Broadcasting
Why Nigerians, Others Pay More for Pay-TV

By Justus E. Fashedemi
Who do you think pays the eye-watering salaries earned by players in England’s Premier League, the Spanish LaLiga or Italian Serie A? It is not the clubs, but fans in those countries and around the world.
Wondering how? Here is it. The Premier League, the world’s favourite football league, for example, is broadcast in 212 countries to an estimated 4.7 billion people.
The 2016/17 season was the first in the current three-year broadcasting deal, which gives the Premier League £8.3 billion in television rights, with £5.41 billion of that coming from two UK broadcasters, Sky and BT.
It means clubs have larger sums to spend on players, who are earning bigger wages, and are less dependent match day income.
To cover the cost of the sum paid for the deal with the Premier League, Sky and BT jacked up prices by about 10% in 2016, meaning that the cost to the subscriber went up.
The two broadcasters were simply responding to the 71% jump over what was paid for the previous television deal. So, whatever commercial progress the clubs are making is at a cost, which is eventually passed on to fans around the world by television companies broadcasting matches of the Premier League everywhere in the world.
Being a red-hot property, a jewel in the Pay TV crown, rights to air Premier League matches are unlikely to attract lower sums when next they are up for renewal.
In fact, they will attract higher sums. Live sport, in general, is hot, hot property. The cut-throat competition for the acquisition of rights to broadcast or redistribute live sport content is unsurprisingly accompanied by stratospheric hikes prices demanded by content owners.
It is the same for content in other genres- movies, general entertainment, documentaries, kiddies’ content et al.
Being part of the global Pay TV landscape, operators in Nigeria are similarly victims of tough negotiations and astronomical content prices as operators in Europe, the US and Asia.
A big portion of the monthly subscription the consumer pays is comprises costs that Pay TV companies, which are essentially distributors or vendors, are required to pay to content creators or those that package Pay TV channels.
It means that for every household receiving that package, whether or not anyone in the household watches the channel, Pay TV providers pay a fee.
Content rebroadcast agreements usually contain clear and stringent rules on how content owners want their television shows and channels should be sold to viewers.
Content owners determine, for example, what packages can contain their channels. With content costs almost always denominated in the US dollar, Euro and the British pound, it is not possible for Pay TV subscription in Nigeria to remain the same for long, especially with the volatility of the exchange rate of the Naira to the aforementioned international currencies.
Even then, Pay TV prices in Nigeria are not anywhere near the steepest in the world as many often suggest. A look at the recent price adjustments made by MultiChoice on its DStv platform provides a confirmation. Under the company’s new price regime, the DStv Premium package, which currently costs N14, 700 will from 1 August rise to N15, 800.
Price of the DStv Compact Plus package has also been slightly bumped up from to N10, 650 from N9, 900. The Compact package, which currently costs N6, 500, will rise to N6, 800.
Prices of the Family and Access packages will equally go up to N4, 000 and N2, 000 respectively from the N3, 800 and N1, 900 currently being paid. Compared to the company’s new rates in Ghana, MultiChoice subscribers in Nigeria can have few complaints.
The West African country’s Premium subscribers will henceforth pay GH 365 (N27, 360.75), while those on Compact plus will pay GH 245 (N18, 365.44). Compact and Family subscribers in Ghana will pay GH 149 (N11, 169.18) and GH 85 (N6, 961.60) respectively.
South African subscribers of the company, erroneously viewed as sacred cows, will pay R809 (N21, 728.47) for Premium, R509 (N13, 670) for Compact Plus, R385 (N10, 340.49) for Compact, R249 (N6, 687.75) for Family and R99 (N2, 656.98) for Access respectively.
Similarly in Europe and the Americas, Pay TV subscribers pay more than Nigerians. In the US, Pay TV operator, Direct TV’s two biggest packages cost $110 (N38, 710) and $60 (N21, 660) respectively. For its third biggest package, Xtra, Direct TV charges $55 (N19, 855).
Its other packages cost $40 (N14, 440), $45 (N16, 245) and $35 (N12, 635). United Kingdom’s premier operator, Sky TV, charges £79.95 (N38, 167.33) for its fullest package and £47.50 (N22, 572.97) for that next to it. The third package attracts £40 (N19, 008.82), while the three below it cost £30 (N14, 256.61), £25 (N11, 731.54) and £20 (N9, 504.41) respectively.
In Mexico, where the provider offers four packages, the costs are higher than what is paid by subscribers in Nigeria. In the Central American country, Sky TV’s topmost package costs MXN 1039 (N19, 798.52). The three others cost MXN 829 (N15, 796. 52), MXN 649 (N12, 366.93) and MXN 569 (N10, 842.50).
Contrary to the widespread belief that Pay TV prices around the world are as stable as rock in a windstorm, the fact is they rise yearly.
Analysts reckon that programming costs have risen by eight to 10 percent in each of the past four years-driven by competition for content and other economic conditions, reducing Pay TV operators’ margins and compelling them to keep hike prices to remain afloat.
Competition has been made fiercer by the rise of streaming services, which are also in the game for compelling programming, offering another outlet to content owners. When this is added to global economic conditions, prices are unlikely to stay the same.
A 2013 research by Robert Gessner of America’s Masillon Cable TV Inc., warned subscribers to expect large increases in prices.
“Wholesale costs for the lowest level of TV service will increase by 11.5% in 2014; expected to increase 400% by 2020. Wholesale costs for Basic TV will increase by 11.7% in 2014 and double by 2020. Anticipated 2020 out-of-pocket Basic Cable program cost will exceed $80/month, more than $100 retail with no equipment, premium services, Internet or phone service,” wrote Gessner.
US website, consumerreports.org, also reported that most US Pay TV operators hiked their prices in 2018, with some introducing hidden fees, with operators blaming the development on the rise in costs paid for programming.
Industry watchers also posit that addition of new features and functions to services, leading to improved subscriber experience, also contributes to the rise in Pay TV prices.
Except the astronomical programming costs miraculously slide-appreciably, too-there is no chance of Pay TV prices remaining the same for a long time.
––Fashedemi, a public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos
Broadcasting
NDPC Hides MultiChoice Privacy Violation Details Despite FOI Request- FIJ

Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has refused to release details of the data and privacy rights violation for which it fined MultiChoice Nigeria, despite receiving a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from FIJ.
FIJ otherwise Foundation for Investigative Journalism, is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that combats injustice, holds power to account and speaks for the voiceless.
In its announcement on July 6, the NDPC said it had fined MultiChoice Nigeria N766,242,500 for breaching the data and privacy rights of subscribers and even those who are not necessarily subscribers.
FIJ emailed the data protection commission an FOI request on July 9.
The commission acknowledged the receipt of the email that same day and added: “It has been forwarded to the relevant department and we would respond soon.”
Fifteen days later, FIJ got no other response from the NDPC.
In Nigeria, FOI requests have a seven-day timeframe, and it starts counting as soon as a public institution receives a request for public information.
FIJ understands that holidays, which include a Sunday and a public holiday, are to be excluded in the computation of the timeframe.
The receiving institution is mandated, within those seven days, to either provide the requested information or explain in detail why it is unable to do so based on the provisions of the FOI Act.
Established under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the NDPC’s tasks include safeguarding data privacy, enforcing regulations and promoting responsible data handling in the country.
When the Commission announced the N766.2 million fine against MultiChoice Nigeria, it said the company had violated the privacy rights of subscribers and allowed the illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians.
MultiChoice Nigeria operates through various subsidiaries, such as DStv and GOtv. The NDPC said it launched an investigation into the company in the second quarter of 2024.
“NDPC found, among others, that Multichoice violated the data privacy rights of subscribers and their friends who are not necessarily subscribers,” the statement issued by NDPC read in part.
“The Commission also found that Multichoice carries out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria. The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate.”
FIJ’s FOI request aimed to understand the extent of the data and privacy breaches committed by MultiChoice Nigeria, the remedial measures directed by the NDPC and the specific channels through which the company collected the personal data of Nigerians.
Two weeks after the request was submitted, the NDPC has refused to respond.
Section 7, sub-section 4, of the Freedom of Information Act (2011) states, “Where the government or public institution fails to give access to information or record applied for under this Act or part thereof within the time limit set out in this Act, the institution shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have refused to give access.”
According to the Act, where a case of wrongful denial of access is established, the defaulting officer or institution commits an offence and is liable on conviction to pay a N500,000 fine.
At the time of this report, there was no publicly documented case of the NDPC granting an FOI request to share more details after an investigation.
In 2023, FIJ detailed how the Nigerian government often violated the FOI Act. Journalists at top newspapers in the country noted that government agencies had a habit of disregarding FOI requests, despite being legally obligated to respond.
Broadcasting
Spotify RADAR Africa Turns the Volume Up on FOLA and Thakzin

Spotify is turning the spotlight toward the next wave of African music innovators with its latest RADAR Africa picks: Nigerian Afrobeats talent FOLA and South African Afro House DJ and producer Thakzin. As part of Spotify’s ongoing commitment to discovering and amplifying emerging voices across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), RADAR continues to champion boundary-pushing artists shaping the sound of tomorrow.
FOLA, born Folarin Odunlami, first caught attention with his freestyles on social media, quickly making a name for himself with his blend of Afrobeat rhythms and soulful storytelling. His breakout EP What A Feeling, featuring the Bella Shmurda-assisted hit “Who Does That,” laid the foundation for a fast-rising career that now includes collaborations with BNXN, Magixx, and BhadBoi OML. “Looking at where I’m coming from, I see every opportunity as a blessing. So, it’s a blessing to have been selected, just like others before me,” says FOLA. “I want my fans to know that in the midst of all the noise, I made something they could truly connect with, feel and share with those who mean something to them. I want everyone who listens to at the very least, recognise that they’re witnessing the early days of something truly special.”
On the southern tip of the continent, Thakzin’s journey began in Ivory Park, Johannesburg, where early jazz and kwaito influences, plus a deep respect for traditional percussion, shaped his signature sound. With co-signs from Black Coffee and international tastemakers like Laurent Garnier, his genre-defying approach to Afro House, heard in his 2023 anthem “The Magnificent Dance,” is setting global dance floors alight. Following the release of Magnificent Dance, his version of Horns In The Sun by DJ Kent became a viral hit across South Africa and gained global traction, potentially surpassing the success of Magnificent Dance itself. Thakzin’s sound is rooted in African spirituality and healing, inspired by the rhythmic power of traditional drums. Shaped by a musical upbringing and guided by his father, a keyboardist, he blends rich harmonies with percussive elements to create an immersive Afro-house experience. His music evokes emotion, movement, and ancestral energy, anchored in freedom and African expression. In recognition of his role in shaping 3-step, Thakzin was the first cover artist of Spotify’s 3 STEP playlist.
Spotify RADAR isn’t just a platform, it’s a launchpad. It reflects Spotify’s commitment to empowering local artists across SSA and delivering the best listening experience in the region. From Lagos to Johannesburg, RADAR celebrates the diversity of talent on the continent, offering artists equal access to global audiences.
“At Spotify, we believe in the power of African storytelling through music. FOLA and Thakzin are both incredibly unique artists who represent the spirit of RADAR—fresh voices with global potential,” says Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa. “By amplifying their journeys, we hope to inspire more creators across the continent to believe in their vision and reach for bigger stages.”
With FOLA and Thakzin stepping into the spotlight, one thing is clear: Africa’s future sound is already here, and Spotify is where you find it first.
Broadcasting
Paradigm Initiative Applauds Malawi’s Judiciary for Outlawing Criminal Defamation

Paradigm Initiative (PIN) commends the decision by the High Court of Malawi, sitting as the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), which finds that section 200 of the Penal Code of Malawi, criminalising defamation, is unconstitutional. This follows a unanimous ruling by Justices Chifundo Kachale, Fiona Mwale, and Mzondi Mvula.
The decision by the three-judge bench concludes a case brought by Joshua Chisa Mbele against the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General, where the latter leveled charges against Mbele for alleged defamatory statements made regarding a public official in Malawi. In his defence, Mbele challenged the constitutionality of section 200 of the Penal Code of Malawi, which criminalised defamation, arguing that this provision infringed the right to freedom of expression as provided for under section 35 of the country’s Constitution, as well as running counter to Malawi’s obligations under regional and international human rights law.
In its commendable ruling, the ConCourt upheld the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the Malawian Constitution and described the punishment of imprisonment, as outlined in Section 200 of the Malawi Penal Code, as having a “chilling effect on public discourse and democratic participation.” In a ruling delivered on July 16th, 2025, the court said it did not find Section 200 of the Malawi Penal Code reasonable or necessary in light of the civil remedies available to deal with defamation.
PIN celebrates this win, having expressed concerns in the past over Malawi’s repressive laws through the Londa report on the state of digital rights and inclusion in Malawi and a joint advocacy statement calling for the repeal of laws infringing on freedom of expression.
PIN hopes that this decision will stir the legislature in Malawi to repeal laws that have a bearing on freedom of expression such as the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act 2016, which is increasingly being deployed as a weapon to criminalise freedom of expression and media freedom in Malawi with broad provisions such as section 87 that criminalises publication of offensive communications and an overly broad section 91 of the Act (prohibiting cyber spamming) which has been used to target individuals for insulting the President.
Acknowledging the judiciary’s vital role in promoting fundamental rights and freedoms and ensuring that repressive laws are outlawed, PIN applauds the progressive decision. The Malawi judiciary has demonstrated this leadership with a landmark case that can lead to further legislative reforms in Malawi and inspire other African judiciaries to adopt a human rights-based approach to adjudicating over such cases.
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