MultiChoice increases subscription rates for DStv, GOtv
This is the second time MultiChoice is increasing subscription rates in less than six months. Photo / Courtesy
What you need to know:
- The new increases come barely six months with MultiChoice having increased all its GOtv packages just last year in September
MultiChoice has increased its subscription for both DStv and GOtv packages by between 7 and 9 percent.
Details indicate that some packages have been increased by as much as Shs20,000 and Shs10,000, while the lowest increase, which also applies to low grade packages, was Shs1,000.
The new rates, MultiChoice indicated will take effect on April 1.
In September, MultiChoice announced an increment in all its GOtv packages. However, subscribers will have to pay more with the announcement of latest increases.
For instance, GOtv Supa, which has been going for Shs58,000 per month has been increased by Shs7,000 to Shs65,000 effective April.
Mr Rinaldi Jamugisa, the Multichoice public relations and communications manager, yesterday told journalists that the changes in prices were “very carefully reviewed and evaluated”.
“Due to the rise of costs in doing business, we need to adjust the prices of our packages. We endeavour to keep prices as low as possible while ensuring that our customers continue to enjoy unparalleled access to entertainment,” he said, noting that delivering contented both from local and the international perspective is costly.
“Take for instance, the cost of a satellites in terms of running and maintaining them, the equipment used [and] even content acquisition itself. We need to remain consistent with the services we offer from the point of variety to keep the quality and value,” he said.
It was not immediately clear how other pay TV services providers have reacted to economic pressures that have been exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19, inflation and a slowdown in economic activity.
Pay TV subscriptions are determined by a number of factors, among which include movements in foreign exchange, especially the dollar, which is the main medium of exchange for buying different programmes.
Penetration of TV sets has been consistently increasing during the last three years, to reach around 20 percent of households by 2021.
Pay TV has progressively overtaken free reception over the past 10 years, driven by the direct-to-home satellite and digital terrestrial television.
