This comes about after Multichoice raised the prices of its two satellite services in Nigeria by up to 14% earlier this year, drawing the ire of legislators who immediately demanded a downward review. Nigeria’s Senate asked Multichoice to switch to pay-as-you-view so that consumers can “match their TV consumption to subscription as it is the case with electricity metering and mobile telephony.” This week, a three-member tribunal in Nigeria ordered Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to establish whether Multichoice already adopts pay-as-you-view in South Africa and other countries. If yes, the commission is to make sure Multichoice does the same in Nigeria. Multichoice has repeatedly said in the past that it cannot offer a pay-as-you-view model, citing technical and commercial considerations while insisting that its services are not expensive. With an estimated 20 million subscribers, Multichoice is the leading African provider of satellite TV with two options DStv and GOtv dominating Nigeria and South Africa due to its package of exclusive European soccer games and international TV stations.
SOURCE: QUARTZ AFRICA