By Pascal Ibe

On Monday morning, news pages and blogs on various social media platforms claimed that Multichoice, has slashed the subscription prices for GOtv and DStv.

This came after the South African-based satellite television service provider, MultiChoice, reported loss-making for the year ended 31 March 2024 after incurring a net loss of 4.1 billion rand, ($225.8 million at current exchange rate).

The company recorded loss for the second year running, its audited accounts released on Wednesday showed.

Shares in the company dropped by 0.25 per cent on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange following the news.

The latest loss compares to a loss after tax of 2.9 billion rands recorded in the corresponding period 2023 and was driven by net foreign exchange translation losses of 6 billion rands.

Some reputable news organizations in Nigeria like Tribuneonline and Leadership reported that Multichoice has adjusted it’s subscription prices for GOtv and DStv

According to the reports on both news websites on Monday, this comes after the company faced legal challenges and reported a significant decline in its Nigerian subscriber base, losing over a million subscribers.

Here are the new rates:

DStv
Premium Package: Now N29,500 (previously N37,000)
Compact+ Package: Now N19,800 (previously N25,000)
Compact Bouquet: Now N12,500 (previously N15,700)
Confam Package: Now N7,400 (previously N9,300)
Yanga Package: Now N4,200 (previously N5,100)
Padi Package: Now N2,950 (previously N3,600)

GOtv
Super+ Package: Now N12,500 (previously N15,700)
Super Package: Now N7,600 (previously N9,600)
Max Package: Now N5,700
Joli Package: Now N3,950
Jinja Package: Now N2,700

The Court Order

Last week, the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal fined prominent Pay-TV operator, Multichoice Nigeria, N150 million for challenging the jurisdiction of a court sitting in Abuja that recently restrained it from increasing the prices of its DStv and GOtv packages.

The verdict delivered by three of the panel led by Thomas Okosu on Friday also ordered Multichoice to give Nigerians a one-month free subscription on DSTV and GOTV.

Nairametrics previously reported that the tribunal had restrained MultiChoice from increasing its subscription rates pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice filed by Barrister Festus Onifade.

Onifade, who sued Multi-Choice Nigeria Ltd, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission 

(FCCPC), accused Pay TV of unjustly increasing subscription fees without one-month notice to customers and leveraging on it to seek interim orders against Pay TV.

A three-member tribunal chaired by Saratu Shafii had ruled in favour of Onifade by restraining Multichoice in the  interim, in the suit marked CCPT/OP/2/2024, restraining the pay TV from going ahead with the impending price increase scheduled to take effect from 1st May 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

But Multichoice’s lawyer, Moyosore .J. Onibanjo (SAN) filed a preliminary objection urging the court to decline jurisdiction on the suit filed by Festus Onifade and strike it out because such a price dispute case had been decided before in favour of his client.

Onibanjo also tendered and adopted the previous judgement of the tribunal in suit no CCPT/OP/1/2022(Exhibit A), alongside his application, saying when a court has determined an issue between the same parties on the same subject matter before, that matter cannot be re-litigated again by any tribunal or court.

He stressed that the power to regulate prices is vested in the president of Nigeria, adding that the Tribunal is not the forum where the claimant can come to seek to regulate the prices and services offered by Multichoice.

On his part, Onifade argued that the issue he placed before the court is  whether Multichoice Nigeria gave adequate notice in respect of the May 1, 2024 price TV subscription increase, and not price regulation or increase.

“It is our submission that the 8-day notice issued by Multichoice Nigeria  is insufficient in law. A monthly subscriber should be given at least a month.

“Dismiss this application (by Multichoice )for being a waste of time of the court,” Onifade prayed.

Subscription increment

In April 2024, Multichoice in a statement titled ‘Price Adjustment on DStv and GOtv Packages’, signed by its Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, sent to its customers , said the increase was necessitated by the rise in the cost of business operations.

According to the statement, the increment would take effect on May 1, 2024.

“We understand the impact this change may have on you – our valued customer, but the rise in the cost of business operations, has led us to make this difficult decision.

“We understand the impact this change may have on you – our valued customer, but the rise in the cost of business operations, has led us to make this difficult decision,” the statement said.

The Premium package on DSTV which used to cost N29,500, would now go for N37,000, while the Compact Plus which currently goes for N19,800, has been increased to N25,000.

Verifying This Trending Claim

When thefactwatch verified this claim that Multichoice has slashed prices for GOtv and DStv subscriber in Nigeria, we found out that the new prices are yet to show on the DStv and GOtv applications as at Tuesday morning.

When a DStv subscriber, Emmanuel Okoye (not real name) sent a screenshot of the prices to thefactwatch on WhatsApp, we saw the subscription prices increased in Apri. Nothing changed.

A Facebook by name Polycarp Preston sent a photo with the same old prices.

When thefactwatch contacted DStv customer care line with this phone number ,+2348039003788, a male maintained that the old subscription price increased in April has not changed.

He said, “we have not adjusted to the old prices. No! the information is untrue, please.

Multichoice Appeals Judgment

According to Nairametrics, Multichoice Nigeria on Tuesday filed an appeal against the ruling of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal which imposed a N150 million fine and “free monthly subscription order” on it following its preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction among other reliefs.

Citing Nairametrics, based on information from our sources familiar with the development, “a notice of appeal” has been entered against the recent ruling of the Tribunal.

Verdict

Findings showed that the trending claim that Multichoice Nigeria has adjusted prices for GOtv and DStv subscription is FALSE.

Please note that thefactwatch, a verification platform is owned by CrimeFacts news