1.4 Million Nigerians Dump DSTV in Two Years
In a shocking revelation, African Pay-TV operator, Multichoice Group, has announced that its Nigerian operation has lost a staggering 1.4 million subscribers over the past two years.
The company released its audited results for the year-ended March 2025, on Wednesday, citing high inflation, power grid collapse, and fuel scarcity as major factors contributing to the decline.
According to the report, Nigeria accounted for a whopping 77% of the total subscriber loss recorded across Multichoice’s Rest of Africa (RoA) operations between 2023 and 2025.
The RoA region lost a total of 1.8 million subscribers during this period, bringing the total subscriber base down to 7.5 million in 2025 from 9.3 million in 2023.
The company’s figures show that the subscriber loss was most severe in the 2024 financial year, with a 13% decline from 9.3 million to 8.1 million subscribers.
However, the decline slowed down slightly in the 2025 financial year, with a 7% decline from 8.1 million to 7.5 million subscribers.
Multichoice blamed the challenging economic conditions in key markets, including high inflation, for the subscriber loss.
“Inflation across key markets remained high (around 20% on a weighted average basis, above 30% in Nigeria and Angola) and caused pressure on customer spending,” the company stated in its earnings report.
The report also highlighted the impact of power shortages in several countries, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, as well as ongoing power and fuel shortages in Nigeria, and civil unrest in Mozambique.
“As a result of the above trading conditions, active subscribers declined 7% YoY, with Nigeria accounting for over half of this decline,” the company noted.
The subscription price hikes implemented by Multichoice Nigeria, which increased DStv and GOtv prices three times within the two-year period, appear to have had little impact on stemming the subscriber loss.
The company’s struggles in Nigeria, its largest market, will likely raise concerns about its ability to maintain its market share in the face of increasing competition and economic uncertainty.
As the company looks to rebound from this significant setback, it remains to be seen what strategies Multichoice will employ to win back lost subscribers and regain its footing in the Nigerian market.
