Even as competition from online streaming services intensifies, Kenyan consumers of the pay TV operator DStv will have to pay extra in a month to access their favorite programs.
This comes after Multichoice said on Tuesday that it would raise subscription costs across all packages by September 2022.
Users to the Access and Family packages will pay an extra Ksh. 100 over the existing rate, while Compact and Compact Plus subscribers would pay an extra Ksh. 200 and Ksh. 400, respectively.
Subscribers to the most expensive tier, the DStv Premium plan, will have to pay an additional Ksh. 500 just to renew their subscription. The corporation attributes the price rise to consumer inflation and current economic conditions.
Here are the new prices across board;
Package | Old price | New price |
---|---|---|
Access | KES 1,050 | KES 1,100 |
Family | KES 1,500 | KES 1,600 |
Compact | KES 2,800 | KES 3,000 |
Compact Plus | KES 5,100 | KES 5,500 |
Premium | KES 8,400 | KES 8,900 |
The move has not been received well by consumers considering the options available to them.
The Kenyan High Court recently ordered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to permanently block unlicensed live sports streaming websites.
This followed a petition filed in 2019 by Multichoice Kenya to compel Safaricom PLC and Jamii Telecom Limited to prohibit pirate websites on their networks due to copyright issues.