“There’s No Real Competition”: Nigerians React to New MultiChoice’s Hike in DSTV Subscription
- The subscription cost for MultiChoice Nigeria's DStv Compact package has increased by 21%, from N15,700 to N19,000
- Customers have been critical of the statement, and many of them have taken to social media to express their displeasure
- Others lamented the lack of competition in the pay-TV sector and pointed the finger at what they perceive to be excessive price hikes
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
With effect from March 1, 2025, MultiChoice Nigeria, a pay-TV provider, has announced a 21% rise in the subscription fee for its DStv Compact package, from N15,700 to N19,000.
Source: Getty Images
This most recent change comes after a comparable price increase in May 2024, which the business ascribed to inflation and growing operating expenses in Nigeria.
The announcement has drawn a lot of criticism from customers, many of whom vented their dissatisfaction on social media over the regular price increases without a commensurate improvement in the quality of the services.
Customers received a message from the company on Monday, stating that the price change was a result of a review of its pricing system.
According to MultiChoice, the Compact Plus and Premium bouquets will stay at N30,000 and N44,500, respectively, but the DStv Compact package would see a hike.
The notice, titled “Price Adjustments for DStv and GOtv Packages,” read in part, “Dear Customer, please note that effective March 1, 2025, there will be a price adjustment on all DStv packages.
“This is to enable us to continue offering our customers world-class homegrown and international content, delivered through the best technology.”
Customers are now even more dissatisfied with the price hike, questioning the value for their money in light of ongoing complaints about service interruptions and repetitive material.
A subscriber, Okechukwu, criticised the platform’s programming, saying, “Apart from repeating movies—sometimes on two channels at the same time—there’s a constant interruption to check if you’re subscribed or authorized to watch a channel, even when you have the Supa+ package.”
Another user, Kevin Okeke, suggested that more subscribers would explore alternatives: “More people will switch to better options, especially those who don’t care about football matches.”
Source: UGC
Others bemoaned the absence of competition in the pay-TV industry and blamed what they see as unwarranted price increases on MultiChoice's market dominance.
“It’s always easy for them to increase prices because there’s no real competition. That’s what a monopoly does to consumers,” a user complained.
Oburu Chinedu, expressing broader frustration with Nigeria’s high costs of living, added,
“The way we pay tariffs in this country, you’d think we were in London or Dubai! Even electricity is outrageously expensive. How did we get here?”
MultiChoice increases DStv, GOtv subscription Fees in 2 countries
Legit.ng reported that MultiChoice, the parent company of DStv and GOtv, has announced a price hike for its subscription packages in Kenya and Uganda.
In Uganda, the new prices kicked off on October 1, 2024, while the Kenya new subscription prices will start on November 1, 2024.
According to Businessdailyafrica, Kenyans will pay up to Sh500 starting next month(November), which is about N6,322.
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Source: Legit.ng
