Canal+’s MultiChoice will rebrand its DStv packages across most African countries by early November. The changes will also affect DStv Lite — MultiChoice’s equivalent to the DStv EasyView package in South Africa — which is expected to gain additional channels.
In September, MultiChoice revamped its packages in South Africa but left DStv EasyView largely untouched. Subscribers were not completely left behind, however, as the company added three channels to the package: Moja 9.9, France 24 and Church TV.
For DStv Lite in other African markets, MultiChoice is planning a more significant upgrade. In addition to the existing Africa Magic Epic and Family channels, M-Net is expected to open up more of its content to this entry-level package.
DStv Lite currently mirrors the basic EasyView offering, with a relatively small line-up that includes channels such as Bravo, Africa Magic Epic and Nickelodeon. MultiChoice now intends to reshape DStv Lite so that it more closely resembles the new DStv Starter package available in South Africa. For many viewers, that would represent a clear upgrade.
In South Africa, the Starter package includes channels such as Moja Love, kykNET & kie, Telemundo, Discovery Family, DreamWorks and Curiosity Channel. Against that benchmark, DStv EasyView currently lags behind other DStv packages.
MultiChoice previously tried to align EasyView more closely with its African equivalent, which led to higher costs. In other markets the comparable package sits in the R50–R99 per month range, allowing MultiChoice to include stronger brands in place of older channels such as CineMagic and Magic Showcase.
EasyView was kept at R30 because many existing subscribers felt a higher price was not justified, while others considered the increased rate too expensive. By remaining at its current price, EasyView is still able to compete directly with free-to-air platforms such as Openview and PremiumFree.
After Canal+ acquired MultiChoice last year, the company adopted a “back to basics” approach for EasyView, resulting in fewer channels. Despite the earlier addition of Magic Showcase and CineMagic, many viewers continued to see EasyView primarily as a home for SABC and e.tv channels. Keeping channels like Magic Showcase on the package was not generating significant revenue for MultiChoice.
Even so, DStv EasyView is in a stronger position than it was in the later years of the 2010s, even if it currently lags behind some competitors. It now offers TNT for DC movies and wrestling, Real Time for food and crime programming, and BBC UKTV for British dramas and reality shows.
A few months ago MultiChoice appeared to sideline EasyView by removing detailed information about the package from its website, only to reinstate it later. Looking at the current line-up, however, EasyView is quietly building a more defined identity. Over time, MultiChoice may begin to pay closer attention to what the package has become.
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