French media conglomerate Canal+ has finalized its ~$2 billion (R35 billion) takeover of the DStv owner, creating a pan-African entertainment behemoth with the scale to take on global streaming giants. For years, Africa’s pay-TV market was split along colonial lines: Canal+ dominated French-speaking nations while MultiChoice ruled the English-speaking territories. Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada is the new chairman of the MultiChoice board, with his lieutenants David Mignot and Nicolas Dandoy stepping in as the new group CEO and CFO, respectively. But in a savvy move to retain crucial market knowledge, outgoing MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela has been appointed chairman of the combined Canal+ Africa operations. The Canal+-controlled MultiChoice Group retains a hefty 49% economic interest in LicenceCo but is legally limited to just 20% of the voting rights, satisfying the law.