DStv to let subscribers pick own channels

Bruce Ndlovu
With streaming services like Netflix starting to encroach on its territory, DStv is now considering giving its subscribers the option of only paying for the channels which they want.

Traditionally, the subscription service giant has offered its services in select bouquets whose content varies according to how much an individual subscriber would have paid for a particular package.

However, some viewers have in the past noted that they do not use or see the need for some channels that are included in the packages as they are only after a few select services.

During CapeTalka��s The Money Show last week, the companya��s CEO Yolisa Phahle revealed to Bruce Whitfield that DStv was now looking to give subscribers the option of choosing and paying for the specific TV channels they want.

a�?Thata��s something DStv are looking into at the moment because more and more we hear this is something that consumers are asking for,a�? said Phahle in response to a question about having to purchase channel bouquets.

Due to the demand for such an arrangement, Phahle said that the company was now pressed to find a satisfactory solution.

a�?The fact of the matter is people are asking the questions and somehow we have to find a way to give people what they want,a�? said Phahle.

The move would also be in line with current trends, where streaming services have started to make headway on the continent, although their use is not yet widespread.

Netflix, the popular American streaming service, made its debut to much fanfare, as people envisioned competition for DStv whose monopoly has been lamented by some in the past few years.

A monthly Netflix subscription gives viewers the pick of its much lauded content, which includes some of its original content like House of Cards and other material purchased from rival services and content producers.

The convenience of Netflix, which does not adhere to any broadcast times and gives a viewer the option of a�?bingea�? watching a series at one go, is what some have thought will give it an ascendancy over its rivals on the continent.

However, despite its efforts to give viewers more choice, MultiChoice stated that subscribers mightA� find themselves paying more for less, as bulking the channels in bouquets achieved economies of scale, something that would not be possible if they opted to pay for individual channels.

a�?We understand that some of our customers are of the view that theya��d save money if they could choose a genre-specific package like sport, or put together their own package with only the channels they want. Unfortunately, this view is incorrect,a�? said MultiChoice in a statement.

Content rights for events like those carried on Supersport were extremely expensive and so subscribers would still carry the burden of financing them.

Thus, MultiChoicea��s business model was structured on the basis of a number of predetermined packages.

a�?In this way, we are able to offer customers a wide range of channels, with the variety they seek, at various price points which are attractive and affordable to a variety of potential customers.a�?