A Nigerian Federal High Court has ordered the stoppage of the planned increase in DStv and GOtv subscription prices by Multichoice Nigeria.
Reports say Multichoice Nigeria last week announced another price increment across its DStv and GOtv packages effective May 1, 2024, attributing the decision to “rise in the cost of business operations”.
A notice from the company to customers via email said the price for DStv Premium package was going up from $21.6 a month to $27, while that of Compact+ was also going to be increased to $18 from $14.24 monthly.
Again DStv Compact bouquet subscribers were going to pay $11.5 as against $9.2 they are currently paying, while those on the Confam package are to pay $6.8, compared to $5.4 currently being paid.
Meanwhile, the price of DStv Yanga was also going also increased from $3 to $3.7, and DStv Padi was also going up to $2.6 and HDPVR Access subscribers will pay $3.66 as against the $2.9 being paid now.
For GOtv users, Multichoice said customers on its Supa Plus package will now be paying $11.5, from the current price of $9. Its Supa bouquet will now go for $7 as opposed to the current $5.57 being charged.
GOtv Max subscription has also increased to $5.3 from $4 while its Jolli package will go for $3.5 from $2.89. Multichoice said its customers on the lowest GOtv package, Jinja, will be paying $2.4 monthly, as opposed to $1.97 they are currently paying.
Users of Smallie will now be paying $1.15 as against $0.95.
Reports said Multichoice had increased its subscription fees twice in the past year, and Nigerians were not ready for another increase.
Ghana
Meanwhile, in Ghana, the prices of MultiChoice packages are way higher than what they offer to Nigerians and just this month, they have increased prices significantly, citing cost of operations and mounting taxes.
What is even more worrying in Ghana is that, the very day Multichoice announced the prices increases in Ghana, they also announced that some channel was being taken off a package.
Several subscribers in Ghana questioned why Multichoice keeps increasing prices in Ghana while Nigerians keep enjoying very low prices; and even worse, why they would take off channels while increasing prices.
Due to the high prices and rapid prices increases in Ghana, quite a number of Multichoice customers in Ghana have acquired decoders from Nigeria and they depend on some middle men to help them pay their significantly low monthly subscriptions.
