The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has directed MultiChoice Nigeria to maintain its current subscription prices while an investigation into its planned price increase is ongoing.
This decision follows MultiChoice Nigeria’s request for an extension regarding its scheduled appearance before the FCCPC. The regulatory body had summoned the company’s leadership over its recent announcement of a price hike across DStv and GOtv packages, set to take effect from March 1.
The hearing, originally set for February 27, has now been rescheduled to March 6. Until then, MultiChoice must maintain its existing price structure to prevent potential consumer harm, the FCCPC stated.
On Monday, MultiChoice Nigeria informed subscribers of new pricing that would see significant increases across its Pay-TV packages. Under the proposed structure, the DStv Compact bouquet would rise from N15,700 to N19,000 (25% increase), while the Compact Plus package would jump from N25,000 to N30,000 (20% increase). The Premium package would move from N37,000 to N44,500 (20% increase).
For GOtv subscribers, the Jinja package would increase from N3,600 to N3,900, Jolli from N4,850 to N5,800, Max from N7,200 to N8,500, Supa from N9,600 to N11,400, and Supa Plus from N15,700 to N16,800.
This latest hike comes despite a steep decline in MultiChoice Nigeria’s subscriber base due to multiple price increases. In 2023, the company raised prices twice, in April and November, triggering backlash from consumers. By September 2024, MultiChoice had lost 243,000 Nigerian subscribers in just six months, a decline the company attributed to the country’s high inflation, which exceeded 30% at the time
