DIGICEL Group is exiting consumer media to focus on enterprise services, shuttering its loss-making Loop News immediately and winding down its regional subscription TV broadcaster SportsMax by August 8, the company confirmed on Tuesday, without saying how many people will be affected.

The strategic shift redirects resources toward high-growth business-to-business (B2B) segments like cybersecurity and cloud solutions, but leaves critical questions about Caribbean media access and sports broadcasting gaps unresolved.

Loop News, one of the Caribbean’s most recognisable digital media platforms, announced its shutdown — after 11 years — in a statement on its website, marking the end of an era for regional digital journalism. “They say all good things must come to an end and so it is,” Loop stated, acknowledging its “passionate, engaged community” since its 2014 launch.

Digicel framed the closures as a pivot to “scalable, enterprise-grade services” — essentially, high-capacity, digital infrastructure and security tools for businesses and governments.

Liam Donnelly, group chief business officer, in the company’s statement called the shuttering of the media businesses and the refocus of its business segment to focus solely on business customers, “a strategic repositioning to ensure Digicel is best-placed to deliver secure, scalable services for the future”. Donnelly acknowledged the “legacy” of the shuttered brands but stressed the focus is now on “where we can create the greatest value”.

The move comes amid ongoing financial pressures highlighted in a June 2025 Fitch report which noted Digicel’s US$2.8-billion debt load, including US$2.3 billion due for refinancing by mid-2026. The company’s performance has also been hit hard by instability in Haiti, a crucial market generating 17 per cent of its revenues. This turmoil directly erodes earnings (EBITDA), making it harder to reduce debt. Consequently, Digicel’s leverage ratio — measuring total debt against its annual earnings (EBITDA) – remains stubbornly high at 4.1 times. This means its debt burden equals over four years’ worth of current profits. Crucially, this level sits above the 3.75 times threshold identified by Fitch Ratings. Falling below 3.75x is a key requirement for Fitch to consider upgrading Digicel’s ‘B’ credit rating, which would signal stronger financial health and potentially lower borrowing costs. The Haiti crisis is thus a direct obstacle to achieving this vital financial improvement.

The exit amplifies Digicel’s push beyond its core mobile business which, per Fitch, drives roughly 75 per cent of revenue from prepaid consumers — a segment Fitch explicitly noted is “more price-sensitive” and vulnerable to economic shocks. This heavy business to consumer (B2C) reliance exposes it to volatility, notably in Haiti where civil unrest has eroded subscribers.

Digicel’s B2B segment, which generates 25 per cent of revenue, is now the priority. The full acquisition of cybersecurity firm Symptai enables integrated “end-to-end” solutions. “The market landscape is calling out for solutions that service growing IT and data security needs,” the company said.

The abrupt shutdown of award-winning Loop News and SportsMax — a 23-year sports broadcaster — leaves regional content voids. “While it wasn’t an easy choice we believe it is the right one for this moment,” Loop’s statement acknowledged. Digicel stated only that sports content “will be available on other sports channels”, offering no licensing specifics and declining to confirm if the units were marketed for sale. It, however, said there will be, “channel updates in the future, which we will advise on”.

Affected employees “have been informed” Digicel stated, committing to transition support per local labour laws. Trend Media, Digicel’s ad-tech platform, will continue under Digicel Business.

Despite recent credit outlook upgrades citing improved liquidity and margins, Digicel faces a critical, 10-month refinancing window. Its enterprise pivot now carries existential weight, requiring rapid B2B scaling while navigating Haiti’s turmoil and the inherent risks of its price-sensitive mobile customer base.