MultiChoice, South Africa’s leading pay-TV provider, has begun testing new strategies aimed at saving its streaming service, DStv Stream, from further decline.
DStv Stream’s future under the spotlight
This comes as the company’s latest annual report shows a sharp drop in subscribers and mounting pressure from global streaming services.
According to MyBroadband, the company’s total subscriber base across sub-Saharan Africa dropped by 8% in the 2024/25 financial year, with DStv losing 600,000 subscribers in South Africa alone.
Why is MultiChoice worried?
MultiChoice operates several services, including satellite TV, digital broadcasts, and online video streaming. Its main products are DStv and Showmax. However, international streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime are now serious competitors. These platforms offer cheaper content packages, putting pressure on DStv to change.
MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela said the company is trying to become Africa’s top entertainment provider by adjusting to new technology and changes in how people watch TV.
He added that the company wants to increase how much money it makes per user by improving its core offerings.
What changes are being tested?
In its annual report, MultiChoice said it is trying different strategies in South Africa to keep existing customers and attract new ones. These include testing content tiering — which means breaking down packages so people can choose only the parts they want, like sports or entertainment.
For example, MultiChoice is considering unbundling SuperSport from the rest of its channels. This means customers could choose to pay for sports content separately, something many users have asked for.
Byron du Plessis, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa, said in July that the company had not launched a new content package in a long time and that now was the time to rethink how they serve customers.
He explained that sports are changing worldwide, with more companies offering direct-to-consumer options, and MultiChoice must adapt.
Is DStv Stream in danger?
DStv Stream is MultiChoice’s main platform for delivering live TV and on-demand content over the internet.
The company has added more local content, including over 5,300 hours last year, to make its platform more appealing. Still, the steep drop in user numbers shows that many people are leaving the service or switching to competitors.
While MultiChoice has not confirmed any changes yet, the ongoing testing and customer research suggest it is preparing to make major decisions soon. These could include new pricing structures or separating DStv Stream services to give users more flexibility.
The company also says it wants to grow its value-added services, like DStv Internet and insurance products, as part of its larger strategy to hold onto subscribers.
As streaming competition intensifies, the coming months may reveal whether these new strategies can stop the decline — or signal the end of DStv Stream as it currently exists.