Kampala, (UG):- Multichoice Uganda, the company behind DStv and GOtv Uganda has increased prices for its packages sparking public outrage on social media as the Pay TV company struggles to balance its costs with the changing dynamics in the digital world.
The price increments which are set to take effect on 1st October 2024, mark the second time in six months the company is hiking its pay TV fees, with an average 3 per cent across most of its content packages.
In the new rates, DStv has increased the Compact Plus plan by Shs 5000 from Shs170,000 to Shs175,000. This bouquet, which is most popular for sports lovers, includes the Champions League, UFC, and NBA along with a healthy dose of documentaries, foreign shows, and movies.
The higher package, DStv Premium, which has over 170 channels (40 of which are in High Definition (HD), and a plethora of entertainment content, including award-winning series, all sports events, and the newest films has also been raised from its current Shs290, 000 to Shs300, 000.
The cost of the GOtv packaging (the cheaper alternative from the company) was affected as well, with the Supa subscription which was previously priced at Shs69,000 going up to Shs71,000 on October 1.
Many customers have, as usual, expressed doubts about the company’s continued price increases and whether it is still worthwhile to subscribe to the service in light of the price increase.
Some have gone so far as to threaten to quit and have asked regulators, such as the Uganda Communications Commission, to intervene, while some subscribers are leaving, and the cost of producing its content is rising as competition from other streaming services like Netflix heats up.
When pressed to explain the rampant price increases, Multichoice, the company that owns these pay TV service providers said it was facing a wolf of competition that is spreading and that it must also adapt to the same space, which comes at a cost.
“MultiChoice understands that affordability is a key concern for consumers and acknowledges this by offering a range of packages at various price points, from as low as Shs15,000 on GOtv Lite and Shs16,000 on DStv Lumba, all catering to different budgets, content preferences and access to variety,” said Rinaldi Jamugisa, MultiChoice Uganda’s communications manager in an e-mail response.
“However, it is important to understand that producing and acquiring high-quality content comes at a significant cost. Heavy investment is made in producing original content, delivering exclusive shows, broadcasting live sports or events, and international programming, which contributes to our overall costs, among other drivers of price adjustments like economic conditions that we may not have full control over,” he added.
The company says that while its packages are competitively priced, it emphasizes the value they offer, including unique features like live sports, exclusive local, kids and international content, and streaming capabilities via the DStv Stream, GOtv Stream and Showmax apps.
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