MultiChoice Nigeria’s increase in subscription rates for its DStv and GOtv services has led to widespread anger and dissatisfaction among Nigerians. The move comes after other pay television companies in the country increased their tariffs, citing operational costs. Following StarTimes’ announcement of new prices for its packages, MultiChoice Nigeria also notified its subscribers of the tariff adjustment via text message.
A sample of the message sent to DStv Premium subscribers’ decoders reads: “Dear Customer, due to rising costs of business operations, please note that from May 1, your monthly subscription (Premium) will be N24,500. To retain your old price of N21,000 for up to 12 months ensure you are active by April 30.”
The new regime would also see the price of the Compact+ bouquet move to N16,600 from N14,250 monthly. Subscribers on the Compact bouquet would under the new price regime, pay N10,500 as against N9,000, with those on Confam set to pay N6,200 as against N5,300.
Those on DStv Yanga and Padi would pay N3,500 and N2,500 respectively as against N2,950 and N2,150.
On the GOtv service, subscribers on the GOtv Supa package would pay N6,400 as against N5,500, with those on GOtv Max paying N4,850 as against N4,150.
GOtv Jolli subscribers are due to start paying N3,300 as against N2,800, with the tariffs on GOtv Jinja and GOtv Lite also rising from N1,900 to N2,250 and N900 to N1,100 respectively.
To cushion the effect of the price review, MultiChoice Nigeria, as usual, has made a price lock offer to subscribers, who renew their subscriptions before their due dates.
The offer allows customers to pay the old rates for 12 months if they pay monthly before the expiration of their subscriptions. Similarly, it grants subscribers, who pay for one year at a go, before the new prices kick in, the opportunity to pay the old tariffs.
A country-by-country price comparison showed that Nigerian DStv Premium subscribers would pay the equivalent of $33.11 (N740 to a dollar), with those in South Africa paying 879 Rands ($48.48 at 18.1 Rands to the dollar).
The tariff of N16,600 is to be paid by Nigerian Compact + subscribers, the equivalent of $22.43, while those in South Africa will pay 579 Rands ($31,94). Compact customers in Nigeria, it was also discovered, will pay the equivalent of $14.19 (N10,500).
Kenyan subscribers on the three bouquets will pay KES 9,500 ($70.06), KES 5,900 ($43.51), and KES 3,300 ($24.34) respectively.
But, following the announcement of the hike in the subscription rates by MultiChoice, Nigerians have been expressing their dissatisfaction over the move.
