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dstv

South Africa: DStv subscribers dwindle

A fall of a few thousand in any market for a pay-TV organisation is a worry. Multiply that to a total of 2.8 million cancellations over the past two years and it shows that South Africa’s DStv, even under its new Canal+ owners, has a mountain to climb. But the numbers are worrying. Back in […]

January 7, 2026By Chris Forrester

South Africa: WBD carriage spat with DStv

Canal+ is in a carriage dispute with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) in South Africa. The latest threat is that if the dispute is not resolved then a slew of channels will disappear from DStv. This would include Discovery and CNN. Twelve channels are involved in the initial dispute, and the current position is that the […]

December 4, 2025By Chris Forrester

Nigeria orders MultiChoice to compensate subscriber

A Nigerian high court in Lagos has ordered Multichoice Nigeria Ltd to pay Naira 5 million (about €3,000) as general damages to a subscriber for the wrongful and wilful disconnection of his cable TV subscription. The court’s verdict delivered by Judge Razak Olukolu, presiding judge, held that the defendant – MultiChoice – acted wrongfully by […]

October 29, 2025By Chris Forrester

MultiChoice defies Nigerian ruling on fees

A price rise for subscribers to MultiChoice’s pay-TV offerings on DStv and GOtv was ruled unacceptable by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). MultiChoice subsequently argued for the old subs rates to stay in place while it discussed its dilemma with the FCCPC, but that has been overtaken by MultiChoice going ahead with […]

March 4, 2025By Chris Forrester

MultiChoice hikes prices for DStv, GOtv

The reduction in value of local currencies has resulted in MultiChoice putting its subscription rates up again for some of its African pay-TV subscribers. For example, MultiChoice Nigeria has once again announced an increase in the cost of subscriptions for its DStv and GOtv packages. The hike comes less than a year after the company […]

February 27, 2025By Chris Forrester

DStv clamps down on piracy

MultiChoice, which controls the DStv portfolio of pay-TV channels for Africa, has secured another victory against local signal pirates. The target of its action is Internet streaming site Waka TV. An individual was arrested in Germiston, a city East of Johannesburg. The suspect is accused of theft, fraud, money laundering and violations of the Cybercrimes […]

September 11, 2024By Chris Forrester

BBC UKTV reaches record numbers in Africa

BBC Studios in Africa has revealed that its multi-genre channel, BBC UKTV, has attracted record numbers, reaching over 12.9 million people. Viewers have grown by 135 per cent and the channel share has increased by 99 per cent among all individuals since launching on DStv in December 2022. BBC UKTV features a range of genres […]

February 23, 2024

MultiChoice’s DStv raising prices

South African pay-TV operator DStv will raise its subscription fees for South Africa-based subscribers on April 1st, and admits they rises are higher than in previous years. DStv is sweetening the pill a little by saying that clients who take out a 24-month contract will not face any further rises for the length of the […]

February 21, 2024By Chris Forrester

South Africa: Piracy hurts DStv

Reports from South Africa say that pirate streaming services like 123Movies and Fmovies not only steal revenue from local broadcasters such as MultiChoice but also significantly impact the creative industry as a whole. Moreover, the fines for pirates found guilty are miniscule. The pirate services depend on advertising for their income stream. This inevitably appeals […]

February 1, 2024By Chris Forrester

DStv to screen AFCON matches

MultiChoice and its DStv pay-TV operation has secured access to the African Cup (AFCON). The football tournament kicks off in the Cote- d’Ivoire on January 13th, and now viewers in Nigeria and other African countries can view the coverage as part of their DStv subscriptions. MultiChoice said it had reached “a commercially viable agreement” with […]

January 11, 2024By Chris Forrester