MultiChoice Announces Price Hike for DStv and GOtv Services in Kenya

MultiChoice, the company behind DStv and GOtv in Kenya, has decided to increase prices for its services due to factors such as inflation and operational expenses.

This decision, set to take effect from August 1, 2023, comes as the company faces criticism for its frequent price adjustments within a short period.

Under the new pricing structure, DStv Premium subscribers will see their monthly fees rise to KES 9900 ($70) from KES 9500 ($68).

Compact Plus subscribers will now pay KES 6200 ($44) instead of the usual KES 5900 ($42).

The Family and Access packages will also experience increases to KES 1850 ($13) and KES 1300 ($9) respectively, up from KES 1750 ($12) and KES 1250 ($8.8).

GOtv customers are not exempt from the price hikes either.

The SUPA plan will now cost KES 1900 ($13.5), up from KES 1750 ($12), while the Max tier will be priced at KES 1450 ($10.3) compared to the previous KES 1350 ($9.6).

This decision has faced backlash from Kenyan subscribers, particularly because MultiChoice holds a near-monopoly in the market for sports streaming, leaving customers with limited alternatives.

Complaints about the company’s high subscription costs have been ongoing, and the frequent upward adjustments have only added to the dissatisfaction.

MultiChoice Kenya cites rising inflation and operating costs as the reasons behind these changes, similar to other businesses in the country.

Furthermore, MultiChoice has implemented new restrictions on streaming content.

Customers can no longer stream DStv or Showmax content on multiple devices.

This move was prompted by concerns over illegal streaming and the unauthorized sale of DStv logins.

Showmax, MultiChoice’s streaming service aiming to compete with Netflix faces limitations such as a maximum stream quality of 720p, which pales in comparison to Netflix’s 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) support.

Despite the negative response from subscribers, MultiChoice’s price adjustments and streaming restrictions reflect the challenges faced by many companies in Kenya, as they navigate rising costs and combat illegal streaming activities.