MultiChoice Nigeria Loses 1.4 Million Subscribers after Increasing DStv, GOtv Subscription Prices

• MultiChoice Group, operators of DStv and GOtv, said it has lost about 1.4 million subscribers in Nigeria in the last two years
• The company disclosed that Nigeria accounted for the highest subscriber loss in Africa, with 77% of customers ditching their decoders
• The company blamed fuel scarcity, grid collapses, and other factors as the reason for the subscriber loss in Nigeria

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

MultiChoice Group, owners of DStv and GOtv, has released its audited results for the year ended March 31, 2025, showing that it lost 1.4 million subscribers in Nigeria in the last two years.

Despite increasing its subscription prices in Nigeria multiple times in the last two years, the pay-TV operator blamed high inflation, energy costs and fuel scarcity for the loss.

77% of Nigerian subscribers abandon decoders

According to reports, the group also disclosed that Nigeria accounted for 77% of the subscriber loss in its Africa operations between 2023 and 2025.

The figures released by MultiChoice Group show that it lost about 1.8 million subscribers in the Rest of Africa (RoA), which has reduced its subscriber base to 7.5 million in 2025 from 9.3 million in 2023.

An analysis of the company's figures shows that the subscriber loss, which rose to its highest in 2024, thinned down in the 2025 fiscal year.

In 2024, the firm’s subscriber base in Africa declined to 8.1 million from 9.3 million recorded the previous year as it lost 1.2 million subscribers, representing a 13% decline.

MultiChoice blames inflation

However, data shows that the 2025 financial year shows a seven per cent drop from 8.1 million to 7.5 million subscribers.

MultiChoice said:

“Inflation across key markets remained high (around 20% on a weighted average basis, above 30% in Nigeria and Angola) and caused pressure on customer spending.  

“As a result of the above trading conditions, active subscribers declined 7% YoY, with Nigeria accounting for over half of this decline.”  

Experts seek stronger competition for MultiChoice

MultiChoice has hiked its subscription prices for its flagship products in Nigeria multiple times, resulting in a legal battle with the nation’s consumer watchdog, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

Experts have said that Nigeria and Africa need a stronger competitor to MultiChoice, which has remained a dominant market leader on the continent.

Legit.ng reported that talks are at an advanced stage with the French firm, Canal+, to acquire a majority stake in the Pay-TV firm.

South Africa’s consumer watchdog has approved about 78% stake takeover of MultiChoice Group, as stakeholders await the final decision from a tribunal.

SLTV introduces a low-cost package, Ganduje hails move

Legit.ng previously reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, praised the introduction of SLTV, an indigenous satellite pay television service.

The ex-Kano governor described SLTV as a genuine alternative for Nigerians and stressed the brand's critical role in information dissemination for the country's socio-economic development.

The former governor spoke when he was visited by Princess Nikky Onyeri, chief operating officer of Camroll Quest Ltd., SLTV's mega dealer in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and her team.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng