Pay-television firm MultiChoice Kenya has slashed the cost of its decoders by up to Sh349, including installation accessories, in the latest push to arrest the dip in subscriber numbers.
The company says its high-definition DStv Zapper decoders will now cost Sh850 down from Sh1,199, while the prices of the GOtv decoders have fallen to Sh799 from Sh999.
“These offers are our way of saying thank you to our customers for their loyalty and trust, while inviting new customers to join our growing family,” said Nzola Miranda, Managing Director at MultiChoice Kenya, when he announced the offers that will last up to December 31, 2025.
The slashing of the prices of the kits comes at a time when the firm is grappling with a mass exodus of subscribers amid costly packages and the rise of illegal online streaming platforms.
However, it remains to be seen whether the price reduction will arrest the dip in subscriber numbers.
The firm has also reduced prices on installation accessories, with the DStv dish kit now going for Sh1,650 from Sh2,000 and the GOtv antenna dropping to Sh700 from Sh1,000. GOtv targets customers unable to afford DStv packages due to their spending power.
The cost reductions come barely months after the firm increased the price of its packages for the fifth time in under three years to avert a hit on revenues amid a decline in subscribers.
Prices of DStv packages in Kenya rose by up to Sh700 effective August 1 this year. Subscribers on the Premium were hit with the highest price increase to Sh11,700 from Sh11,000, while those on the Compact Plus are paying Sh7,300 from Sh6,800.
Revenues for MultiChoice in all its markets fell 27 percent in the year to March 2025, revealing the impact of the falling subscriber numbers amid competition from online streaming sites, most of which are illegally accessed.
Subscribers are opting for the cheaper online television streaming sites or illegally accessing others amid tough economic times. MultiChoice Kenya is keen to turn around its dwindling fortunes in the local market and ward off further subscriber losses to the cheaper online television streaming services.
The price cuts on the kits are the first major move that MultiChoice has made in Kenya since it was acquired by French broadcaster, Canal+.
Canal+ bought MultiChoice Group in September this year in a deal that saw the French firm acquire 94.39 percent of all MultiChoice Group shares.
The French broadcaster said that it will undertake an in-depth market review of MultiChoice Group operations and announce any planned changes by April 2026.
