It is expected that no channel will immediately take up JimJam’s frequency when it goes dark, which leaves open the question of whether more changes are still to come.
Canal+ already distributes its children’s channels Teletoon+ and Piwi+ in Poland, France and French-speaking Africa. This raises the possibility that the company could look to introduce these brands into MultiChoice territories, similar to how Novelas+ debuted on DStv and GOtv in July 2026.
Initially, the idea of adding more children’s channels seemed unlikely. DStv already carries a wide selection, including Cartoon Network, Disney Junior and CBeebies. With the closure of JimJam, however, that door now appears more open.
Piwi+ (a slang term for “small child”) is a European preschool channel aimed at viewers aged 3 to 6. It features animated shows such as Masha and the Bear, Fireman Sam, Peter Rabbit, Noddy: Toyland Detective, as well as originals like The Adventures of Paddington.
It is accompanied by Teletoon+, a children’s channel for viewers aged 7 to 14 that mixes animated and live-action programming. Titles include Talking Tom and Friends, Angelo Rules, Polly Pocket and Turbo Kozak Junior. (This should not be confused with the Canadian channel of a similar name.)
While the prospect of new kids’ channels initially seemed doubtful, a closer look shows that Piwi+ and Teletoon+ are not vastly different from Cartoon Network or Disney Junior. A significant portion of their content consists of internationally dubbed shows, which makes their inclusion more feasible than something like A+ Afrique.
In addition, StudioCanal has several animated projects in development, including Toto the Ninja Cat, Miffy, Pippi Longstocking and The Rainbow Fish. It is reasonable to assume Canal+ would want to integrate this content into MultiChoice platforms — whether through two separate brands or a single unified channel.
This raises a further question: how much pruning would MultiChoice need to do if it planned to introduce Teletoon+? If another children’s channel had to make way, the most likely candidates would be DreamWorks Channel or Nicktoons.
Nicktoons largely functions as a secondary outlet for Nickelodeon programming. The main Nickelodeon channel is already widely available in many African countries outside South Africa, which makes the value of month- or year-old reruns on Nicktoons questionable.
DreamWorks Channel has also faced challenges. NBCUniversal has not supplied a strong pipeline of new animated content, and the channel has become repetitive in recent months, with much of its preschool programming burnt off in late-night slots when few viewers are watching.
Teletoon+ has previously licensed shows from Nickelodeon (such as The Loud House), and it could potentially do the same with DreamWorks content. In its current form, DreamWorks Channel is starting to resemble Telemundo — a channel whose long-term survival in its present structure is increasingly open to question.
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