Where corporate greed will lead DSTV, the pay-TV and its content company, Multichoice, only the market can tell. What is clear though is DSTV’s reflex these days is to hike subscription rates without thinking......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Does that push further entrench DSTV as the Nigeria pay-TV operational monopoly? Or does it push it to its virtual grave, by its annoying hikes at the drop of a hat, pushing its subscribers to rally a rival competitor to take its place?
Again, only the market will tell!
DSTV’s fixation with hiking rates is clear. It has hiked its subscription thrice in 12 months, though those 12 months spill from 2023 to 2024: April 2023, November 2023 and now, in April 2024, it is giving notice of a further hike, effective 1 May 2024.
A pseudo-contrite DSTV was all cant, in its hike message: “We understand the impact this change may have on our valued customers and partners, but the rise in the cost of business operations has led us to make this difficult decision.” Haven’t we heard all of this before?
That appears the only thing coming out of DSTV these days. Were every firm to behave like DSTV, let’s just say Nigeria’s inflation level would have been something else. It takes that risk because it’s an operational monopoly that feels it can always get away with subscription hikes. Well, good luck.
It’s latest hikes are, to say the least, obscene: the Premium bouquet jumps from a N29, 500 monthly rate to N37, 000; Compact+, the next in the hierarchy: N19, 800 to N25, 000; Compact: N12, 500 to N15, 700; and the lower packages: Confam: N7, 400 to N9, 300; Yanga: N4, 200 to N5, 100; Padi: N2, 950 to N3, 600.
The most annoying thing is as DSTV hikes take mathematical leaps, its content takes a geometrical dip, sapping subscribers with a Thomas Malthus warning of viewing doom, while they pay more.
Both the quantum and quality of its offerings are dipping, with the annoying repetition of old films and low quality of new ones. By the way, can the present quality of “Tinsel”, its longest running serial in Nigeria, match the standard when “Tinsel” made its debut? Then, compare its latest epics like “Itura” the Yoruba epic, with its loose plots and many gaps, with “Ajoche” (the Idoma epic) and “Riona” (the Itsekiri one). How many of its current series can hold a candle to “Hotel Majestic”?
If DSTV and Multichoice, its content czar, were to look themselves in the mirror, they’d find they now charge more money for relative junk.
Well, it’s a democracy and market suicide is a choice. Let them keep at it. When subscribers vote with their feet, they’ll get the message from their market grave. By then, DSTV would be an excellent case study of how corporate greed is excellent grave for greedy brands.
It’s time a viable competitor came to put DSTV out of its market arrogance, just as it was when HItv was around to checkmate DSTV’s excesses.