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Sate, Nigerian Producer Slams £1m Claims on Sky TV Over Alleged Copyright Infringement

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Sate Television, a Nigerian TV producer, has asked Sky TV UK, UK’s largest cable TV provider, to pay it £1 million within 21 days for alleged copyright infringement of Urban Kitchen its programme.

Sate, Nigerian Producer Slams £1m Claims on Sky TV Over Alleged Copyright Infringement

Remedium Law Partners, legal representative to Sate Television, in a statement also demanded N100 million from Solution Media and InfoTech Limited/Hi-Impact TV, a company registered in Nigeria and the UK, as compensation for allegedly “fraudulently broadcasting” Urban Kitchen “without due authorisation and permission” and another £250,000 for copyright violation.

Remedium is also demanding the airing of Urban Kitchen to stop immediately “until the formalisation of an agreement with Sate TV, producer of the TV programme and payment of an agreed Nigerian and UK prices for all twenty-six (26) episodes of the programme have been duly made.”

Sate Television through its lawyers claimed Solution Media and Infotech Limited/Hi-Impact TV started airing the said programme in Nigeria and in the UK “while negotiation between them for the authorisation of the programme was still on-going.”

Remedium also claimed that the agreement that was being negotiated was for the airing of the programme in Nigeria alone but Solution Media and Infotech Limited/Hi-Impact TV allegedly extended broadcast of the content to the United Kingdom “where Sky TV UK with millions of viewers globally has been airing the TV programme without the consent of the producer, Sate Television.”

In a letter dated May 18, 2020, Remedium claimed that one Andrew Ohio who was acting on behalf of Solution Media and Infotech Limited, owners of Hi-Impact TV, contacted its client, Sate Television, to express interest in Urban Kitchen.

“On 27th February 2020, our Client forwarded a Term Sheet containing their conditions for a License Agreement, stating among others the following: that the programme would consist of twenty-six (26) episodes of thirty minutes duration each; the license fee per episode would be eighty dollars ($80), making a total of two thousand and eighty dollars ($2,080); Nigeria would be the only broadcast territory; and that the programme was to be delivered to Hi-Impact Television for the express purpose of broadcasting or airing within seven (7) days payment via Wetransfer, an online document exchange medium.

“Following your request for preview copies for the purpose of ascertaining their quality and suitability for broadcast, our Client released the programme to you through your said agent, Mr. Ohio, doing so at Mr. Ohio’s insistence by merely copying the episodes from his computer hard-drive into a portable USB flash drive or electronic storage device,” the letter reads.

The law firm further claimed that while its client awaited the formalisation of the agreement, they realised that Hi-Impact television had already started airing Urban Kitchen in Nigeria and in the UK via Sky TV.

“Our Client did not at any time give permission, authorisation or consent to Hi-Impact Television to broadcast Urban Kitchen, whether in Nigeria or anywhere else. Note that even though on 2nd March, 2020, your Head of Programmes, Abiola Adelanwa, signed a unilaterally altered version of the draft agreement, our Client declined to counter-sign it. Moreover, they had not paid the agreed price and our Client has not delivered the episodes for the purpose of broadcast,” the law firm claimed.

When PREMIUM TIMES, reached for comment, Hi-Impact TV said they were surprised by the turn of event as the agreement to procure the TV show was concluded with Sate Television before it was aired.

“The transaction had been concluded and we did not understand why there was a copyright infringement claim,” the company said in an email.

The company shared a copy of an agreement signed by Andrew Ohionrenoya, the CEO of EIC Communication, who claimed to be the content producers of “Urban Kitchen” granting Impact TV the right to air the programme.


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Broadcasting

MultiChoice Reportedly Testing Weekly Subscriptions amid Use Decline

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MultiChoice is reportedly testing weekly subscription plans in Uganda, aiming to ease financial pressure on customers struggling with monthly payments.

MultiChoice Reportedly Testing Weekly Subscriptions amid Use Decline

If successful, the pay-TV giant may expand the model to other African markets as it fights to retain subscribers amid economic challenges, according to the Sunday Times.

The company, which operates in 16 African countries, has seen its subscriber base shrink by 1.2 million in the past year, dropping to 14.5 million.

Half of those losses came from South Africa, where high unemployment and rising living costs have forced households to cut discretionary spending, including DStv subscriptions.

Calvo Mawela, group CEO, MultiChoice, confirmed the weekly subscription trial has been running for seven weeks.

“Within three to six months, we’ll have a good idea if it’s working,” he told the Sunday Times.

“If successful, we’ll expand it to other markets. We believe this approach can help customers in the same way prepaid mobile services revolutionized telecoms.”

MultiChoice faces financial strain from currency depreciation in key markets like Nigeria, Angola, and Ghana, alongside rising inflation.

In South Africa, economic stagnation has further squeezed consumer budgets.

Despite a recent 31% price hike in Nigeria, Mawela remains optimistic, noting that the naira has stabilized and subscriber recovery may follow.

While the new payment option could improve affordability, Mawela dismissed the idea of letting users customize channel bundles, stating, “We still don’t think it works.”

However, MultiChoice is researching tiered packages, including separate sports and entertainment offerings, to boost revenue.

The company is also streamlining costs, targeting R2 billion in savings by 2026 through reduced satellite expenses, better content deals, and fewer decoder subsidies.

As broadband penetration grows, MultiChoice reports a 38% surge in DStv Stream users.

However, its standalone streaming platform, Showmax, has underperformed initial expectations despite a 44% increase in paying subscribers. Mawela admitted the venture’s high costs are unsustainable, prompting talks with partner Comcast NBCUniversal to adjust funding.

“Streaming is the future, but data prices must improve for it to thrive in Africa,” MultiChoice stated.

For now, the company hopes flexible subscriptions and cost controls will stabilize its business as it navigates a tough economic climate.

 

 

 

 

 


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Multichoice Nigeria Faces Revenue Decline Amid Economic Challenges

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MultiChoice Nigeria’s subscription revenue declined by 44 per cent to $197.74m in the financial year ended March 2025, down from $355.93m recorded in the same period a year earlier, as rising inflation and a worsening economic climate triggered a mass exit of subscribers.

The sharp revenue drop was driven by “sizeable customer losses in Nigeria as high inflation adds more pressure on consumers,” the company said in its latest financial report. Inflation stood at 23.71 per cent in April 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The pay-TV provider has lost 1.4 million subscribers in Nigeria since its financial year ended in March 2023.

Nigeria alone accounted for 77 per cent of the 1.8 million subscribers lost across MultiChoice’s Rest of Africa segment, which includes markets such as Kenya, Zambia, and Angola.

Between April and September 2024, the company lost 243,000 subscribers in Nigeria, as macroeconomic and consumer conditions deteriorated further.

At the close of its 2025 fiscal year, MultiChoice reported 14.5 million total subscribers, with 7.5 million of them in RoA. The group attributed part of the overall decline in performance to foreign exchange losses resulting from a 44 per cent depreciation of the naira against the US dollar.

MultiChoice said it incurred foreign exchange losses of $158.19m and managed to remit only $133m from Nigeria at an average exchange rate of N1,589 per dollar, compared to $184m at N1,044 per dollar in the previous year.

“Nigeria’s economic challenges had a significant impact on our Rest of Africa operations, contributing to a 23 per cent drop in RoA subscription revenue to $779.66m,” said Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Group, Calvo Mawela.

Total subscription revenue, including South Africa, declined by 11 per cent year-on-year to $2.27bn. Overall group revenue fell nine per cent to $2.87bn, while operating profit declined by 34 per cent to $263.50m. Trading profit dropped by nearly half to $228.14m.

“Our performance reflects both the challenges we’ve faced and the resilience of our teams,” said Mawela. “While macroeconomic pressures and currency volatility have weighed on our results, our disciplined execution, cost management, and investment in new long-term growth opportunities position us well for the future.”

In spite of its declining linear subscriber base, down 2.8 million across two financial years, MultiChoice reported notable growth in its digital and streaming businesses.

DStv Internet revenue rose 85 per cent, KingMakers grew by 76 per cent in constant currency, DStv Stream increased 48 per cent, and Showmax saw a 44 per cent year-on-year rise in active paying customers.

“Our strategy is shaped by developments in our industry, such as changes in technology which are driving shifts in consumer behaviour, as well as the impact of a rise in piracy, streaming services, and social media,” Mawela said.


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LASERC Takes Full Control of Electricity Regulation in Lagos

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Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC) has issued a new directive establishing a formal regulatory framework for electricity market operations within Lagos.

With the release of Order No. LASERC ORDER/001/2025, the commission finalizes the shift of oversight from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to LASERC, aligning with the Electricity Act 2023 and Lagos State Electricity Law 2024.

Under the new regulations, individuals or entities involved in electricity-related activities in Lagos must obtain a license or permit from LASERC. Licenses issued by other regulatory bodies will no longer be recognized. Unlicensed operators must immediately halt operations and apply for proper authorization to avoid penalties, which include a fine of ₦20 million and additional daily fines of ₦20,000 for continued violations.

LASERC has encouraged entities unsure of their regulatory status to seek clarification to prevent sanctions. Despite the transition, existing national guidelines, including tariff structures, grid codes, and safety regulations, will remain in effect unless amended.

Dr. Fouad Animashaun, CEO and Executive Commissioner of LASERC, emphasized that the order is designed to ensure a secure, efficient, and reliable electricity market in Lagos.

He reiterated the commission’s commitment to global standards and safeguarding the interests of electricity consumers and investors.

This policy marks a significant shift in the state’s power sector and aims to enhance regulatory compliance while ensuring a more structured and effective electricity market.


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