MultiChoice Slashes Decoder Prices by 50% to Win Back Nigerian Subscribers

MultiChoice Nigeria has announced a 50 per cent reduction in the price of its DStv decoder, dropping the cost from ₦20,000 to ₦10,000. The move comes as part of efforts to regain customer loyalty amid a sharp decline in subscriptions across its platforms.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the company described the price cut as a strategic response to the economic challenges facing Nigerian households. Alongside the reduction, MultiChoice has launched a promotional offer that upgrades active subscribers to the next DStv package tier at no extra cost when they renew their current subscription in full.

Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, said the initiative aims to enhance customer value at a time when economic pressures are making it harder for many Nigerians to maintain their subscriptions.

The announcement follows a steep drop in subscriber numbers. Between March 2023 and March 2025, MultiChoice lost 1.4 million customers. In its interim financial report for the period ending September 30, 2024, the company revealed that 243,000 subscribers in Nigeria alone had disconnected between April and September that year. The company cited inflation — now above 30 percent — and the surging costs of food, fuel, and electricity as key drivers behind the mass exodus.

Nigeria’s economic situation has also impacted MultiChoice’s wider African operations, with 566,000 subscribers lost in other markets over a six-month period. Nigeria and Zambia contributed the largest share of this decline.

MultiChoice has also implemented multiple subscription price increases in the past two years. DStv and GOtv packages were adjusted upward in April and November 2023, and again in May 2024. In February 2025, the company announced yet another price hike, citing operational cost pressures driven by Nigeria’s economic conditions.

Despite these challenges, MultiChoice says the recent initiatives are designed to offer relief to customers and encourage continued engagement with its services. The company remains a major player in Africa’s pay-TV market, operating both DStv and GOtv platforms under the MultiChoice Group.