There are many TV subscription services in Kenya, but none has really matched the offerings of MultiChoice’s DStv service. The service, which beams its content via satellite, has a monopoly in the majority of countries it operates.
Over the years, DStv has been faulted for charging a premium while offering less than stellar content. However, it gains an upper hand in sports programs, which it airs from different parts of the world via Supersport channels.
In Kenya, for example, locals do not have an alternative to sports streaming, and while there are a ton of options out there, they are not available locally. The likes of Kwese attempted to enter the space but soon downed their tools following poor performance.
In the spirit of keeping DStv as expensive as possible while infuriating customers at the same time, MultiChoice has announced that it will up subscription fees for all packages beginning September 2022.
At the moment, customers pay the following amounts for the stated plans:
Access: KES 1050
Family: KES 1500
Compact: KES 2800
Compact Plus: KES 5100
Premium: KES 8400
Now, MultiChoice has revealed that it will adjust the charges up to an additional KES 500 for the Premium package.
Here are the new charges effective from September:
Access: KES 1100
Family: KES 1600
Compact: KES 3000
Compact Plus: KES 5500
Premium: KES 8900
We understand why some customers are angry about these changes. DStv has been notorious for bumping up package prices over the years.
It also appears to not have figured out how to deal with video-on-demand platforms, including Netflix. At one time, MultiChoice even mentioned that video-on-demand services were a threat to them.
The company has its in-house streaming service called Showmax. Showmax is one of its best creations, including the Pro which also includes live channels and sports streaming. However, the Pro version is still expensive at KES 2100, and it does not stream Champions League matches.
Showmax has also made local partnerships with the likes of Safaricom to cut the prices customers have to pay for a streaming package, while also receiving some data bundles from the telco.
