Companies

2017 was challenging year for Pay-TV firms

pay tv

Gotv sales executives. file photo | nmg

This year proved to be a challenging period for pay-to-view TV firms locally with some cutting prices to fight off the growing cut-throat competition, partly resulting from the introduction of alternative media like Internet TV.

Firms like Startimes Media and MultiChoice-owned brands DStv and GOtv made changes to their various packages to retain customers and appeal to more clients.

DStv reduced the monthly bouquet prices by between three and nine per cent in October. Still during the same month it added Spanish league La Liga on its Family Bouquet beside BBCLifestyle, Food Network, Cbeebies, Trace Mziki, Africa Magic Epic and Trace Mziki that were previously available on higher-priced bouquets.

MultiChoice also enticed its GOtv customers with a new subscription option – GOtv Max in late September, offering more content by adding four new channels of local and international programming to its premium package.

During the changes the firm introduced four additional football and entertainment channels where the improved package now features SuperSport Select 4 channel, which will give its subscribers access to all La Liga matches on SuperSport Select 4, select live Premier League games and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) contests.

Chinese pay-TV firm Startimes also expanded its service in June to reach out to five more counties, namely Kitui, Garissa, Kapenguria, Embu, Trans-Nzoia and Laikipia as it sought to deepen its reach in rural Kenya. The firm now boosts of a presence in 33 counties.

It also for the first time secured rights to air the FIFA World Cup in April, giving it a fighting chance against MultiChoice’s Supersport, which has for years exclusively aired the popular football tournament.

StarTimes now airs 64 matches, which started in June 16 and will end in July 15, 2018 in Russia, across all 14 African countries it has operations except in South Africa.
The changes by the three firms are also largely seen as a response to customers’ needs.