JUST IN: Court Halts Planned DStv, GOtv Price Hike

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Multichoice Nigeria Limited to halt its planned price hike in DStv and GOtv subscription fees, following public outcry over rising costs.

The court injunction comes after the Pay-TV operator announced price hikes across its packages, citing a rise in operational expenses in Nigeria.

This decision offers temporary relief to subscribers amidst concerns about affordability and accessibility of Pay-TV services.

In a significant development, a Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an injunction against Multichoice Nigeria Limited, mandating the suspension of its proposed increase in DStv and GOtv subscription fees.

Last week, Multichoice Nigeria Limited, the Pay-TV operator, had announced its intention to implement a price increment across its DStv and GOtv packages effective May 1, 2024. This move was attributed to the purported rise in the cost of business operations in Nigeria.

According to the notice issued by Multichoice CEO, John Ugbe, the new prices for DStv packages included a substantial hike, with the Premium package set to increase to N37,000 monthly from the current N29,500. Similarly, the Compact+ bouquet was slated to rise to N25,000 from N19,800 monthly.

Under the revised pricing structure, subscribers across various DStv packages were facing significant increases, with fees for Compact, Confam, Yanga, Padi, and HDPVR Access also witnessing notable increments.

GOtv users were not exempt from the price adjustments, as Multichoice announced hikes for the Supa Plus, Supa, Max, Jolli, Jinja, and Smallie packages.

This latest move comes amidst previous subscription fee increases by Multichoice in the past year, raising concerns among consumers about the affordability and accessibility of Pay-TV services.

However, with the recent court order halting the planned price hike, subscribers may find temporary relief as legal proceedings unfold.

The decision underscores the regulatory scrutiny faced by service providers in balancing commercial interests with consumer welfare in the dynamic media landscape.