As always, another company is trending on Twitter due to customers’ complaints. This time around, the target is DStv, the leading pay-TV service provider which is owned by South Africa’s MultiChoice. Some of the company’s Nigerian customers are demanding that now is the time for them to have pay per view subscription plan.
The demand is coming barely twenty-four hours after Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the government’s new broadcast regulation. The new regulation is expected to put an end to DStv’s alleged monopoly and anti-competitive practices, especially as it relates to sports broadcasting in the country.
Already, speculations abound that the government’s decision does not sit well with DStv’s shareholders, many of whom are worried that the Nigerian cable TV market will soon become too competitive.
In the meantime, DStv customers really want the company to consider making their service pay per view in Nigeria. This is because many customers complain that their subscriptions typically go to waste because they do not get to watch anything before expiration.
A Twitter user identified as Geezy, said DStv’s current pricing system can best be described as extortion. He is, therefore, calling for an immediate change. Perhaps this is something the Nigerian authority may want to do something about.
It’s high time DSTV give us the “pay as you watch” feature just like the electricity meter. The extortion from you guys is getting unbearable.
— Gᴇᴇᴢʏ (@geeviibez) January 10, 2020
Meanwhile, the epileptic power supply in Nigeria is one of the reasons why Nigerians do not get to enjoy their DStv subscriptions before expiration. Another Twitter user named Rusty complained that he had not been able to watch his DStv for nearly a week because he hadn’t had electricity in his house.
I renewed my subscription on Monday, guess what I haven't had power since Monday. No, am not crying, DSTV we need pay per view please😭
— Rusty (@Rustychuks) January 10, 2020
Funny enough, DStv’s poor service sometimes makes it impossible for customers to use their subscriptions before expiration. For instance, whenever it rains in some parts of Nigeria, customers cannot watch anything due to poor network.
[READ MORE: Nigerians react to power blackout with hilarious tweets)
Twitter user Zenaida Machado said she could try to understand that “bad weather” could affect DSTV’s service. However, what she did not quite understand was why she must pay for a service she did not enjoy. So, she wanted DSTV to consider the possibility of refunding her money whenever “bad weather” prevents her from utilising her subscription to the fullest.
Dear @Dstv, if it rains for days (it’s ok if it is just oneor two hours) and i am unable to watch tv “due to bad weather”, do i have the option of claiming back the money i paid for a full month service? pic.twitter.com/VBDykJ1U2n
— Zenaida Machado (@zenaidamz) January 10, 2020
It is uncertain whether the Nigerian Government will ever come up with a policy requiring pay-TV companies in the country to implement pay per view. After all, Nigerians have been demanding this long before they made a similar demand from telecom operators and got a positive response.
What Dstv has to say: Nairametrics reached out to Multichoice for comments and a company representative explained that there are misconceptions about what Pay per view really means. Contrary to general belief, the Multichoice representative said pay per view does not necessarily enable customers to match their TV consumption to subscription as it is the case with electricity metering and mobile telephony.
Instead, pay per view only applies to a one-off broadcast of high stakes games such as football, boxing, and wrestling matches, the company spokesperson claimed.
“It is a type of pay television service by which a subscriber of a television service provider can purchase events to view via private broadcast.”
“Pay per View service can be purchased via a cable or satellite TV provider as a non-refundable separate package in addition to a pre-existing subscription. An example of pay per view in action was the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight, aptly dubbed ‘The Money Fight’. In this case, subscribers had to each pay up to $100 for the bout in the US, and watch or not, the subscription ended with the 10 round fight.
“We broadcast the same boxing match to our Premium subscribers at no extra cost, and those who have Exploras were able to record the match and re-watch at another time. It is important to state that it is an expensive service to subscribe to. To date, no pay-TV operation globally has a model based solely on a pay as you view, as it is not a viable business model.”
