MultiChoice Begins Testing Weekly Subscriptions For DStv, GOtv, May Launch New Plan in Nigeria

• MultiChoice Group, operators of DStv and GOtv, has begun piloting weekly subscription plans, with the aim of a continent-wide roll-out
• The company is testing the plan in Uganda and plans to replicate it in Nigeria and other African markets, if successful
• MultiChoice is currently bleeding subscribers and revenue, after reporting a massive 1.4 million subscriber loss in Nigeria

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

MultiChoice, owners of DStv and GOtv, has begun piloting weekly subscription plans in Uganda, which will launch in other markets soon if the trial proves successful.

MultiChoice Group CEO, Calvo Mawela, disclosed that the pay-TV company introduced weekly subscriptions seven weeks ago and that it should have a good idea of the trial's success in the next six months.

MultiChoice may roll out weekly subscriptions in Nigeria

According to reports, the trial wants to align subscription periods with customers’ cash flows.

If successful, the company will consider offering weekly subscriptions in other markets such as Nigeria, its biggest market in Africa.

“It’s a big change and we think when people are struggling, as we have seen, offering them weekly passes will help in the same way cellphone prepaid has changed the mobile industry,” said Mawela.

Regarding bundle offerings, Mawela said that MultiChoice does not believe such a structure is viable.

He, however, said the firm was researching an offering where customers could get a base product and add channels to it.

1.4 million subscribers disconnect from DStv, GOtv

Legit.ng reported that MultiChoice recorded a 1.4 million subscriber loss in Nigeria in the last two years.

Also, the firm reported a financial decline for the year ended March 31, 2025.

Reports say much of the financial loss was due to MultiChoice’s sale of a 60% stake in its insurance business to Sanlam in November last year.

MultiChoice’s revenue for the review period dipped 9% per year, which it said was due to an 11% decline in subscription revenues.

However, MultiChoice South Africa’s revenue increased yearly to 41.73 billion rand in the review period.

MultiChoice revenue for the Rest of Africa and Showmax operations dived during the period.

The company hopes to retain customers in key markets such as Nigeria by offering weekly subscriptions.

Its 2024/2025 financial year showed declines in 90-day active subscribers and the overall subscriber base.

Subscribers declined eight per cent from 15.69 million as of March 31, 2025, to 14.51 million, while 90-day active subscribers thinned by 11% to 18.59 million in the review period.

DStv considering sports-only packages

A previous report by Legit.ng said that the company is now mulling a new package to lure subscribers back to their decoders. 

The MultiChoice in South Africa is considering a new subscription package that will contain all of the sports channels only.

Mawela said this in a Reuters interview on Thursday, 12 June, just a day after reporting a $45 million (or 800 million rands) loss. 

He explained that they had observed that many customers only subscribe to the premium package because of the Sports channels, and then cancel their subscriptions when it is off-season.

The struggle to save MultiChoice

Mawela disclosed that the company is set to finalise decisions on the bundled sports-only package in the 2025 financial year. 

"We're considering all options as part of a broader product offering going forward." 

Experts have said this is not the first time the Pay-TV giant has considered spinning off its sports channels.

In September 2021, it started showing interest in the DStv Flex product, a 67-channel  entertainment pack, including general entertainment, kids, news, and free-to-air channels.

In July last year, MultiChoice said that DStv was one of the many product ideas it had tested with customers, implying it was no longer investigating 

Multichoice writes off $21m in Heritage Bank

Legit.ng earlier reported that following the liquidation of Nigeria's Heritage Bank earlier this year, MultiChoice Group Limited has written off $21 million that was deposited in the bank.

The company's interim financial results for the half-year that ended on September 30, 2024, included this information.

Following the Central Bank of Nigeria's revocation of Heritage Bank's operating license, which essentially closed the bank, the amount was deemed irrecoverable.

Source: Legit.ng