DStv removes two news channels from Compact bouquet

A past MultiChoice promotion in Eldoret. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By DOREEN WAINAINAH
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DStv Kenya has removed two popular news stations from its Compact bouquet in a channel
reorganisation.

Bloomberg and CNBC Africa will now only be available on the Compact Plus and Premium packages as the satellite TV provider restructures its products.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our customers’ television viewing experience and delight them with content that resonates with them, MultiChoice did a content refresh to its DStv and GOtv offerings on November 13, 2019,” said Multichoice in a statement.

According to the firm, this has resulted in the addition and removal of channels across DStv and GOtv.

The firm has been struggling to maintain its grip on the market consumers switch to the home Internet and on-the-go streaming services such as YouTube, Netflix and Showmax.

DStv in September slashed monthly subscription rates between five percent and 30 percent to boost its numbers. The latest price cuts point to Kenya’s changing pay-TV landscape, where subscribers are increasingly turning to on-demand streaming content online.

Multichoice-linked video-on-demand company Showmax has been banking on exclusive local content to ward off competition in the Kenyan market by its biggest rival Netflix.

Showmax is owned by Naspers — which is also behind pay-TV company MultiChoice.

Using devices such as Android-based TV boxes — which connect to the Internet, customers have been illegally streaming content such as the English Premier League, eating into MultiChoice Kenya’s dominance locally. The firm has also been adding more local channels.

“The recent refresh has allowed us to add more locally relevant content and to strengthen our DStv and GOtv package offerings with fresher relevant content for our customers viewing pleasure.” said the DStv.