The House of Representatives has directed Multichoice, the owner of DStv and GOtv, to suspend its planned subscription rate hike due to the current economic situation.
Multichoice recently announced new prices effective from March 1, raising the DStv Premium bouquet from N37,000 to N44,500, Compact+ from N25,000 to N30,000, and Compact from N17,000 to N19,000.
The directive came after the House adopted a motion moved by Esosa Iyawe, an APC member from Edo State. He noted that this would be the second price increase in less than a year, following a hike in May 2024, which had already sparked public outrage.
“We are concerned that the increase in May 2024 forced many Nigerians, already struggling with rising costs of living, to abandon their decoders, highlighting the lack of competition in the pay-TV sector,” Iyawe said.
He also pointed out that Multichoice’s dominant position in the industry means that its price hikes have a widespread impact on consumers, many of whom have voiced frustration over the frequent increases without noticeable service improvements.
With the adoption of the motion, the House has called on Multichoice to halt the price increase while its Committee on Commerce conducts an investigation into the matter. The committee has been given four weeks to submit its report.
