Price hike: FCCPC summons MultiChoice

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has summoned MultiChoice Nigeria, the operator of DStv and GOtv, to account for its planned subscription price hike, scheduled to take effect on March 1, 2025.

In a statement on Tuesday, FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the regulator had ordered MultiChoice’s Chief Executive Officer to appear before the commission on February 27 for an investigative hearing, as concerns mount over the company’s recurring price adjustments.

The summons comes after MultiChoice Nigeria announced on Monday a 21 per cent increase in the subscription fee for its DStv Compact package, raising the price from N15,700 to N19,000.

The announcement triggered widespread criticism from subscribers, many of whom took to social media to express frustration over frequent price hikes.

 The consumer watchdog in its statement, expressed concerns over the recurring unilateral price increases, warning that such actions raise serious questions about fairness, market abuse, and potential anti-competitive practices.

Part of the statement read, “Exercising its mandate under Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA, the FCCPC directed the Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria to attend an investigative hearing at the Commission’s headquarters on Thursday, February 27, 2025.

“This action follows MultiChoice’s formal notification of the price adjustment, which raises concerns about recurrent unilateral price hikes, potential market dominance abuse, and perceived anti-competitive practices in the pay-TV industry.

“The FCCPC is deeply concerned that Nigerian consumers continue to face frequent price increases, amid accusations that MultiChoice applies different pricing strategies in other markets, heightening questions about fairness and market abuse.”

The regulator warned that failure to provide a satisfactory explanation or any violation of fair market principles could result in penalties, sanctions, or other corrective measures.

The FCCPC also confirmed that it is engaging the sector regulator and other relevant agencies to ensure fair competition and stronger consumer protection in Nigeria’s pay-TV industry.

In a notice sent to customers on Monday, the company said the price adjustment was part of a review of its pricing structure.

While the DStv Compact package will see an increase, MultiChoice confirmed that the Compact Plus and Premium bouquets will remain at N30,000 and N44,500, respectively.

The notice, titled “Price Adjustments for DStv and GOtv Packages,” read in part, “Dear Customer, please note that effective March 1, 2025, there will be a price adjustment on all DStv packages.

“This is to enable us to continue offering our customers world-class homegrown and international content, delivered through the best technology.”