Pay television service provider, MultiChoice Nigeria, has again, announced the increases in subscription rates for its DSTV and GOTV packages.
Gatekeepers News reports that MultiChoice Nigeria announced the increases through text messages to its subscribers on Tuesday.
The company in the text message sent to subscribers on Wednesday, blamed the adjustment in prices of the subscription packages to rise in costs of business operations.
The new prices which will take effect from May 1, saw Multichoice increase monthly subscription for its Premium DSTV package to N24,500 from N21,000.
It, however, noted that subscribers can retain the old price of N21,000 for up to 12 months if they are active by April 30.
According to the company, the price of the Compact+ bouquet has been adjusted to N16,600 from N14, 250 monthly while subscribers on the Compact bouquet would now pay N10,500 as against the previous N9,000.
Subscribers on the Confam package will now pay N6,200 monthly as against N5,300, while subscribers on DStv Yanga and Padi would pay N3,500 and N2,500 respectively as against N2,950 and N2,150.
In a related development for the GOtv, subscribers on the GOtv Supa package would pay N6,400 as against N5,500, with those on GOtv Max paying N4,850 as against N4,150.
GOtv Jolli subscribers are due to start paying N3,300 as against N2,800, with the tariffs on GOtv Jinja and GOtv Lite also rising from N1,900 to N2,250 and N900 to N1,100 respectively.
Multichoice, however, said it has made a price lock offer to subscribers who renew their subscriptions before their due dates.
This means customers can still pay the old rates for 12 months if they pay monthly before the expiration of their subscriptions.
Similarly, it grants subscribers, who pay for one year at a go, before the new prices kick in, the opportunity to pay the old tariffs.
Meanwhile, this has not been warmly welcomed by subscribers as many lamented that the pay-tv firm is extorting Nigerians.
The National Association of Nigerian Students, South-west Zone gave the company a seven-day ultimatum to reverse its planned hike.
The student association made this known in a statement on Tuesday, signed by its Coordinator, Adejuwon Olatunji, Deputy Coordinator, Alao John, and Public Relations Officer, Opeoluwa Awoyinfa.
The NANS wrote in a statement, “Today, we are aware that MultiChoice Digital Satellite has increased its tariffs without considering the standard of living of Nigerians. We have also waited for long to see if this same company will dance to the music of Nigerians who have been clamouring for ‘pay-as-you-view’ tariff, but the reverse is the case.
“This is the time to call on National Broadcasting Commission to go back to the Commission’s act to regulate the ownership, activities and operations of Direct Broadcast Satellite Service Providers. DSTV is one of the leading direct-to-home service providers in Nigeria since its inception of operation from as far back as 1995, and has also made a lot of profit with over 25 million subscribers which is the largest market for its operations.
“We want the Federal Government to stampede their proposed plan in tariffs increment and also force them to implement the pay-as-you-view system. We are aware that DSTV operates a system of pay-as-you-go tariffs in other countries.”
