Nigerians embrace alternatives amid increases in DSTV/GOTV subscriptions, shortcomings

Following two increases in five months in the subscription rates of DSTV/GOTV bouquets, Nigerians have been left yearning for better, improved alternatives to MultiChoice, the South African-based parent company of both firms.

The need for alternatives is also bolstered by the shortcomings of both companies’ services which many Nigerians feel have left them feeling cheated, especially in the face of prevailing economic conditions, and the need to manage available resources to cater for their needs.

For instance, many subscribers have continued to ask why the pay as you watch option is not made available to Nigerians, so they can control what they spend on cable tv subscription as obtains in the telecommunications sector. This option becomes increasingly more logical, given the epileptic nature of electric power supply in the country, and the fact that most Nigerians, including parents and children spend a good number of hours during the day, outside their homes, except during the holidays.

There is also the fact that sometimes, the GoTV and DSTV networks tend to fluctuate, and viewers have to wait for sometime for viewing to be restored, all on their tab. Hence the yearnings for alternatives, at least as viable options to choose from.

It appears the yearnings may soon be satisfied with the emergence of Port-Harcourt-based Pay TV provider, SLTV from the stables of Metro Digital Limited, TSTV Africa and others which have continued to excite Nigerians.

Aside from the traditional satellite and cable TV providers, Nigerians are also embracing IPTV, Internet Protocol Television which has provided thousands of households with thousands of foreign, and local live TV channels and on-demand content. This service offers a plethora of channels and streaming services without the constraints of traditional cable or satellite setups.

SLTV which recently won a long-legal battle against Multichoice for the broadcast rights of premium sports channels in the country has been enjoying rave reviews from Nigerians who see it as a solution to MultiChoice’s monopoly on the Nigerian Pay TV landscape considering the affordability of their subscription rates which come at a modest fee of N2,500 and N5,000 respectively for a month.

Similarly, TSTV Africa, another Pay TV operator recently came on board with the offer of exciting indigenous and foreign content and has been enjoying rave reviews from customers.

Users of the PAYTV operator reserved kudos for the innovation brought about by the operator which includes pay as you watch and the option to pause your subscription.

A subscriber,d Tuoyo Ojo while reviewing his experience with the service, praise TSTV for offering an alternative for viewers.

“They have over 100 channels which show movies, both local and international recent movies, lovely music channels, many lovely educative children’s channels including Tom and Jerry channel, religious channels, soap opera channels, sports channels and several others”.

“Another advantage is that you can choose the channels you want, and pay for them but if you want everything, they are offering it at not more than N4,000 per month. This is unlike GoTV and DSTV who put their premium channels on a bouquet with higher price so that you’re forced to pay more.

“If you are travelling, you can pause your subscription by informing their customer care agents, it is very pocket-friendly” he enthused.

Speaking on his experience with SLTV, Chukwuma Ugwuoke could not stop gushing about how the provider has provided him with what he said is a better option.

He described the advent of SLTV as the best thing to happen to Pay TV viewing in Nigeria as it affords him to watch his premium sporting channels at a relatively cheaper price compared to other providers.

“It’s been a good experience so far, at least for the little money that I pay every month, I’m so satisfied that I get value for the money I pay. Unlike previously when I was using DSTV, it was so exorbitant and just so inhumane to my pocket.

“SLTV has not gotten to their peak yet, but as a lover of football, I’m satisfied with their service so far. And to add to that, I get free-to-air stations that I watch, even when my subscription has expired. I wasn’t getting that before now, so it’s very okay for me, my interest is football. So, for that, I get 100% satisfaction. So, it is value for the money from me” he disclosed.

He is unequivocal in his belief that despite the slight hitches here and there, it is still good value for money.

“I believe everybody that is subscribing to the television package has an interest. Some people are interested in the movies, some in sports, some in the news and documentaries. My interest is football. So, for that, I get 100% satisfaction. So, it is value for the money from me.

“But then I must say, my wife for instance, who is more interested in movies, if you ask her, her response might not be the same because SLTV doesn’t have a good package for her kind of movies.

“They are not at their peak yet. I believe it’s a new organization that is still growing. So, from time to time, we experience lost signals. But again, if you consider that the subscription fee is very little, it is value for the money. That’s just it. It is value for the money. So, I can live with maybe two two-second signals off.

“And that means nothing to me if I consider that it doesn’t deal a heavy blow to my pocket. It is just value for my money”.

READ ALSO:Nigerians react as MultiChoice increases DSTV, GOTV subscription rates

He also called on the company to become more accessible to their customers, and create more channels for communication.

“You know, if you need to communicate with them about something, I only have the number of the person who supplied it to me as a contact. When the number is off, I am stuck. There’s no number I can reach, no email that I can reach out to, you know, ask to get help.

“So that’s one thing that they need to work on. And then the issue of subscription is not seamless like you can subscribe whenever or wherever. Some people say they have an app. I haven’t explored that yet. But each time I need to subscribe, I need to do that through the person who installed it for me” he told Ripples Nigeria.

Another user, Sola Awe could not hide his excitement since he discovered SLTV which he described as a life-saver from the exorbitant fees charged by DSTV/GOTV.

“With N5,000 subscription per month, I get to watch all the premium sporting channels that are only available on DSTV premium channels that go for about N30,000, it is really a great value for money and all the stations are on High Definition (HD).

I believe their emergence is a great thing to happen to pay TV in Nigeria and having an alternative to DSTV/GOTV feels good after several years of monopoly” he said.

For SLTV, it has been a long tortuous journey, going toe-to-toe with Multichoice in the court of law and emerging victorious.

Their legal battle with MultiChoice began in 2019 when the company approached the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt armed with the amended NBC (National Broadcasting Commission) code that specifically prohibits the exclusivity of premium channels including football channels, by stating that any broadcaster who is licensed in Nigeria to air these football matches shall sublicense to any other at an agreed rate.

MultiChoice claimed that it can’t share the license to the programmes requested by Metro Digital because it doesn’t own them, unlike shows owned by the South African company and the court ruled against Metro Digital TV.

Undeterred, Metro Digital TV took its case to the Appeal Court where Justice Olabode Adegbehingbe supported the suit of Metro Digital, ordering MultiChoice to sublicense the channels within 21 days, under the supervision of the NBC.

It was this judgement that has now given Metro Digital TV the rights to broadcast English Premier Leagues (EPL) which has been the sole exclusive rights of MultiChoice.

The advent of IPTV or Internet Protocol Television has also provided another option for consumers of live TV and on-demand content across multiple devices and has become a necessity for many households as it offers a plethora of foreign and live local channels and streaming services without the constraints of traditional cable or satellite setups.

This service however requires a strong internet service.

“For as little as N1,000 I now have access to thousands of channels made possible through IPTV” a user disclosed.

It would be recalled that Nigerians have been left groaning over the incessant increases by Multichoice in recent times. The PayTV provider has in the last 6 months increased their subscription fees twice.

In the latest increase which took effect from November 6, 2023, the Pay TV provider had informed subscribers that the monthly subscription for the DStv Premium package will increase to N29,500 from N24,500 reflecting a 20% rise.

Similarly, the Compact+ bouquet saw a 19% increase, with the monthly cost going up to N19,800 from N16,600.

Subscribers on the Compact package will now pay N12,500 per month, marking a 19% increase from their current fee of N10,500.

Customers on the Confam package also experienced a 19% increase in their monthly fees, which is now N7,400 instead of the current N6,200.

Viewers who subscribe to the DStv Yanga bouquet experienced a 20% increase in their monthly subscription, making it N4,200 compared to the previous N3,500.

Multichoice also announced price increases for its GOtv packages as well. Subscribers to the Supa Plus package saw a 19% rise in their monthly fees, going from N10,500 to N12,500.

For the Supa bouquet, the monthly charge increased to N7,600 from N6,400.

GOtv Max subscribers now pay N5,700, up from N4,850, and those on the Jolli package faced a price increase, with the monthly fee rising to N3,950 from N3,300.

Customers on the Jinja package now pay N2,700 per month, a change from their previous fee of N2,250.

Justifying the increase, Multichoice disclosed that the latest price increase was due to “rising costs in all aspects of our business, including content acquisition, infrastructure maintenance, and operating expenses.”

The company also attributed the increase to “the current economic challenges in Nigeria,” which include high inflation and a weak naira.

This increase has left many customers aggrieved lamenting the constant increase and the untold hardship it is bringing to Nigerians.

Consequently, the House of Representatives has urged the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to dialogue with the Multichoice Group over the recent increment in DSTV and GOTV subscriptions.

This call was made following a debate on a motion moved by Umar Ajilo who called for the suspension of the tariff hike.

Moving the motion, the lawmaker said Nigerians are experiencing economic hardship; therefore, the timing of the hike is wrong.

But for now, as some Nigerians have embraced the available alternatives, others continue to groan under what they regard as a heavy weight thrust in them by multichoice because of the need for entertainment and information, even as they urge that the company consider other options that would make their services more affordable by Nigerians instead of a continuous increase in subscription prices.

By Babajide Okeowo

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