Latest news with #JohnUgbe
Broadcast Pro
01-07-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
MultiChoice Nigeria slashes DStv decoder price by 50%
The move is viewed as an effort to address falling subscriber numbers and make DStv more accessible during Nigeria's economic challenges. MultiChoice Nigeria has announced a major price cut on its DStv decoder, reducing the cost from ₦20,000 ($13.01) to ₦10,000 ($6.50) in a bid to reverse falling subscriptions and attract new customers. The company unveiled the move as part of its 'We Got You' campaign, designed to ease financial pressure on households and reinforce the value of DStv's entertainment offering. John Ugbe, CEO of MultiChoice Nigeria, said the initiative aims to make premium content more affordable and to remind viewers that DStv is more than just a sports platform. 'We want to ensure our customers feel appreciated and have access to the best entertainment every day,' he said, noting that the decoder discount is just one part of a broader effort to highlight the service's variety, from drama and movies to kids' programming and news. Alongside the price reduction, MultiChoice is offering a limited-time promotion: between June 16 and July 31, 2025, subscribers who pay their current package in full will be upgraded to the next package tier at no extra cost. The measures come in response to challenging economic conditions that have hurt consumer spending. MultiChoice reported a loss of 1.4m subscribers in Nigeria between March 2023 and March 2025, a decline attributed to the country's downturn and multiple price hikes. Over the past year alone, the company has increased subscription fees three times — in April and November 2023, and again in April 2024 — with the latest adjustment taking effect in May. MultiChoice stated that the decoder price cut and bonus upgrade are part of a strategy to stabilise its subscriber base and reaffirm its commitment to delivering daily value to Nigerian households.
Reuters
05-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Nigerian competition agency sues MultiChoice over price hike
LAGOS, Nigeria, March 5 (Reuters) - Nigeria's competition commission is suing the local unit of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited (MCGJ.J), opens new tab, Africa's biggest pay television company, and its chief executive, John Ugbe, for violating regulatory directives, the watchdog said on Wednesday. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) asked MultiChoice Nigeria last month to maintain its pricing structure for its pay-TV business DSTV and GOtv pending the conclusion of a review of its proposed price hike. Despite the directive, the company proceeded with its price increase on March 1, 2025, in clear defiance of the commission's directive, the FCCPC said. "Following this blatant disregard for regulatory oversight, the FCCPC has filed charges against MultiChoice Nigeria and John Ugbe at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, on three counts of offences ... for willfully obstructing the commission's inquiry by implementing a price hike contrary to directives," the competition agency said in a post on X. MultiChoice Nigeria could not be reached immediately for comment. MultiChoice Group last year reached a settlement with Nigerian tax authorities for its local subsidiary and agreed to pay a total tax amount of about $37.3 million.
