DStv EasyView versus Openview – prices and channels

Openview, the subscription-free satellite TV service from E-tv owner eMedia Investments, recently announced it would add SABC Sport and several SABC radio stations to its platform.

The deal also included two unconfirmed SABC entertainment channels, which will be announced and added to Openview at a later date.

While Openview does not have a monthly subscription fee, it is in many respects a direct competitor to DStv’s EasyView product, which sells for R29 per month.

It is not clear which platform is ahead in viewership, as MultiChoice does not separately report its subscriber numbers for DStv EasyView. Openview does not report its active viewership numbers, but instead focuses on “homes connected”.

MultiChoice reported in its most recent annual results that its mass market segment, which includes its DStv Family, Access, and EasyView packages, grew by 16% to 4 million subscribers.

Openview revealed in March that its decoders have been installed in 2.3 million homes around South Africa – up from 2 million in May 2020.

Comparing the total cost of installing and using these services shows that your cheapest option for DStv is R750 for a decoder, dish, and installation. Openview advertises its decoder, dish, and installation bundle for R1,500 – double that of the cheapest options available for DStv.

Taking into account EasyView’s R29 per month subscription fee, it would take 26 months for an EasyView subscriber to reach a total expenditure of over R1,500.

Looking at the channels available on the two services, Openview now has 21 channels with the addition of SABC Sport, while DStv EasyView has 33 channels.

DStv EasyView’s channel mix is skewed more towards news & community stations, while Openview’s channels are currently more entertainment-focused.

The table below summarises how the pricing and content of Openview compares to DStv Easyview.

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