After Raising DStv, GOtv Prices, MultiChoice Revenue Falls, Loses Four Million Customers

• MultiChoice has announced a significant subscriber loss of almost four million in less than 24 months
• Coming amid increases in subscription prices for DStv and GOtv, MultiChoice asked its shareholders to brace for tough times
• MultiChoice said it is preparing its financials for the year ending March 31, 2025, saying it has lost significant revenue

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

MultiChoice has reported losing almost four million subscribers in less than two years after increasing prices for DStv and GOtv.

The company told its shareholders to brace for challenging times due to macroeconomic headwinds.

MultiChoice subscribers deactivate decoders

The company, which operates GOtv and DStv, disclosed that its subscribers declined from 23 million to 19.3 million in almost 24 months.

According to reports, many subscriber losses happened outside its home country, South Africa.

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In its operational update, the Pay-TV firm said it is preparing its financial results for Q1 2025.

BusinessDay reports that the company’s announcement to shareholders revealed that the challenging consumer environment had reduced its subscriber base and led to limited revenue growth.

Nigeria's subscribers refuse to renew their subscription

Last year, Legit.ng reported that the company lost approximately 243,000 Nigerians who chose not to renew their subscriptions between April and September 2024 due to the decline in Nigeria’s macroeconomic and consumer environment. 

The company noted that high inflation at 32.70 per cent then affected subscribers in Nigeria.

Multichoice disclosed this in its financial statement released on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, noting that over 566,000 non-South African subscribers cancelled their subscriptions during the review period. 

Following the decline in subscriber base, Nigeria and Zambia contributed, accounting for 298,000 subscribers who discontinued using the pay television company. 

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The company stated that power outages drove Zambia’s decline as the country experienced severe cuts of up to 23 hours daily. BusinessDay reports that the company also lost 180,000 subscribers in South Africa. 

MultiChoice increases subscription prices again

The pay-TV firm noted its number of active subscribers declined by 1.8 million to 14.9 million due to challenging macroeconomic conditions.

On March 1, 2025, the company announced another subscription price increase for DStv and GOtv amid public outrage.

MultiChoice cited rising operation costs for the new increase in prices, leading to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) asking it to halt the new price increase, which it ignored.

MultiChoice raises DStv subscription prices in Ghana

Legit.ng earlier reported that MultiChoice Ghana has announced a hike in subscription prices for DStv packages starting April 1, 2025.

A report by the local news platform, Citinewsroom, said the company plans to effect a 15% average price increase across all subscription plans.

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According to the report, MultiChoice raised prices twice in 2024 in Ghana, infuriating customers. The company increased the monthly fee for DStv Premium from GHC750 to GHC865, about N84,896. the Compact Plus plan will increase to GHC570 (N55,943), while the Compact plan will increase to GHC380 (N37,295) monthly.

Source: Legit.ng