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MultiChoice's annual DStv price increases no April Fools' joke
20 Feb 2024
MultiChoice’s annual DStv price increases have been announced to consumers. The increases, which take effect 1 April 2024, range from just over 3% to almost 7%.
Source: © DStv Gauteng DStv Gauteng Multichoice’s annual DStv price increases have been announced to consumers and range from just over three percent to almost seven percent
The country’s inflation rate is six percent.
Both DStv Compact Plus and DStv Access have increased at more than this while DStv Premium is only 0.3% under the 6%.
Marc Jury, MultiChoice SA CEO says the company believes that these adjustments are reasonable. “… considering the significant 16% year-on-year depreciation of the rand against the US dollar, and our commitment to securing long-term broadcast sports rights and international studio deals, which are priced in US dollars”.
DStv’s streaming-only packages will remain unchanged.
Price increases
Prices increases in order of highest to lowest:
- DStv Access: 7.8% increase, from R129 to R139
- DStv Compact Plus: 6.9% increase, from R579 to R619
- DStv Premium: 5.7% increase, from R879 to R929
- DStv Compact: 4.5% increase, from R449 to R469
- DStv Family: 3.1% increase, from R319 to R329
- DStv EasyView: no increase, remains at R29
While DStv Access has the biggest increase, the package will now include ESPN, La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4, and SuperSport Blitz in a sports lineup upgrade.
A revamped set of channels including Showmax’s best original content is also included for subscribers to Compact Plus.
DStv Premium’s increase is higher than the CPI print of 5.1% in December 2023. But Jury says the renewal of the English Premier League, the Champions League and LaLiga, and the extension of the channel’s agreement with SA Rugby, mean that premium customers will continue to have all the best sport.
Price guarantee agreement launching
MultiChoice is launching a "price guarantee" agreement, that will allow DStv subscribers to fix their subscription fees for the period of their contract.
Jury says,” We're excited about the DStv price guarantee which secures a price lower than today for our customers who sign up for our 24-month deal to beat the increase.”
Customers who use Price Guarantee before 31 March 2024 will pay R879 for Premium, R399 for Compact and R109 for Access.
Relaunched Showmax
MultiChoice’s relaunched Showmax video streaming service is also rebranding and reprogramming on a M-Net packaged linear TV channel on DStv.
This channel will promote a curated offering of the content on Showmax to aid sampling, including locally produced series for the Showmax platform.
About Danette Breitenbach
Danette Breitenbach is a marketing & media editor at Bizcommunity.com. Previously she freelanced in the marketing and media sector, including for Bizcommunity. She was editor and publisher of AdVantage, the publication that served the marketing, media and advertising industry in southern Africa. She has worked extensively in print media, mainly B2B. She has a Masters in Financial Journalism from Wits.
