MultiChoice Nigeria, the leading provider of pay-TV services in the country, has announced another significant increase in subscription prices for DStv and GOtv, effective March 1, 2025. The company, in a statement sent to its customers on Monday, cited rising operational costs, inflation, and the depreciating naira as the primary reasons for the latest price hike.
This increase comes less than a year after its last price adjustment, and like in the past, it is expected to face strong resistance from Nigerian consumers.
The new pricing structure will affect all DStv and GOtv subscription packages, with some experiencing as much as a 20 percent increase. The DStv Compact bouquet will rise from N15,700 to N19,000, while the Compact Plus package will increase from N25,000 to N30,000. Subscribers on the Premium plan will now pay N44,500 instead of N37,000.
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The GOtv Jinja package will now cost N3,900 instead of N3,600, while GOtv Plus will increase from N4,850 to N5,800. The GOtv Max package will rise to N8,500 from N7,700, and the GOtv Supa package will cost N11,400 instead of N10,500. The highest-tier GOtv Supa Plus package will now be N16,800, up from N15,700.
In its statement, MultiChoice said the decision is to boost its service to subscribers.
“Dear Customer, please note that effective 1 March 2025, there will be a price adjustment on all DStv packages. This is to enable us to continue to offer our customers world-class homegrown and international content, delivered through the best technology,” it said.
The company has long argued that its price hikes are necessary to maintain quality programming, pay for satellite maintenance, acquire content rights, and manage increasing operational expenses in Nigeria.
According to MultiChoice, three major factors influenced its latest decision to raise subscription prices:
- The depreciating naira: The steady decline in the value of the naira against the US dollar has made it more expensive to acquire foreign content, satellite bandwidth, and broadcast licenses, which are all paid for in dollars.
- Inflation and rising costs: Nigeria’s inflation rate, currently at record highs, has significantly increased the cost of doing business, including staff salaries, energy bills, and maintenance expenses.
- High costs of content acquisition: Broadcasting rights for English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and major global entertainment programs continue to increase, forcing MultiChoice to spend more to maintain its exclusive content library.
However, Nigerian consumers have historically resisted price hikes by MultiChoice, arguing that the company abuses its dominance in the pay-TV industry by implementing frequent and unjustified increases.
As expected, the latest increase has ignited anger among subscribers, many of whom are already struggling with economic hardship, high living costs, and stagnant wages. Social media platforms have been flooded with complaints and calls for action against MultiChoice, with some subscribers threatening to boycott the service or switch to cheaper streaming alternatives.
A common complaint among users is that despite the frequent price increases, MultiChoice has not significantly improved service quality. Customers continue to face issues such as signal interruptions during bad weather, poor customer service response, and unresolved subscription payment glitches.
This dissatisfaction has fueled renewed calls for government intervention, with some urging regulators to step in and either regulate pricing or introduce competition to break MultiChoice’s perceived monopoly.
MultiChoice is not new to backlashes emanating from price adjustments. Since 2016, the company has been on and off with Nigerian lawmakers, questioning the frequency and justification of its tariff increases. The lawmakers at one time, proposed the pay-per-view option.
Last year, a Federal High Court in Abuja, ordered the stoppage of MultiChoice’s planned tariff increase. However, the company defended its decision by citing the free-market economy, arguing that it had the right to adjust prices based on market realities.
Given the history of resistance, it is highly likely that the latest price increase will be challenged again—either through court cases, consumer advocacy protests, or fresh legislative hearings. However, the effectiveness of such actions remains uncertain, as MultiChoice has successfully defended past increases by pointing to Nigeria’s deregulated economy and the cost of maintaining premium content.
With each price hike, more Nigerians are exploring alternative entertainment options, including streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, which allow users to watch content on demand. Some are also turning to internet-based IPTV services, many of which provide live TV at a lower cost. Others resort to illegal streaming websites, which, despite being against copyright laws, continue to attract users looking for free content.
Given Nigeria’s economic instability and currency volatility, it is expected that MultiChoice will continue to increase prices in the coming years if the rising consumer dissatisfaction and increasing competition from streaming platforms don’t force the company to rethink its pricing strategy.