If we dial down the noise around VOD services it’s easy to see that Multichoice’s DStv is still the most convenient Pay TV service locally. But for all its merit, DStv still gets slammed for unfair pricing and TV package arrangements, especially when it comes to the closely followed European football leagues.
Which would explain why some Zimbabweans still sign up for South African DStv packages – to access more content at a discount and, more importantly, get access to league fixtures for England’s Barclays Premier League(EPL) and Spain’s La Liga on cheaper bouquets like South Africa’s DStv Compact.
Now, MultiChoice wants to change that and has now introduced two new sports channels, SuperSport 11 (DStv Channel 211) and SuperSport 12 (DStv channel 212). The two channels will be focused on EPL and La Liga and will also cover the Euro 2016 tournament. These channels are available on the same DStv Compact bouquet that Zimbabwean MultiChoice subscribers are accessing.
It’s a significant step back for MultiChoice Zimbabwe. Last year, it migrated all major European Football coverage to its Premium bouquet which is priced at $82. Needless to say, the change, which coincided with the start of popular European Leagues in August, wasn’t welcomed by Zimbabwean subscribers who already complain about other unfair practices like regular price increases.
This adjusted football access likely pushed a significant number of soccer fans to try the DStv South Africa option which, though illegal, offers EPL and La Liga coverage for 319 Rand (US$20.91) under the South African DStv Compact Bouquet.
That’s all just presumptious, though. Officially MultiChoice Zimbabwe has stated that these new channels are their way of prioritising subscribers’ needs and giving them good news in tough economic times.
Too late or too weak a response?
The new sports channels for DStv Compact subscribers outside South Africa are long overdue. They will, at least, give loyal DStv Zimbabwe subscribers an opportunity to access popular football for $32 a month.
However, this doesn’t look like it will be enough to sway all the subscribers who have switched to grey South African accounts.
Even with the offer of international football matches dangled in front of them, the significant difference in bouquet prices is too tempting to lure a subscriber who is now getting a full offering of DStv entertainment (including South African channels that used to be available on now-defunct Free-To-Air decoders) for $45 with an option to migrate to a $20 bouquet that still offers more than its counterpart Zimbabwean DStv package.
This can be blamed on a lot of things – the weaker Rand that makes anything paid for in South Africa more appealing, the Diaspora effect and Zimbabweans being crafty enough to set up this sort of arrangement years ago, macroeconomics and logical reasons (why pay more, really?) or even just plain old football fanaticism. Whatever the case, it’s going to take more than just 2 channels to dissuade these lost subscribers.
At the same time, DStv is now starting to adjust to viewer consumption trends that are being affected by a tough economy where disposable income is shrinking, the threat of a thriving market for offline viewing options like pirated DVD content and the emergence of viewing alternatives from the internet (yes, Netflix and the VOD camp might be minor threats, but they are growing)
Who knows, maybe if things don’t change there might even be a genuine decrease in DStv prices.
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28 comments
It’s beyond football as well. Most SA subs also after the SA soapies on SABC and etv.
Too late, now they are paying for their arrogance. The ship has already sailed unless they change signals I don’t see a great trek coming back to dstv Zim.
Come down to around $20, otherwise in the meantime, we continue watching soccer in the pub!!
DSTV Zim are just not serious. Too greedy and arrogant. Its too late fo sho the ship has already sailed.
Guys…Zim economy is in deflation -2.17%. in simple economic terms prices must come down just like rents that are falling. DSTV must keep in mind that the people who watch dstv are learned and will not be fooled by adding mere 2 channels to a compact bouquet which is too little too late.
I see a price of us$60.00 being the indicative acceptable price for a full bouquet including HD viewing.
I won’t switch from my SA compact
Dstv Zim is just too expensive. One wonders if the the US$ has now lost value more than the SAR.
We predicted this was going to happen when they moved La Liga and EPL to the Full Bouquet, they didnt listen, so we didn’t pay!!
Too little too latev we have been short changed for a very long time now,its still too expensive.
You have always been expensive even before the rand depreciated many people prefered to buy and subscribe in South Africa.
Never the less it is a welcome move for us soccer lovers.
As for me I am cool with this development, coz I wasn’t accessing EPL & La Liga with my $32
But still $20 in SA is still a lucrative deal compared $32 in Zim
anyone know what time its startin cause there is nothing on my compact
I absolutely do not give a damn about soccer! And DSTV should remove all the MZanazi Channels, Kyk Net and the stupid reality TV Channels. I want a Premium Bouquet which gives me the News Cannels, THe best BBC Programmes, not the rubbish on BBC Brit. I don’t stupid programmes like Dine With Me South Afric put on BBC Channels.. Put Strictly Come Dancing back into BBC First where it belongs. Extend the viewing hourst of BBC First. ITV Choice is excellent. And Give us BBC Earth, we pay for it so give it to us NOW!
With the rand depreciated as it is now, the SA account premium bouquet costs less than the $55 that Multichoice Zim is charging for a compact plus bouquet
Still too expensive. I will not not switch from SA.
Personally I hate soccer with a passion, what I watch is Formula 1 & MotoGP. Guess what ain’t no way in hell I will switch to Zim Dstv for $82. I will happily keep paying my ? SA account!
Haha dstv is realising that zim pays in HARD CURRENCY and their precisos rand isnt doing any favors. We saw this coming from a mile away
Looks to me like a preemptive attack on the soon to be officially launched zimbabwe inspired kwese tv. They have seen that Strive is a serious formidable enemy and nothing like the practical jokers such as my tv and bos tv
multichoice Zimbabwe should do somthing about dstv pricing because i also want to open an affordable SA account
we want to support u dstz Zimbabwe but your prices to much.now brend new decoder its going fa 35.but your its x3 u se now.tinongoda ma good prices only
There is nothing illegal about getting a better product for less; you are ridiculously too expensive, will join the SA trek soon, infact am already there. I encourage everyone to do the same. Too dmn expensive for freezing channels!!!!
Your price r jus too high eix jus reconsider
Can Dstv Zim explain the difference in prices?? Compact should be same price throughout and same content guys come on! Don’t discriminate us
So DSTV offers premium at $92 and cheapest unlimited internet goes for $89 telone adsl or $49 ZOL Broadband.
If you know your way around the web you could watch virtually all EPL, movies and series and get News and also get the extra benefits of internet the likes of Youtube and the rest why should i pay more for repeats and re runs Drop your prices match them with SA or the future is not bright why you taking the hard earned US$ for granted #dstvpricedropzw
zimbabwe dstv bouquet s too expensive for nothing, too much repeats, am off to join south african account which is much affordable
Dstv Zim yu shld put in Mind that watching soccer is not basic thing Lyk falling to have mealie meal so you consider how delicate your services are we can easily leave ur services and switch on so many ways that makes our life goes on forgetting your day light robbery you du to Zimbabweans, kp ur expensive channels and we shall kp our moneys, your marketing strategies a’re not matching ur operating environment sorry poor yu
They are going to loose mo subs …What sin have the zimbos commited ?why are the channels differ for the same bouquet?Im saving 12bucks by going to SA..
How does one join the SA bouquets?