Suspend subscription fees hike, Reps order Multichoice

The House of Representatives has stepped in to address the public’s concerns over Multichoice’s recent subscription fee hike, directing the company to put its planned rate increase on hold.

This move is in response to the country’s current economic struggles, which have sparked widespread outcry over the price bump.

The House directive followed a motion by Rep. Esosa Iyawe (APC Edo) during Tuesday’s plenary session.

Iyawe said: “Multichoice recently announced a hike in subscription rates across all its packages, citing rising operational costs.

“However, this marks the second increase in less than a year, with the last adjustment made in May 2024.”

The lawmaker recalled that the previous hike triggered widespread public outrage, with many Nigerians, already grappling with economic challenges, abandoning their decoders due to a lack of competition in the pay-TV sector.

“Multichoice’s dominance in the market means any price increase has a widespread impact, putting consumers under undue financial pressure.”

Following the adoption of the motion, the House directed Multichoice to suspend its proposed tariff hike pending a thorough investigation.

The lawmakers also mandated the Committee on Commerce to investigate the recurring increases in subscription fees, aiming to establish cost-effective policies that benefit Nigerian consumers.

The committee was given four weeks to submit its findings.

Persecondnews recalls that on February 25, the Pay-TV provider announced a price hike effective March 1, with the DStv Premium package increasing to N44,500 from N37,000, Compact+ to N30,000 from N25,000, and Compact to N19,000 from N17,000.

In a notice to customers, Multichoice explained that the price increase was part of a broader review of its pricing strategy.

The notice, titled “Price Adjustments for DStv and GOtv Packages,” reads in part, “Dear Customer, please note that effective March 1, 2025, there will be a price adjustment on all DStv packages.

“This is to enable us to continue offering our customers world-class homegrown and international content, delivered through the best technology.”

The adjustment follows a similar price hike in May 2024, which the company attributed to inflation and rising operational costs in Nigeria.