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Tag: DStv

  • Mandela 100: DStv to air week-long festival

    International advocacy organisation, Global Citizen and MultiChoice Africa have announce a special DStv pop-up channel to air the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 running from Sunday, December 2, 2018 at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    The December event is the culmination of Global Citizen’s “Mandela 100” campaign in partnership with the House of Mandela; a series of global events honouring the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela in his centenary year.

    The pop-up channel will be available across all DStv packages on DStv channel 199 from December 1 to December 5, 2018 and it will air the festival that includes a combination of live, highlights and exclusive behind-the-scenes content of the epic event plus special content including documentaries Mandela: The Prison Years and Mandela’s Unsung Heroes.

    Subscribers can also catch this channel on the DStv Now app and online service for customers to enjoy on-the-go.

    During the five-day viewing, DStv customers will be treated to a selection of Nelson Mandela-focused documentaries and the main event performances by local and international music giants D’banj, Ed Sheeran, Eddie Vedder, Femi Kuti, Cassper Nyovest, Kasey Musgraves, Pharrell Williams & Chris Martin, Sho Madjozi, Tiwa Savage, Usher, Wizkid and select performances by musical power couple, Beyoncé and JAY-Z who will all form part of the headline acts at the first Global Citizen Festival to be held on the continent.

    Trevor Noah will host the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 with co-hosts Naomi Campbell, Dave Chappelle, Danai Gurira, Sir Bob Geldof, Gayle King, Bonang Matheba, Nomzamo Mbatha, Tyler Perry and Anele Mdoda while Oprah Winfrey will deliver a special keynote address at the Festival to remember Nelson Mandela and his legacy.

  • MultiChoice crashes DStv Explora price at Lagos fair

    Multichoice Nigeria, is slashing the price of its DStv Explora bundle with one-month Compact subscription from N52,100 to N29,900 for customers who come to the 38th Lagos International Trade Fair.

    The trade fair which is billed to hold from Friday, 2 November to Sunday, 11 November 2018 at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan will also see a reduction on the HD Decoder, dish, plus one-month compact subscription to N9,900.

    Speaking on the special offers, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, said: “As a customer first organisation, our core aim is to improve our customers’ experience, whenever and wherever they engage with us.  The Lagos International Trade Fair is always a great opportunity for us to fulfill our brand promise of providing the best entertainment that will suit different lifestyles and pockets.”

  • DStv, M-Net and Showmax shows steal spotlight at Emmys

    Drama, laughs – and a surprise marriage proposal! This year’s 70th Emmy® Awards came to viewers live on M-Net channel 101 from Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. In recognition of the excellent primetime programming and individual achievement for the 2017-2018 television season, the awards saw M-Net, DStv and Showmax favourites: Game of Thrones, Westworld and The Americans pick up statuettes in their various nominated categories – a true testament to the video entertainment leaders bringing viewers the best, and most acclaimed television.

    Hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che and produced by Lorne Michaels, the awards ceremony was full of comedy and one precious moment, when Emmy-winning director Glenn Weiss proposed to his girlfriend during his acceptance speech making it the first ever live proposal at the Emmy’s.

    There’s good news for customers who missed these award-winning series when they were on M-Net channel 101: they can join the hype and catch these shows online on Showmax, with DStv Now and Catch Up or across other channels on DStv.

  • MultiChoice vs. CPC

    NOT surprisingly, there have been diverse reactions to last Monday’s ruling by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining MultiChoice, Nigeria’s leading Pay TV provider and operator of DStv and GOtv services from implementing new tariffs on its bouquet of products. In July, MultiChoice Nigeria announced new monthly subscription rates for its bouquet of products to take effect on August 1. Incensed that the review was in breach of an agreement between it and the Pay TV operator not to increase tariffs until subsisting issues bordering on consumer complaints were resolved, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) had dragged the company to court.

    With the ruling thus effectively barring the company from undertaking any tariff review until the final determination of the matter, many have charged the CPC of overreaching its regulatory powers, more so as the ruling touches on the right of the company to determine the appropriate tariff to charge for its products.

    We see the issue differently. It seems to us as more about the duty of an agency charged with the protection of consumer rights to initiate an action on behalf of aggrieved consumers. In other words, it conduces, ultimately, to the right of the PayTV subscriber to get value for every kobo’s worth.

    Of course, it would have been a different matter if the complaints were spurious or mere fabrications, or as it is being made out by some – albeit superficially – that the issue is simply about tariff. We are talking here of a company whose dominant position makes it effectively a monopoly in the Pay TV space, one whose decades-old stranglehold on the industry confers enormous advantages which even the closest competitors do not enjoy – but whose management of consumer issues falls miserably short of global standards.

    Again, it bears stating that the issues certainly did not pop up yesterday nor did it start at the court room, contrary to what is being bandied in the public space. They are essentially about the poor quality of services rendered by the Pay TV provider. These range from subscribers not receiving signals even after subscription has been paid; disconnection of services prior to end of billing cycle with no credit applied for paid time lost; lack of clarity in terms and conditions; non-activation of free to air channels except when a consumer complained, and confusing toll-free customer care telephone channels. They also include complaints about arbitrary charges; confusing billing; blocking of some channels already subscribed; poor picture or signal quality with excessive and un-compensated downtime during both inclement and clear weather conditions, and lack of responsiveness, among others.

    More fundamentally is that these complaints have been subject of investigations at various times – first by the CPC under the then Director-General, Dupe Atoki, in 2015; followed by a public hearing by the House of Representatives in 2016; and then the most recent – launched by the CPC in November 2017. According to CPC, the high point of the discussion and subsequent agreement is that no new tariffs be implemented until the issues, most of which it claimed the company acknowledged, were resolved.

    That appears to be the crux of the matter. By hiking the tariffs while the discussions are still on-going, CPC accuses MultiChoice of “blatant bad faith”. It is hard to imagine a serious consumer protection agency going to sleep over what it perceived as breaches of an agreement let alone on an issue that touches fundamentally at the core its mandate.The CPC, to that extent, can hardly be faulted.

    More fundamentally however is that the current structure of the Pay TV market comes nowhere near the ideal of a truly liberalised one. Most certainly, the time has come for the Federal Government to initiate policies to terminate the current lopsided structure under which a dominant player would be allowed to call the shots. A good way to start is to not just seek to understand the reasons behind the high mortality rates of local Pay TV companies, but to deal appropriately with them.

  • AMVCAs to air live on DStv, GOtv

    As preparations reach final stage for the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), holding at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, this Saturday, organisers have revealed that the event will be broadcast live on all Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv from 4pm West African Time (WAT).

    According to promoters, the awards show which made debut in 2013, promises to be bigger with top contenders from across the continent vying for honors in the voting and non-voting categories.

    According to Channel Director, Africa Magic, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu: “We are delighted to once again celebrate outstanding achievements in the African film and television industry on the platform of the AMVCAs. As always, we promise a night filled with exciting and stellar performances led by some Africa’s biggest names in the music industry. Our viewers at home will not miss a moment of the event, as they can tune in to all Africa Magic channels on Saturday, 1 September to see who wins the coveted AMVCA titles.”

    The awards will once again be co-hosted by South African media sweetheart, Minnie Dlamini-Jones, and Nigerian on-air-personality, IK Osakioduwa. For two years, the lovely duo has thrilled guests and viewers as hosts of the AMVCAs with their brilliant synergy, charm and infectious wit.

  • Price hike: DStv shuns court injunction, retains new rates

    Satellite service provider DStv has continued to implement its new bouquet rates despite court order restraining the action.

    DStv is a Sub-Saharan African direct broadcast satellite service owned by MultiChoice. The service launched in 1995, provides multiple channels and services to its more than 11.9 million subscribers.

    An official of DStv, who declined to give his name because they had been asked by the company not to speak on the issue, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that subscribers still pay the increased rates.

    “The case is being reviewed at the moment and there are some information that I cannot disclose.

    “But as it is, for all of the DStv subscriptions, the price still remains at its increased rate price list.

    “I do not have any information as to how long it will take to review the prices but the case is being reviewed in the court with the business and legal experts,” he said.

    In July, MultiChoice raised the subscription rate for the DSty Premium package from N14,700 to N15,800, Compact Plus from N9,900 to N10,650, Compact from N6,300 to N6,800.

    The Family package went from N3,800 to N4,000, and Access from N1,900 to N2,000 which was implemented from Aug 1.

    However, on Monday, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba granted an injunction restraining the video entertainment and Internet Company from implementing the new rates.

    The court also restrained MultiChoice from any conduct capable of interfering with the regulatory process of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC).

    The restraining order was issued in respect of Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/894/18 brought before the court by the CPC following public outcry.

    NAN recalls that in March 2015, DStv announced a 20 per cent increase for all its satellite pay TV bouquets in Nigeria, which took effect from April 1, 2015.

    NAN also recalls that an order of interim injunction restraining Multichoice from enforcing the planned increase was granted by Justice C.J. Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

    In spite of the ruling, DStv went on to implement the increased prices with the defence that the Court order was granted on April 2 after price increase had taken effect on April 1, 2015.

    The Director-General of CPC, Mr Babatunde Irukera in a statement on Friday unveiled a special channel for receiving complaints for customers who could not renew their subscriptions at old prices.

    “The Council is setting up a special channel for receiving complaints for this purpose.

    “This is in view of the continuing and increasing complaints that consumers are unsuccessful in renewing subscription in compliance with the order of the court, even after service of the order upon Multichoice.

    “As such, any consumer who has, or is experiencing this challenge should please send an email to multichoicecompliance@cpc.gov.ng, stating relevant information.

    “The information should include smart card number, name, telephone number, date and time of failed attempt to pay, supporting same with relevant evidence such as a screenshot or document (where necessary),” Irukera said.

  • Iwobi Plays Guitar in New DStv Compact Bouquet Campaign

    Super Eagles and Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi has featured in a brand new campaign rolled out by video entertainment company, MultiChoice Nigeria.

    The latest campaign featured the ace player exploring intrigue, passion, discovery & suspense that is available on the new DStv Compact bouquet. 

    Iwobi’s remarkable energy, passion on the pitch and versatility, embody what the Compact bouquet offers. The campaign uses Nigeria’s most loved sport and the talented wonder boy to tell a story about the importance of choices.

    According to the General Manager Sales and Marketing, MultiChoice, Martin Mabutho “It’s always about choices. As people, we make choices every single day, and the choices we make play a huge role in shaping who we become in future. Alex Iwobi is who he is today because of some of the brilliant choices he made in the past; taking up his uncle’s mantle by juggling a football, to signing with top football club, Arsenal FC. ‘’The power of fun & affordability defines Compact and with over 120 channels, our customers are spoilt for choice with front row live football action from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and perfectly picked local drama series, action movies and other lifestyle channels’’, he added.

     “Viewers will experience intrigue, passion, discovery & suspense #INPADISU by watching all the Premier League matches on the Compact package for N6,800 monthly”, said Mabutho. New subscribers are not left out in the football extravaganza as they can get our limited offer of HD Decoder, dish kit + one month DStv Compact subscription for only N11,900.’’

    What’s more, Explora ambassador, Somkele swings into a journey of unlocking her passion.

    Speaking further, Mabutho said “we remain committed to offering our customers more value.  We recently wrapped up the DStv Open Window where subscribers were treated to extra Sports channels at NO EXTRA cost as well as the addition and broadcast of Italian competition, Serie A. We have no doubt that Iwobi’s story will resonate with our passion for the game and our customers’’, he said.

    The full-fledged campaign that includes TV, Out-of-home, digital, radio and press adverts has officially been launched to coincide with the 2018/19 Premier League season. With such amazing features such as DStv’s video on demand service, Catch Up, Compact subscribers with an active Explora and PVR subscription can key into the experience. DStv Now is also available to Compact customers with an active subscription.

     

  • Serie A returns to DStv, debuts on GOtv

    The 2018/19 Serie A season kicks off this weekend, with 10 first round matches spread from today to Monday.

    Reigning champions Juventus begin the defence of their title with a potentially tricky game away to Chievo on today’s evening. The match will see the Serie A debut of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Juventus for 100million euros in the off-season from Real Madrid.

    The 33-year-old’s arrival is more a statement of intent in regard to winning the UEFA Champions League, but it will still be fascinating to see how he performs in Italy’s top flight after nine prolific seasons in Spain’s La Liga.

    Chievo, who recently completed the signing of Nigerian international Joel Obi, will look to puncture Juve’s hopes of a fast start. Perhaps taking advantage of the absence of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon – who has left for Paris Saint-Germain – will be their best avenue to upset Juve.

    Juventus’ main title challengers are likely to be Napoli, who pushed the ‘Old Lady’ hard for the Scudetto last term. The Naples side, who boast African superstars Faouzi Ghoulam and Kalidou Koulibaly in their defence, open their Serie A campaign with a tough match in Rome against Lazio, who finished just outside of the Champions League places last term.

    Tomorrow’s games start with the early kick-off between Mbaye Niang’s Torino and Roma, who may hand a debut to teenage Dutch striker Justin Kluivert. The 19-year-old, who is the son of former Netherlands attacker Patrick Kluivert, was a big-money acquisition from Ajax over the European summer.

    Northern giants, AC Milan and Internazionale, who have both been very active in the transfer market in a bid to boost their chances of competing for the title, open with Tomorrow night matches at home to Genoa and away to Sassuolo (who will look to Ghanaian maverick Kevin-Prince Boateng for inspiration) respectively.

    Tomorrow night also features Empoli at home to Cagliari, Parma (back in the top flight after going bankrupt just three years ago) welcoming Udinese to Stadio Ennio Tardini, and Fiorentina travelling to Sampdoria.

    The round wraps up with one match on Monday night, as Serie B playoff winners Frosinone head to Bergamo to take on hosts Atalanta.

  • Multichoice to show 1,140 football league matches live

    Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, UEFA Champions League and other top flight football leagues is here again after the FIFA World Cup break.

    The English league will kick off on August 11, and others will follow suit.

    The General Manager Sales and Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria,  Martin Mabutho, however provides answers to the questions on the minds of Nigerian football fans who are looking forward for the games in this interview.                                                                                                                                                       Excerpts.

     

    The new football season is here again, what should Nigerian fans expect from Multichoice?

    We are happy when we put smiles on our customers’ faces by bringing the best of World sports through our SuperSport channels. This year is no different as we present; The Premier League (PL), The UEFA Champions League (UCL), La Liga, Serie A, Super Cup and Super Spanish Cup.

    And of course we are proud and excited to be the sole broadcaster of the new UEFA Nations League. Think of the UEFA Champions League for Nations! The best European sides we saw at the World Cup are in it. This is going to be HOT! 

     

    Why doesn’t SuperSport have rights to the Community Shield and FA Cup this season?

    The elephant in the room…we were outbid for the Community Shield and FA Cup. Another provider offered a lot more than we did, and they got it. I am not sure why they did not show it though.

    However, we were able to bag the rights for Serie A. It’s the league that has the best footballer in the world; CR7. In hindsight, a whole season of Serie A against a once off game between two teams from the Premier League. Come to think of it, even the FA Cup is a subset of the same Premier League that we have all 380 games live off. I’d say it worked out ok in the end.

    Ronaldo’s move to Juventus was a pleasant coincidence, as we trust CR7 to make his mark on Italian football. It’s football drama that Serie A is sure to deliver.

    We all missed Italy at the World Cup. I am sure the lead up to Qatar 2022 will be lit with Serie A.

     

    What should we look forward to as the new football season kicks off this week? A lot!!! In High Definition

    –       All 380 Premier League games

    –       All 380 La Liga games

    –       All Serie A games

    –       All UEFA Champions League games…need I say MORE?

    Our priority is to deliver the best sporting content and reaffirm our commitment to delivering world class sporting action. To usher in the new football season this year, we will deliver an unmatched viewing experience as the Premier League kick offs on Friday, 10 August 2018 whilst the La Liga season will start on Saturday, 18 August 2018 followed by Serie A on Sunday, 19 August 2018. Customers can look forward to the best expert analysis from football legends, live performances, celebrity experiences, music and more.

     

    Last year was epic as you facilitated the parade of the English Premiership cup in Nigeria.  Are customers expecting the same treat?

     

    Yes it was indeed a great year for football, and the PL trophy tour was the proverbial icing on the cake.  All this we did with our customers in mind. We thought that with the English Premier League being the most anticipated league in the world, it was only fitting for the most ardent fans – our customers to experience results of their passion in a very palpable way by way of photo Ops with the trophy.

    However, I cannot confirm at the moment if the trophy will make a return this year, but let’s watch this space for perhaps more thrilling news in the next few months.

     

    What football action can GOtv subscribers look forward to?

    This is where again, we have amped up the value. GOtv now offers more Premier League games than any other DTT service provider in Africa. That’s an extra game of PL, all La Liga, all Serie A, and we brought down the cost of the lead bouquet from N3,800 to N3,200. Also GOtv Plus subscribers will have access to LIVE Matches. GOtv Value and Lite subscribers are not left out as they can enjoy matches on FTA channels. They will be spoilt for choice with big league titles such as The Premier League (PL), The UEFA Champions League (UCL), La Liga, Spanish Super Cup and Serie A.

     

    How many matches will be available to DStv and GOtv subscribers this season?

    SuperSport will showcase all 1,140 matches of the new football season: 380 Premier League matches, 380 Serie A matches and 380 La Liga games with most of the matches from each league broadcast LIVE and in HD on SuperSport.

     

    Is there a discount on Explora and other devices?

    You know us, we always run promos during this period, and as is the norm, we welcome the new football season with open arms by dishing out some great offers. The DStv HD decoder, which includes a dish kit plus one-month subscription on Compact package now goes for N11,900 from the normal N18,500. In addition, the GOtv decoder, which comes with the antenna and one-month on GOtv MAX is available for N6,900 rather than the normal rate of N7,900.

     

    What is your take on the hike in pricing of Pay Tv services in Nigeria

    I can’t respond to what others say, it’s not our culture to do so. I can only speak on behalf of and about DStv and GOtv. Having said that, we have brought down a lot of content including football and general entertainment, increasing the value for money to our customers, whilst also keeping an eye on our operational costs.

    Our Compact bouquet at N6,800, gives all the football matches…all the most revered leagues, even more than what is shown on TV abroad.

    We put our customers at the center of everything we do which includes offering the best content at unbeatable prices.

     

    What’s the deal with Iwobi?

    Alex, he is the latest addition to our family. We have been working on an awesome campaign that we will roll out soon. He is a gifted player and embodies the brand values of our Compact bouquet.

     

    You are a Man United supporter, we know…How market?

    Well we kick off on Friday with Leicester. We have made a few changes to the squad, so yeah let’s see how it goes. Pre-season outing was a disaster but that’s not always a reflection of what happens through the season.

  • Football: DStv, GOtv to broadcast Serie A matches live

    SuperSport is set to broadcast the 2018-19 season of Italian Serie A league, this NationSport can report.

    The two parties have signed an agreement to broadcast the league which starts on Sunday, 19th of August, 2018.

    Speaking after the signing, Gideon Khobane, SuperSport Chief Executive, said: “We’ve always prided ourselves on offering viewers the best football from around the world and the return of Serie A to our screens fulfills our promise of an unrivaled football offering.”

    Gaetano Miccichè, president of Serie A, was similarly enthused: “We are very happy with this agreement as it will allow the SuperSport audience to follow all 380 matches of our league. We are certain that the passionate supporters from Sub-Saharan Africa will appreciate all the stars from Serie A.”

    Founded in 1898, and contested by 20 teams, the league is regarded as one of the best football leagues in the world and it is often clouted as the most tactical national league. “MultiChoice Nigeria is excited to continue to bring customers the best international football. This is part of our ongoing commitment to bring more value to our customers.” says John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria.

    SuperSport will be the only place to watch all 380 Serie A matches. Games will be broadcast on both DStv and GOtv.

    The 2017/18 season was exciting and uncertain until the end, thanks to the epic duel between Juventus and Napoli and is a sign of great things to come. The fight for the remaining UEFA Champions League berth was just as enthralling, the challenge between Lazio and Inter Milan settled only in the final minute of the last day of the campaign with Inter Milan ultimately returning to the elite European club competition.