DStv cuts Kenya prices, drops two packages as streaming competition bites

MultiChoice is cutting DStv subscription prices in Kenya and reducing its package lineup from six to four, with monthly fees starting at Sh750 from November 5.

The entry-level DStv Starter package will cost Sh750, about N7,750, and carry 116 channels and one major-league football match per week, including English Premier League coverage.

New package ladder

DStv Sports will cost Sh3,000, about N31,000, monthly and absorb the existing Compact and Compact Plus offerings. It will carry 159 channels, covering every EPL match, the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, plus WWE and UFC content.

At the top, DStv Ultimate will cost Sh7,300, about N75,409, per month. That is 37.6% lower than the current Premium subscription of Sh11,700, about N120,914. The package includes up to 180 channels, with Formula One, MotoGP, cricket, rugby, ATP tennis and major golf tournaments among its features.

The restructured pricing is designed to keep popular sports content within reach of more customers and offer lower entry points for viewers who have found existing subscriptions too expensive.

Market share and subscriber losses

The price cuts follow a sustained decline in DStv’s Kenyan pay-TV position. Its market share fell from 60.2% in September 2022 to 41.3% in June 2026.

Over the same period, the combined subscriber base for DStv and GOtv dropped from 3.66 million to about 640,000.

MultiChoice’s financial results reflect the pressure. Group revenue declined from roughly Sh462 billion in 2023 to Sh397 billion in 2025. Trading profit fell from about Sh78 billion to Sh31 billion.

The company faces competition from Netflix, YouTube and other on-demand platforms. Smart televisions with built-in streaming apps have made it simpler for households to access entertainment without a pay-TV subscription. Illegal streaming sites offering live EPL matches at near-zero cost have added further strain on conventional broadcasters.

South Africa shake-up

In a related development, DStv has overhauled its entire package structure, pricing and branding in South Africa. The changes take effect on September 17, 2026, and the company describes them as the most significant shake-up to its products in 15 years.

The announcement was made on Monday, September 7, as the broadcaster repositioned itself under French media giant Canal+, which completed its acquisition of DStv’s parent company.

The revised South African offering introduces five packages: Starter, Select, Sports, Movies & Series and Premium.

For Nigerian viewers and businesses, the Kenya move shows how pay-TV operators are responding to streaming and illegal broadcasts. The naira equivalents of the new Kenyan prices also give a sense of the affordability gap MultiChoice is trying to close in a tough consumer market.