Pay-TV giant MultiChoice is bracing for the competition US-based streaming service Disney+ will bring to the South African market this year.
So said Simon Camerer, MultiChoice chief operations officer, yesterday in an interview with ITWeb after the video entertainment company announced price increases for its DStv offering.
According to Camerer, MultiChoice “welcomes the competition brought by Disney+” as this would benefit consumers, leaving them spoilt for choice on the variety of streaming services available in South Africa.
Last month, Disney+ confirmed that this winter it will launch in 42 countries and 11 new territories. “New countries include South Africa, Turkey, Poland and the United Arab Emirates,” said the company.
When it launches, it will compete with MultiChoice-owned Showmax, Netflix, Prime Video from Amazon, Apple TV, BritBox and eMedia Investments’ online video-streaming service eVOD, to name a few.
MultiChoice recently told ITWeb it is witnessing more of its customers accessing third-party streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video via its DStv platform.
To fend off the competition, MultiChoice has been harnessing the power of technology innovation to up its game.
As more consumers left the pay-TV giant for video-on-demand services, MultiChoice announced partnerships with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, to make the offerings accessible through its DStv Explora Ultra decoder.
Local pricing for Disney+ has not yet been announced.
Yesterday, MultiChoice’s DStv released its updated fee schedule for 2022, which it says sees nominal adjustments on certain subscription packages.
According to the company, at 2.7%, the weighted adjustment across all of DStv’s offerings for 2022 is significantly lower than the projected consumer price index for the year.
It notes the adjustments follow a period of increased value offerings from DStv in the form of local and international general entertainment and sports content, DStv Internet, and Rewards.
From 1 April, Premium subscribers will pay 1.21% or R10 more per month, says the firm, adding there are nominal adjustments for Compact Plus (+1.86% or R10), Compact (+4.89% or R20), Family (+4.75% or R14) and DStv Access (+4.35% or R5).
Pricing for Easyview, Showmax, Add Movies and BoxOffice will remain unchanged for 2022.
The company explains that DStv has considered the challenges facing South African consumers and has once again absorbed as much of the increase of the cost of doing business as possible in order to implement minimal adjustments.
“We realise that customers remain under pressure two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. These adjustments will help us to ensure South Africans continue to enjoy the best value, and unrivalled access to entertainment, anywhere, anytime and at the most affordable price,” says Nyiko Shiburi, MultiChoice South Africa CEO.
DStv Premium subscribers get Showmax as a value-added service at no additional charge and DStv Compact, Compact Plus, Family and Access subscribers get Showmax at a 50% discount.
“We are driving the African storytelling agenda by creating locally-rooted content with a growing global appeal, developing unique content that resonates with our subscribers,” says Shiburi.
“This year, subscribers can look forward to more sparkling entertainment and sport like the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Springboks’ incoming and outgoing tours, and the Rugby Championship. Customers can also look forward to continued savings thanks to discounts on our DStv Internet bundles.”
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