MultiChoice revamped its DStv packages, with some options like DStv Compact+ disappearing. This article looks at the biggest red flags in the new offering and why it still has clear setbacks for many consumers.
Earlier this year, Canal+ spoke about simplifying packages. The Disney+ and AddMovies bundles were being removed and Showmax was shuttered. You would expect them to also reduce the number of DStv packages and lower prices, especially with Netflix continuing to gain ground. That has not happened. Like many other DStv customers, I still find the overall offering bloated.
DStv Compact+ Becomes a Minus
DStv Compact+ was created to compete with both Compact and Premium by offering extra channels at a more affordable price. It included Comedy Central, History, kykNET, Curiosity Channel, Nickelodeon and CBeebies.
I never liked the idea. It effectively sidelined DStv Compact, which was left with Nicktoons and kykNET & Kie while Compact+ took the more desirable channels. Over time, channels kept being moved around or made available on other packages, proving the tier was unnecessary. Retiring Compact+ is one of Canal+’s better decisions.
DStv Sports Is Misleading
This was predictable once reports confirmed the package would carry 115 channels but not the full SuperSport offering. They should have called it DStv Football+ or DStv Select Sports instead.
I understand why MotoGP, tennis and golf stay locked behind DStv Premium — they want every package to feel valuable. Still, the name “DStv Sports” creates the expectation that it includes all SuperSport channels as a standalone sports option. It does not.
MultiChoice is losing customers and many households are cutting back because of rising costs. DStv Sports appears designed for those viewers. It largely mirrors DStv Compact and adds SuperSport Cricket and SuperSport Extra as the main bonuses. Plenty of DStv customers care far more about cricket and local rugby than tennis or golf, so those additions will feel like a win for them even if the overall structure is imperfect.
Movies & Series Is Too Costly and Misleading
When talk first emerged of a possible “DStv Flex” package that would let people pay for M-Net and BBC Earth without SuperSport, many assumed Movies & Series would follow that model. Instead, the package still includes sports. The presence of PSL and selected sporting events has already put some potential customers off.
In the current economic climate, the last thing most people want is extra costs they do not need. MultiChoice could have used the Flex concept properly — or simply removed sports entirely, dropped the price, and focused on news and local content that Netflix does not fully replace. There are still people willing to keep a DStv subscription for those reasons. Take the sports out, lower the price, and subscriptions would likely rise.
DStv Select, Starter and the Missed Opportunity
When MultiChoice announced a package restructuring, the last thing I expected was a new package with “Sports” in the name. I was hoping they would simply merge Compact and Family.
Many channels that once sat on Compact have already moved to Family. With Mzansi Magic now available lower down the ladder, even more customers may decide to downgrade further. MultiChoice could probably have managed without creating DStv Sports at all.
A cleaner structure would have been:
- Premium combined with the old Compact+ channels as the top tier
- Compact and Family merged into one mid-tier package
- Access and EasyView left largely unchanged
Instead of opening SuperSport Cricket on the new Sports package, they could have used SuperSport Extra for some of those matches. That might have helped keep costs down on a merged Compact/Family offering. Premium sports rights are expensive, and a merge would probably have forced some Family customers to pay more if they wanted to keep HGTV and Nickelodeon. Even so, it would not have been a bad overall solution.
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