The Satellite TV revolution in Nigeria has taken another shape with Nigerians spending some N1.8 billion alone monthly on subscriptions, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations can now reveal.
Lion shares of the market are controlled by DStv and HiTV with a combined subscriber base of more than 300,000 subscribers.
Multichoice DStv was the first Satellite TV platform to break into the Nigerian scene in the early 90s.
Hitherto that period, what was mostly available was free-to-air Cable transmission characterized by poor signals.
Information from DStv has it that there are 220, 000 active and non-active subscribers on its platform.
It offers three bouquets namely Premium, Compact and Family; all three constituting 65%, 25% and 10% respectively, of the subscription base – 5% constituting the number of non-active subscribers.
Standard monthly subscription fees for Premium, Compact and Family bouquets are N9, 000; N4, 300 and N2, 500 respectively. The starter prices for these bouquets are N39, 900; N29, 900 and 24, 900 inclusive of one month subscription.
HiTV has a subscriber base of 110, 000 active and non-active subscribers offering one standard bouquet which costs N3, 500 monthly. About 5% constitutes the number of in-active subscribers who may have terminated their contract with the platform alleging poor quality of service, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations have revealed.
The starter price for HiTV is N10, 000 inclusive of one month subscription and this low price regime had attracted a lot of subscribers, especially low income earners.
The total spending on Satellite TV however is exclusive of the starter prices on both platforms.
