the technology that carries our work.
2. Building Independent Foundations
Relying on foreign-owned platforms driven by global venture capital or international balance sheets is a precarious way to build a local industry. When a corporate strategy in Paris or New York shifts, our local stories shouldn't have to go homeless.
Speaking to Akoroko, our friend Gloria Nkatha (of the Talk Film To Me podcast) called the news "a really big hit," but she also raised a vital point for the future: that this kind of contraction could be the push African filmmakers need toward building our own platforms, leaning into regional collaborations, and driving theatrical expansion across the continent.
At LBx, we believe in Culture over Platforms. We must focus on making sure our films and our intellectual property are strong enough to find an audience on their own, regardless of which app is currently trending.
3. Consistency & Trust
In our February newsletter, we talked about how Kenyan music events like Solfest and Blankets & Wine built "rituals" that don't depend on a single platform. Showmax’s struggle confirms a hard truth: it’s difficult to build the house (the app) before the ritual (the audience loyalty) is fully formed.
The end of a platform doesn't mean the end of the audience. The hunger for Kenyan stories hasn't changed; only the "delivery truck" has. Our responsibility remains the same: building the Trust Equation directly with audiences. If we focus on the ritual of storytelling, we gain the leverage to thrive on whatever platform comes next.
A Shared Path Forward
The news is a shock, but it isn't an ending. It’s an invitation to build more intentionally and collectively.
Sustainability in African film won't start with a massive injection of foreign streaming capital; it begins with us the creators and the audience building a culture that survives every corporate pivot. We are in this for the long haul, and we are building it together.
3. Consistency & Trust
In our February newsletter, we talked about how Kenyan music events like Solfest and Blankets & Wine built "rituals" that don't depend on a single platform. Showmax’s struggle confirms a hard truth: it’s difficult to build the house (the app) before the ritual (the audience loyalty) is fully formed.
The end of a platform doesn't mean the end of the audience. The hunger for Kenyan stories hasn't changed; only the "delivery truck" has. Our responsibility remains the same: building the Trust Equation directly with audiences. If we focus on the ritual of storytelling, we gain the leverage to thrive on whatever platform comes next.
A Shared Path Forward
The news is a shock, but it isn't an ending. It’s an invitation to build more intentionally and collectively.
Sustainability in African film won't start with a massive injection of foreign streaming capital; it begins with us the creators and the audience building a culture that survives every corporate pivot. We are in this for the long haul, and we are building it together.