Triple blow for DStv business packages — including a massive price hike

MultiChoice has announced restructuring its business packages, including price increases that will increase monthly fees by as much as 24%.

Moreover, the changes hit customers with a triple whammy, as DStv now only allows two TVs per subscription — down from three — and stripped popular SuperSport channels from the cheaper packages.

A MyBroadband reader informed us of the issue, and MultiChoice confirmed the update will take effect from 1 September 2023.

“Our DStv Business Packages have not had a price review in many years despite the weakening rand, inflationary increases to double digits in some areas, and a poor economic trading environment,” DStv told MyBroadband.

This follows a price increase for its business customers that took effect on 1 April 2023.

The price increases for DStv’s in-public Business Play packages are summarised in the table below.

DStv is also restructuring the sports channels offered with each subscription.

Those who want to provide sports like rugby, cricket, and motorsport for their customers will have to upgrade to the Play Ultra package.

“What we are doing is aligning the sport on the Commercial Play package structure closer to how we sell DStv in Residential,” DStv said in an email to business customers.

These changes are as follows:

• English Premier League and European football (EPL, FA Cup, UEFA, and Europa League) move to the Play Essential package (previously included in Basic).
• Moving all Premium Sport from Essential to Ultra.

It added that the Spanish La Liga and local football like the DStv Premiership will be available on the Play Basic package.

The restructuring includes limiting the number of viewing points to two televisions per subscriber — down from three televisions per subscriber.

“The number of viewing points per business will be limited to 2 televisions per subscriber,” DStv said.

The reader — who owns a pub in Johannesburg — said the increase and reduction of the number of TVs per subscription effectively work out to a 125% increase per TV.

Previously on the Essential package, which included rugby, cricket, and motorsport, the pub effectively paid R267 per TV per month.

However, they are now forced to upgrade to the Ultra package to retain these sports, and with DStv limiting the number of TVs per subscription to two, this works out to R600 per TV per month.

MultiChoice blamed the weakening rand.

“Considering the current exchange rate regime, we face increased costs in local currency versus the US dollar, which necessitates a review of our subscription packages,” DStv said.

“From time to time, we are required to renegotiate content rights, and as a result, we must adjust the pricing and content offering for three of our DStv Business, Play Package offerings.”

MyBroadband asked DStv if it had recently renegotiated some of its sports content rights, but it said it couldn’t provide comment on such negotiations.

“Beyond SuperSport confirming that we have certain rights, we do not divulge the nature of these rights or speculate on what rights the business may be acquiring. We do not comment on prices or payments either,” it said.

“SuperSport routinely bids for major football rights (and others) and renegotiates these at appropriate times.”

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