After losing over 1.4 million subscribers in Nigeria over the past two years, MultiChoice has launched a renewed effort to regain its footing in the competitive pay-TV market. In a move widely seen as a direct response to mounting customer attrition and public backlash, the company has slashed the price of its DStv decoder by 50 per cent, reducing it from ₦20,000 to ₦10,000.

The decision comes amid a deep subscriber crisis for MultiChoice Nigeria, which accounted for a staggering 77 per cent of the total 1.8 million subscriber losses across MultiChoice’s Rest of Africa (RoA) markets between March 2023 and March 2025. The company attributed this decline to a harsh economic climate marked by soaring inflation, rising food and fuel costs, and unstable electricity supply, all of which have eroded the average consumer’s spending power.

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According to MultiChoice Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, the price slash is part of a broader recovery campaign titled “We Got You”, aimed at demonstrating customer appreciation and delivering more value.

“We want to ensure our customers feel appreciated and have access to the best entertainment every day,” Ugbe said. “The ‘We Got You’ campaign is about making premium content more accessible and showing that DStv offers something for everyone, not just football fans.”

MultiChoice hopes the offer will revive interest in its decoders and reduce churn across its subscription packages. The company is also shifting its messaging to highlight its variety of programming, which includes not only sports but also drama series, family entertainment, news, and children’s shows.

“This means more channels, more shows, and more reasons to tune in every day,” the company added.

To further sweeten the deal, MultiChoice announced a free package upgrade for subscribers who renew their existing DStv subscriptions in full between June 16 and July 31, 2025. This offer allows users to enjoy the next higher bouquet at no additional cost, an initiative directly targeting loyalty retention during a time of economic strain.

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The urgent tone of these interventions follows a difficult two-year stretch for the pay-TV giant. In Nigeria alone, MultiChoice lost 243,000 subscribers between April and September 2024. Subscription revenues in the country plummeted by 44 per cent, falling from $355.9 million in 2024 to $197.7 million in 2025, according to the company’s latest financial report.

Industry watchers say the company’s three successive price hikes rolled out in April 2023, November 2023, and May 2024 further alienated price-sensitive consumers. Public criticism followed, with customers calling for more affordable alternatives amid worsening inflation and persistent unemployment.

MultiChoice’s renewed push to reposition itself as a customer-first brand may prove crucial in reclaiming market share. However, analysts note that the company will need to pair pricing incentives with consistent service delivery, flexible payment options, and sustained customer engagement if it hopes to stop the bleeding and restore long-term subscriber loyalty in Nigeria’s tough economic landscape.