DStv, the most prominent pay TV service in Africa which is owned by MulitChoice (a subsidiary of corporate giant Naspers) ran a customer earlier this year and based on feedback has promised to show fewer repeats and offer fresher content.
This is a followup to promises made in September this year that announced potential changes in the content lineup.
In a statement published recently on the DStv South Africa website, the pay TV service outlined some changes to its content lineup.
These include the trimming of repeat-heavy series channels like CBS Drama and premium M-Net movie channels (this limits the reruns of content across channels), the introduction of new channels like ROK and Zee World and securing fresher content for documentary and lifestyle channels along with over 100 new movies next year.
Does this benefit Zimbabwe?
So far these changes have only been announced by DStv South Africa, which operates separately from other DStv Africa offices like DStv Zimbabwe. However, its content adjustment strategies in the past have served as a precursor to similar changes for the rest of Africa.
At the same time, the growing number of Zimbabweans who access DStv South Africa content using grey DStv South Africa accounts also means that the change will affect viewing choices for a number of people here.
Just generosity or effects of competition?
As much as this is served as another case of deep concern for customers from MultiChoice, it’s hard to not think that there was some external stimulus that got the entertainment giant to compromise.
Considering that this is the first major acknowledgement of complaints on product quality as witnessed by the significant content changes plus the fact that DStv made adjustments to its prices earlier this year, it appears that MultiChoice is responding to some new influence.
A look at the major changes in the media and pay-TV space over the past year and a half shows that there’s new competition that came in the form of VOD services such as Netflix, ShowMax (a Naspers subsidiary and as such a”competitor” of its own making) and now Amazon Prime Video.
While VOD services are hardly as prominent as DStv right now (they rely on stable internet which is still a relative luxury in Africa) they represent the next major challenge to MultiChoice’s dominance providing viewers with thousands of hours of content for a fraction of the price that DStv charges.
That’s enough for DStv to start putting its house in order and fixing those things that viewers have complained about for years.
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14 comments
We want to choose our own channels. Like the sport channel. When you down grade go less channels
We want to choose our own channels…what is the point of me having channel 55,64,63…n others like the soweto,kzn channels n i’m not interested in those channels.come on guys?
I personally think Multichoice hasn’t got the technology to cater for that yet. Plus if we’re able to do that they’ll go under because we’ll choose only our favourite channels and as a result they’ll collect far less revenue . My favourite are less than ten. How much do you think I’ll pay for only ten channels?
LA Liga is one of the biggest and most entertaining Soccer Leagues but it’s only on Premium. Guys Compact subscribers deserve it too. I think.
Please advise why should I pay both TV licence and Dstv ?
TV licence is for SABC and covers only content from SABC. This is needed by the broadcaster to stay afloat. Remember it also has salaries to pay. As for DSTV, this is not a compulsory fee but you must pay it for extra channels that the SABC does not cater for. You don’t have to pay this if you are not interested in those extra channels.
I am so sick of nigerian football league,what hapened to showing NBA on supersports channel SS9,no fuck
Seriously … how long should a person wait for a call after lodge a query u pay ur ass off but cant keep to their turn around time … hello peter here we go
DSTV has steadily decreased in quality and increased in repeats of Modern Family (in Prime time). There is always a number of really rubbish movies on guaranteed. These star over the hill hacks like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Frederic Seagal and Dolph” Lundgren.
Not nice, bad return on a lot of money spent.
what are u going to do for us who paid the premiums when others were enjoying free veiwing the whole month
I’m happy that repeats have stopped. But why did they stop airing shows in the middle of the series. Like 161 had a programme tangled hearts. It just stopped airing and it was at the best part of the show. Please bring it back. There are way to many talk shows as is. Even programs like judges Judy or judges mathis one is enough but now there are like 4 to 5 different ones. Really. It’s all the same. Please bring back tangledown hearts.
As a subscriber who pays R879 per month I am absolutely appauled and disgusted that half way through the airing of The Dan Nicol show last night, 5th April, I had to watch a repeat of the semi finals of the Varsity cup games. Needless to say the Dan Nicol show suddenly came to an end at the intermission. Then watching First XV there was no sound when Johann Ackermann was interviewed! Riverdale has not been televised for the past 2 weeks with no explanation! Why is it not on catchup??
Elloe could you please stop playing the same movies or videos i don’t kwn to whoever is responsible for this what do they watch at their homes jst stop playing the same shit arghaaaa…there are thousands of movies and videos for crying out loud.
I owned a duel view decoder for 12 years and was tolded by installer i has to be replaced so i bought a HD decoder it is rubbish . First of all the remote is to small and buttons are so close that two are pressed at the same time ok for children with tiny fingers and not for men ,then the decoder you can not get rid off the information bar or volume bar as on the duel view to me this is very irratiating when changing chanals