Entertainment
Dstv, others struggle in the face of economic challenges
As the stinging economic state of the country continues, the usual high financial flow previously enjoyed by premium pay television providers over the years is now in decline.
The service providers- StarTimes, Consat, Dstv and GOtv operating under MultiChoice among others are gradually grappling with the falling subscription numbers due to weakening purchasing power of
African majority.
Various methods are now being explored by the customers to ensure they still enjoy pay television services. While some have migrated from premium bouquets to low-rate bouquets, others have out rightly stopped to recharge their subscription.
Most free-to-air services being enjoyed by some subscribers are now inactive. The development has not changed the minds of many people who have resorted to watching local stations which are naturally free instead of paying subscription fees.
In a bid to forestall customers attempts to dump their respective services, the pay tv operators are now offering one promo or the other.
One of the strategies StarTimes is employing to attract new customers and sustain existing one is the showing of International Champions Cup which started on the 22nd of July 2016 and expected to end August 13th 2016. StarTimes will be showing all the matches.
The monthly subscription fee for the bouquet is N1200 Also StarTimes has an ongoing promo in which a customer pays N3,999
for 4 month subscription for NOVA bouquet. Attached to this is a free high definition decoder.
When BH contacted the Public Relations Manager of StarTimes, Mr. Israel Bolaji on phone, there was no response. There was also no reply to the text message sent to his phone as at press time.
Perhaps, in admission of the economic realities, GOtv last month also unveil a free subscription offer.
The service provider’s subscribers who connected from July 2016 till September 30 will enjoy one month free subscription in October.
The special promo titled GOtv Plus and GOtv Value is being offered customers who renew their subscription between June 18 and July 18, this year, and are connected from July 1 till September 30.
As the stinging economic state of the country continues, the usual high financial flow previously enjoyed by premium pay television providers over the years is now in decline.
The service providers- StarTimes, Consat, Dstv and GOtv operating under MultiChoice among others are gradually grappling with the falling subscription numbers due to weakening purchasing power of
African majority.
Various methods are now being explored by the customers to ensure they still enjoy pay television services. While some have migrated from premium bouquets to low-rate bouquets, others have out rightly stopped to recharge their subscription.
Most free-to-air services being enjoyed by some subscribers are now inactive. The development has not changed the minds of many people who have resorted to watching local stations which are naturally free instead of paying subscription fees.
In a bid to forestall customers attempts to dump their respective services, the pay tv operators are now offering one promo or the other.
One of the strategies StarTimes is employing to attract new customers and sustain existing one is the showing of International Champions Cup which started on the 22nd of July 2016 and expected to end August 13th 2016. StarTimes will be showing all the matches.
The monthly subscription fee for the bouquet is N1200 Also StarTimes has an ongoing promo in which a customer pays N3,999
for 4 month subscription for NOVA bouquet. Attached to this is a free high definition decoder.
When BH contacted the Public Relations Manager of StarTimes, Mr. Israel Bolaji on phone, there was no response. There was also no reply to the text message sent to his phone as at press time.
Perhaps, in admission of the economic realities, GOtv last month also unveil a free subscription offer.
The service provider’s subscribers who connected from July 2016 till September 30 will enjoy one month free subscription in October.
The special promo titled GOtv Plus and GOtv Value is being offered customers who renew their subscription between June 18 and July 18, this year, and are connected from July 1 till September 30.
In her response when contacted on phone about the level of customers’ subscription to the pay tv, Public Relations Manager of GOtv at MultiChoice Nigeria, Efe Obiomah, declined to to comment.
“I cannot comment on this,” she quipped.
According to some patrons of the services, the deactivation cannot force them into subscribing on the pay television because of the cost.
Speaking with BH, a Lagos-based Pastor who preferred anonymity said he has stepped down from the premium bouquet of Dstv to the lowest one.
“We have to face the reality of the times. I used to subscribe to the preium bouquet. Since late last year, I have to adjust to what I can afford. Whenever my wife or children complain these days that they can view certain programmes, I simply tell them to enjoy the ones available,” he said.
For Patrick Ameh, a StarTimes subscriber in Ilupeju area of Lagos State, said the financial situation of the country has denied him of some programmes he used to watch.
In his words: “The economy is not good at all. What is more important to me now is food, shelter and transport fare to my office. The last time I renewed my subscription was October last year. I don’t think
about any renewal for some time to come. Everybody is thinking of survival now.” In June this year, DSTV lost a massive 288,000 subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the report, the pay tv service provider which usually spends half a billion dollars a year on acquisitions, is “on the lookout” for more deals.
Besides the harsh economic situation limiting the subscription power of pay tv customers, the epileptic power situation and cost of fuel for generators have been cited as factors discouraging the customers
from renewing their service subscriptions.
The pay tv service monopoly held by Dstv over the years was broken by DaarSat and Hitv. Other which now also competing in the market include StarTimes, MyTv, Joy Tv, Consat and many more. However, the financial capacity and programme choice of customers determine which provider they would subscribe to.
