MultiChoice Nigeria Slashes DStv Decoder Price by 50% Amid Subscriber Drop
In a major move to win back customers and boost declining subscriptions, MultiChoice Nigeria has announced a 50 per cent price cut on its DStv decoder, reducing the cost from ₦20,000 to ₦10,000.
The announcement, made on Tuesday by the company’s Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, comes as part of a new campaign titled “We Got You”, aimed at delivering enhanced value, promoting content variety, and rewarding customer loyalty.
“We want to ensure our customers feel appreciated and have access to the best entertainment every day,” Ugbe said.
“This campaign is about making premium content more accessible and showing that DStv offers something for everyone, not just football fans.”Advertisement
Free Upgrade Promo
In addition to the decoder price slash, MultiChoice is also launching a limited-time promotional offer. From June 16 to July 31, 2025, subscribers who pay in full for their current DStv package will be automatically upgraded to the next higher tier, free of charge.
The company noted that these initiatives are direct responses to Nigeria’s economic challenges, acknowledging the financial strain on households.
“We understand the economic impact on the everyday lives of Nigerians,” the company said.
“This is our way of easing that burden and giving more value for every naira spent.”
Repositioning Beyond Sports
As part of its repositioning strategy, DStv aims to shift perceptions of the platform being solely sports-focused by highlighting a wider range of content — including drama, movies, kids’ programs, and news.
“This means more channels, more shows, and more reasons to tune in every day,” the company emphasized.
Subscriber Exodus and Price Hikes
The new incentives come in the wake of a massive subscriber drop, with the company reporting a loss of 1.4 million users between March 2023 and March 2025.
This decline followed three successive price hikes on DStv and GOtv packages within a 12-month period — April 2023, November 2023, and the most recent in May 2024 — which triggered widespread backlash from subscribers.
Outlook
With stiff competition from streaming services and growing discontent over pricing, MultiChoice is now reworking its customer engagement and affordability model. Whether this fresh strategy will help reclaim market confidence remains to be seen.
