Pay-TV operator DStv will cut its Kenyan subscription prices by between roughly 29 and 48 per cent from November 5, scrapping its six existing bouquets and replacing them with four cheaper packages in a bid to win back viewers who have drifted to streaming services and low-cost rivals.

The overhaul, announced on Monday, is the most aggressive pricing move by MultiChoice in Kenya in years and is the first major pricing reset in Kenya since French media group Canal+ took control of the South African broadcaster.

The new line-up

Under the new structure, published by DStv and reported by Techweez, Tech-ish and TechMoran, the packages and monthly prices will be:

  • Starter at Sh750, replacing Access, which currently costs Sh1,450
  • Select at Sh1,500, replacing Family at Sh2,250
  • Sports at Sh3,000, replacing Compact at Sh4,200
  • Ultimate at Sh7,300, replacing Premium at Sh11,700

The Lite and Compact Plus bouquets will be discontinued. The biggest saving is at the top end, where the Ultimate package comes in Sh4,400 cheaper than Premium, a drop of about 37.6 per cent. Entry-level subscribers will see their bill nearly halved.

The packages are stacked, with each tier carrying everything in the one below it. Ultimate, with more than 180 channels, adds Formula 1, MotoGP, Grand Slam tennis, major golf and the dedicated rugby and cricket channels. The same four packages and prices will apply to the app-only DStv Stream service.

Football at the centre

Football is the main selling point. DStv says the Sports package will carry every English Premier League and UEFA Champions League match, a right previously reserved for the more expensive Compact and Premium bouquets. Lower tiers will get selected live matches through a new SuperSport Kickoff channel.

On the same day, MultiChoice will launch SuperSport Swahili, a 24-hour sports channel with Kiswahili commentary for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Kenyan listings place it only on the Sports and Ultimate packages.

The company also says discounted decoders and hardware bundles will be on sale from November 2 to February 28, 2027, although it has not yet published those prices.

Losing ground

The price cuts follow a sharp decline in DStv's share of the Kenyan pay-TV market. According to figures cited by Legit.ng, its share fell from 60.2 per cent in September 2022 to 41.3 per cent in June 2026, as households moved to streaming platforms, cheaper digital terrestrial bouquets and pirated content.

Several questions remain unanswered. DStv has not said whether existing subscribers will be moved to the new packages automatically, nor where current Lite and Compact Plus customers will land. Compact Plus subscribers already pay Sh7,300, the same as the new Ultimate tier.

Until DStv clarifies the migration, subscribers paying from November 5 onwards may want to confirm which package their account has been placed on before topping up.

Photos: Techweez; TechMoran. Logo: DStv. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.