By Goodluck Ikiebe in Abuja.
Pay-TV operator, Multichoice Nigeria, has announced a second price increase for its DStv and GOtv packages this year, with hikes of at least 19 per cent across all bouquets.
The new prices will take effect on November 6, 2023, just five months after the company’s last price increase.
In a statement to subscribers, Multichoice said 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.
The new prices for DStv packages are as follows: Premium: N29,500 (+20%); Compact+: N19,800 (+19%); Compact: N12,500 (+19%); Confam: N7,400 (+19%) and Yanga: N4,200 (+20%).
The new prices for GOtv packages are as follows:
Supa Plus: N12,500 (+19%); Supa: N7,600 (+19%); Max: N5,700 (+19%); Jolli: N3,950 (+19%) and Jinja: N2,700 (+20%)
The price increases have been met with mixed reactions from Subscribers.
Some have expressed frustration, arguing that the hikes are coming at a time when many Nigerians are struggling financially.
Others have defended Multichoice, saying that the company needs to raise prices to cover its costs and continue providing high-quality programming.
According to them, remains to be seen how the price increases will impact Multichoice’s subscriber base.
The company has not released any recent data on subscriber numbers, but it is likely that some subscribers may switch to cheaper pay-TV providers or cancel their subscriptions altogether,some source predicted.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
