DStv Packages: Its Overhaul

Overdue: No Big Changes for About a Decade

- Moneyweb

The most surprising thing in TechCentral's interview with MultiChoice South Africa CEO Byron du Plessis about the pay TV operator's planned overhaul of its packages is his admission that: "To be frank, we're a little late on this."

Group CEO Calvo Mawela hinted last month that it may split its SuperSport offering from its DStv general entertainment one, given subscribers the option of having both or just entertainment (i.e., no sport). To describe this as long overdue would be an understatement.

Globally, pay TV operators such as Sky in the UK and Canal+ in France made these moves years (about a decade) ago. In 2016, Canal+ shifted to a structure with a base package (called Canal+) which offered a number of entertainment channels together with a limited set of sports channels.

No essential changes

DStv has not made any substantive changes to its offering for over a decade.

It's simply been content to sit back and attempt to defend its affluent and mid-market bases while adding lower-end customers from a largely untapped mass market.