Tariff hike: ATCIS wants break in Multichoice monopoly of PayTV market

The Association of Telephone, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS) have urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to end Multichoice Nigeria’s monopoly of the Pay Television market.

Mr Sina Bilesanmi, the National President, ATCIS, told our correspondent in Lagos while reacting to the new DSTV and GOtv tariff hike.

Bilesanmi said that government needed to level the playing field for other companies looking to enter the Cable TV market.

He said that Nigeria needed new international investors, who would be willing to bring in ‘Pay-Per-View’ options to end MuItichoice monopoly.

NEWSVERGE reports that Multichoice Nigeria, owners of DStv and GOtv, has announced a price hike for its subscription packages.

The new 25% price review will take effect from May 1, 2024, a few months after its last price upward review.

This was announced in a statement titled, ‘Price Adjustment on DStv and GOtv Packages,’ and read in part: “On Wednesday, 1 May 2024 we will adjust our prices across all our packages on DStv and GOtv.

The Cable TV blamed the latest increase on the “rise in the cost of business operations.”

Bilesanmi said: “As an association, we have tried to have several dialogues and collaborations with Multichoice to voice our concerns over the ongoing increase in pay TV subscription fees, but to no avail.”

The national president said he was dissatisfied with the way MuItichoice increased tariff every three months to six months, noting that it was too constant.

Bilesanmi stressed that Nigerians were being exploited by Multichoice and its other colleagues in the PayTV market.

“The fact that they have stuck to only monthly prepaid subscription model against people’s will says it all.

“This is not a Nigerian company so they are not supposed to have power over us, the government needs to do something to stop MuItichoice from extorting Nigerians.

“If MuItichoice refuses to listen to us this time around, we will have to campaign and convince Nigerians to stop subscribing to their services.

“The sad truth is that they keep increasing tariff but giving us repetitive programmes to watch, there is nothing new on DSTV and GOtv, ”he said.

Bilesanmi said that if things must change, Nigerians needed pay-as-you-view, so that even when they don’t watch the TV, their units would still be intact.