MultiChoice Nigeria has begun the new subscription price for DStv and GOtv customers despite the order by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to halt the new rate pending investigation.
Findings by TimesNow.com.ng show that the new rates became effective on Saturday, March 1, 2025, as per the MultiChoice announcement.
According to the new rates, subscribers will pay N44,500 for Premium, from N37,000, 19,000 for Compact 15,000, Compact Confam will pay N11,000 from N9,000, Yanga subscribers will pay N6,000 from N5,100 and Padi subscribers pay N4,400 from N3,600.
For GOtv subscribers, Super Plus subscribers will pay N16,800 from N15,700, and the Super package will go for N11,400 from N9,600.Â
Others are Max at N8,500 from N7,200, Joli subscribers will pay N5,800 from N4,850, Jinja subscribers will pay N3,900 from N3,300 and Smallie subscribers will pay N1,900 from N1,575.
The pay-TV company announced the new price on Thursday, February 27, 2025, telling subscribers that the new rate will become effective on March 1, 2025.
Following outrage from Nigerians, the FCCPC directed MultiChoice Nigeria to halt implementing the new package and summoned the companyâs chief executive officer.
The recent price hike outraged Nigerians who lamented the absence of strong competition against the South African-based company.
The public outrage caused the FCCPC to intervene, asking the company to suspend the planned increases.
On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, the FCCPC asked MultiChoice Nigeria’s chief executive officer to appear at its headquarters on Thursday, February 27, 2025, for an investigative hearing regarding the PayTV companyâs planned hikes in DStv and GOtv subscription prices.
Ondaje Ijagwu, the director of corporate affairs at FCCPC, said the commission order follows MultiChoice Nigeriaâs request for an extension concerning its scheduled appearance before the commission.
He said:
The commission disclosed that under the current directive, MultiChoice is asked to maintain the current price structure as of February 27, 2025, pending the commissionâs review and final determination.
Ijagwu said maintaining the status quo on pricing is important to prevent potential consumer harm during the period, saying further updates will be given as the investigation continues.
MultiChoice Nigeria was embroiled in a court battle with consumers regarding the last increases.
In November last year, the company disclosed that about 243,000 Nigerians refused to renew their subscriptions between April and September 2024 due to the drop in Nigeriaâs macro and consumer environment.Â
The company noted that high inflation at 32.70 affected subscribers in Nigeria.Â
Multichoice disclosed this in its financial statement released on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, saying that over 566,000 non-South African subscribers ended their subscriptions in the period under review.Â
Earlier, the MultiChoice Group disclosed a 30.77% decline in subscriber income from Nigeria for the full fiscal year that concludes in March 2024
