Satellite giant MultiChoice has not cut its cable TV subscription prices in Nigeria as claimed online
IN SHORT: MultiChoice Nigeria has increased its subscription prices twice since December 2023. But claims that it reverted to the old subscription prices in June 2024 are false.
In April 2024, MultiChoice in Nigeria raised subscription prices for the second time in four months.
Local media reported that the company had bemoaned a drop in subscribers. Nigerians had also decried the hike.
Headquartered in South Africa, MultiChoice operates DStv, a major satellite television service, in several countries including Nigeria, Malawi and Namibia.
On 29 April, Nigeria's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission restrained the company from increasing its subscription prices following the April price review.
The commission ordered MultiChoice not to implement the price adjustments, which were due to start on 1 May.
On 7 June, the court ordered the company to pay N150 million (about US$100,000) for non-compliance and to offer Nigerian customers a one-month free subscription to the DStv and GOtv packages. The company told local media that it would appeal the court's ruling.
However, several reports on Facebook in Nigeria claim that the company has begun reviewing its subscriptions to make them cheaper.
One of the posts reads: "Multichoice drops subscription prices for DStv and Gotv packages."
The claim appeared on Facebook here, here and here. (Note: See other instances of the claim at the end of this report). The posts also list the "new" rates, which are supposedly the same as the prices the company set after its December 2023 price review.
But has MultiChoice reduced its subscription prices? We checked.
Prices remain the same
A check of the DStv and GOtv websites shows that the prices are still the same as in April. Subscription prices have not been reduced.
Caroline Oghuma, a public relations manager at MultiChoice Nigeria, told The Cable publication that there had been no price reductions.
"We haven't reduced subscription prices, but we reduced our decoder prices. Subscription prices remain as it is, but the decoder prices were reduced from June 1," Oghuma was quoted as saying.
There is no credible evidence that subscription prices for DStv and GOtv have been revised downwards and online articles suggesting otherwise are incorrect.
The false claim appeared here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
