Sports will more than likely be available as a separate bundle for the first time …
MultiChoice will soon unveil a complete overhaul of its DStv packages following the takeover by Canal+ little less than a year ago. It is understood, based on various reports, that the revamp will include a standalone sports package on offer from later this month.
This will be the first time MultiChoice offers a sport-only package to customers, aside from its ill-fated Showmax push, where there was a Premier League plan (which includes the PSL) for R99 per month.
It will seemingly offer this sports package alongside an entertainment-focused option, ‘Movies & Series’.
These two options, according to various leaks, will be priced at R399 (sports) and R500 (general entertainment).
If this is indeed correct, it will dramatically shake up DStv’s package structure and simplify the positioning of its offerings in the market.
Read: What’s taken DStv so long to overhaul its packages?
Currently, this extends to six packages: EasyView, Access, Family, Compact, Compact Plus and Premium. It has largely deemphasised the EasyView package (R30) completely, with no obvious purchase options currently available.
Since Canal+ took over the group, it has effectively offered five subscription packages to the South African market: Access (R99), Family (R299 or R339 with a decoder), Compact (R399 or R479 with a decoder), Compact Plus (R549 or R659 with a decoder) and Premium (R799 or R979 with a decoder).
Five new packages
It will now change this to another five bouquets, comprising, according to various reports, a ‘Starter’ package, ‘Select’ (which replaces Compact), ‘Sports’ (the new standalone offering), ‘Movies & Series’ (everything else) and Premium (all-in).
Pricing for the Sports package is “from R399 per month”.
After believing that M-Net was the most ‘premium’ channel across the offering, DStv will now not offer it exclusively on that package.
It will be available on the general entertainment package.
What to expect from ‘Sports’?
The sports-only package is heavily football-focused, with all Premier League matches, as well as Champions League and cricket.
PSL coverage is included in the ‘Select’ package.
Leaked screenshots reveal that the only home of ‘Premium’ content is, in fact, that package (‘Premium’) – where F1, MotoGP, rugby, golf and tennis reside.
This will be the home of all Springbok games, but it appears that there will be one URC (rugby) match per week included in the Sports package.
It will also screen a single Premier League game per week on the entry-level package. This will be similar to the arrangement it used to have with sub-licensees eTV and SABC. These tend to be the best of the Saturday 4pm or 5pm matches.
Costly split for subscribers
By purportedly splitting its offering in half, DStv is effectively pitting its sports offering against its ‘core’ entertainment one.
If one had to subscribe to both, you would be in for at least R899 a month, according to various marketing materials that Moneyweb has seen.
Using DStv’s methodology with satellite versus streaming-only options, this would likely translate to R999 (possibly over R1 000, although there are various indications that DStv’s new owner will do everything in its power to avoid that).
Premium still packs a punch
On paper, then, a Premium offering at a minimum of R799 per month doesn’t look too bad. It comprises 130 channels – all sport, obviously – as well as all general entertainment ones.
Read: Desperate to retain Premium subs, DStv ups streaming limit to four
Based on the leaks, the ‘Sports’ and ‘Movies & Series’ packages will each comprise “over 115 channels”. Obviously, the middle is the rump. There’s an enormous amount of movies, series, and lifestyle channels that will be included to bulk up those numbers.
The complete refactoring of these packages is the most ambitious move DStv will have made in over a decade.
