MultiChoice’s reshaped DStv lineup is prompting questions over whether South African sports viewers are being forced to pay more to follow major events.
The Competition Commission has previously raised concerns about exclusive sports-broadcasting agreements, warning that they could limit competition and further strengthen the market power of companies such as MultiChoice.
Commission spokesperson Siyabulela Makunga said those concerns must be weighed against the money rights holders need to develop and sustain sporting codes independently. He also said the public interest must be considered, particularly the ability of the public broadcaster to show events of national importance through direct deals or sublicensing.
The commission is currently investigating MultiChoice’s exclusive sports rights after a complaint from the SABC. Makunga said no further information could be released while the process continues, in order to protect the investigation’s integrity.
Quick facts
- Starter: more than 85 channels for R150 per month
- Select: more than 100 channels for R339 per month
- Sports: more than 115 channels for R479 per month
- Movies & Series: more than 115 channels for R500 per month
- EasyView remains at R30 per month
- Premium remains available at R979 per month
The revamped DStv model is divided into six principal bouquets: Starter, Select, Sports, Movies & Series, EasyView and Premium. EasyView and Premium have not been altered, while the other packages carry new positioning and names.
MultiChoice argues that piracy, not lawful streaming platforms, is the biggest danger to sports broadcasting and the long-term survival of content in South Africa. The company says that risk is growing as internet access improves and mobile data prices become more competitive.
The broadcaster said the revised labels were intended to explain each package more clearly rather than conceal what subscribers receive. It also said the update did not increase prices, with customers retaining their existing arrangements while receiving additional content and value.
Although premium sports rights come with exceptionally high acquisition costs, MultiChoice said Premium remains its flagship package and continues to offer unmatched value for sports viewers. The company described the move as its most substantial subscriber-value increase in more than 10 years, including a R799 Premium rate secured for its longest-serving customers.
MultiChoice added that this is only the opening stage of a broader product review. Future decisions about tiers and packaging will be shaped by market research, customer responses and international industry developments.
The company repeated that illegal piracy is the principal threat to sustainable sports broadcasting as connectivity expands and data becomes more affordable, rather than competition from legitimate streaming services.
Subscribers on DStv Premium, Compact Plus and Compact — now called Sports — receive two simultaneous streams with their subscriptions. That allows them to watch across different devices.
MultiChoice said its streaming products are designed to let customers view content wherever and whenever they choose. It acknowledged having to balance protection against password sharing with the value expected by subscribers, but said customer feedback led it to reverse a previous restriction in April last year and restore additional concurrent streams.
The company said the adjustment produced a major rise in active DStv Stream use, with record engagement recorded during major occasions such as the Fifa World Cup.
TV commentators, however, remain uneasy about how the packages handle access to major national sporting occasions.
Former 93.8FM and Soccer Laduma sports broadcaster Tsholofelo Phaho pointed to the Fifa World Cup as proof that separate platforms can operate alongside one another. SuperSport had the rights to every World Cup fixture, while the SABC still showed each Bafana Bafana match.
Phaho said a similar arrangement could work for competitions including the Rugby Championship and this year’s Nations Championship: SuperSport could retain rights to every match while the SABC secured the Springboks’ test games.
He added that patriotism should make broad television access to Springboks matches a priority, arguing that a practical compromise ought to be possible.
Lufefe Mayekiso, founder of Motorzar TV, said he was frustrated that the long-awaited sports-only option does not include two of the year’s biggest attractions: Champions League football and Springboks matches. While some subscribers may accept the available choices, he believes R479 could feel expensive for the content included.
Mayekiso predicted that broadcasting influence would shift over the next three to five years. He welcomed the Sports package but said its design appeared to steer viewers toward costlier upgrades if they wanted their preferred competitions.
In his view, the strategy may be commercially smart for MultiChoice but unfair to subscribers who simply want to support the Springboks.
