The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has instructed MultiChoice Nigeria, the company behind DStv and GOtv, to pause the rollout of its new billing system.
The commission has advised the company to keep its current subscription rates in place until the investigation into the recent increase in tariffs is completed.
This directive, detailed in a statement by Director of Corporate Affairs Ondaje Ijagwu on Thursday, follows MultiChoice’s request for more time before appearing before the commission to address concerns regarding the price hikes.
Initially summoned to appear on February 27, MultiChoice’s CEO was granted an extension, with the new hearing now scheduled for March 6, 2025. The commission has mandated the presence of the company’s CEO, relevant officials, and a detailed response at this hearing.
“As part of this directive, MultiChoice is expressly instructed to maintain the existing price structure as of February 27, 2025, pending the commission’s review and final determination on the matter,” the statement read.
The FCCPC emphasised that the decision to freeze prices is aimed at preventing potential consumer exploitation during the investigation period.
While the company stated that the changes were necessary to continue delivering world-class content, the development sparked concerns from subscribers.
Under the proposed adjustment, the DStv Compact package would be increased, while the Compact Plus and Premium bouquets would remain at N30,000 and N44,500, respectively.
In its notice titled “Price Adjustments for DStv and GOtv Packages,” the company said, “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.”
