In Nigeria, MultiChoice, a satellite television provider, has announced an increase in the cost of DSTV and GOTV subscriptions.
The reaction to this announcement has been hostile across the nation from subscribers.
Multichoice reports that the new rates will go into effect on May 1st, 2023.
A sample of the message sent to the decoders of DStv Premium subscribers reads: “Dear Customer, Please Note That Your Monthly Subscription (Premium) Will Be N24,500 As Of May 1 Due To Rising Costs Of Business Operations. Make sure you are active by April 30 if you want to keep your old price of N21,000 for up to 12 months.
Additionally, under the new system, the monthly cost of the Compact+ bouquet would increase to N16,600 from N14,250. Under the new pricing structure, subscribers to the Compact bouquet would pay N10,500 as opposed to N9,000, and those to Confam would pay N6,200 as opposed to N5,300.
Instead of paying N2,950 and N2,150, those with DStv Yanga and Padi would pay N3,500 and N2,500, respectively.
Subscribers to the GOtv service would pay N6,400 for the GOtv Supa package as opposed to N5,500, and N4,850 for the GOtv Max package as opposed to N4,150.
Subscribers to GOtv Jolli will begin paying N3,300 instead of N2,800, and the rates for GOtv Jinja and GOtv Lite will also increase from N1,900 to N2,250 and N900 to N1,100, respectively.
Following the announcement, some subscribers voiced their displeasure with the service’s increased cost, particularly in light of the nation’s current economic situation.
They contend that the new rates are excessively high and might be out of reach for many Nigerians, especially those with low incomes.
Kunle Adeleke, a subscriber, stated: “This is a very bad move by MultiChoice. Before raising the subscription prices, they ought to have taken into account the national economy. How do they think the average Nigerian will be able to afford these new prices?
Mrs. Chidinma Okeke, a different subscriber, expressed her disappointment in MultiChoice. Every year, they have raised their subscription prices, and it has gotten out of hand. I might have to think about utilizing different service providers.
