Broadcasting
StartTime Records First Set of Winners in ExtraTime Promo
Mr. David Abayomi, a Lokoja, Kogi State based StarTime’s customer with decoder number 021105622422, won the grand prize of Toyota Yaris 2014 model at the first draws of the pay Tv’s ExtraTime promo held at its headquarters in Lagos.
StarTimes with over 1.8 million subscribers in Nigeria unveiled the ExtraTime Promo, as every customer stands the chance of winning a brand new 2014 Toyota Yaris Car or a 32’ LED Digital TV at the monthly draws.
Also at this month’s draw other 50 customers won StarTime’s 32’ LED Digital TV.
StarTime is the only licensed Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) pay TV operator in Nigeria with presence in 32 cities.
During the ExtraTime Promo customers would also be rewarded with an extra viewing day on the StarTimes’ Soccer card and its promo card, during the promotion period that would run from May till end of August.
Speaking during the draws, Irete Anetor, public relations manager of the NTA-Star Network, said that promo was basically to celebrate the customers’ loyalty and spur them to cheer the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the forthcoming FIFA world Cup in Brazil.
To qualify, a customer only need to make purchase of the StarTimes recharge card and automatically qualified for the promo’s monthly draws, where they stand the chance of winning brand new 2014 Toyota Yaris cars or 32’ Digital LED TVs. He noted that the Extra Time Promo comes in parts.
“We would give an extra viewing day on our Soccer card and the Extra Time promo card, sell our Soccer card specially designed to cheer the Super Eagles for the FIFA World Cup Season and give out instant prizes through our Extra Time promo card – customers can scratch and win instant prizes on its purchase.
“Customers, just like the today’s winners, automatically qualify for the Extra Time monthly promo draws on the purchase of our recharge cards – be it the usual cards, the Soccer card or the Extra Time promo cards” he said.
Anetor added: “While we are aware that this promo period coincides with the FIFA World Cup season, we are conscious of the passion that Nigerians have for soccer; as such, we are also giving away prizes in our Predict & Win on our Facebook Fan Page (StarSat Decoders and LED TV) and are showing our support to the Nigerian Super Eagles, in our own little way, with an official soccer themed StarTimes recharge card – the Soccer Card.”
To qualify for the promo, Mr. Habbeb Somoye, brand manager of the Company, said that, new subscribers stand the chance of winning a brand new 2014 Toyota Yaris car or a 32’ LED Digital TV at the monthly draws on the purchase of the StarTimes decoder, which comes with a month’s free subscription.
“On the other hand, existing subscribers stand the chance of winning promo prizes by recharging with a StarTimes Soccer card or the usual StarTimes’ recharge card during the promo period. There are also instant gifts like the 32’ LED Digital TV Sets or units of Viju Milk to be won. Instants prizes are to be redeemed at designated StarTimes’ prize redemption centres,” he said.
He added that monthly draws for the promo would hold at StarTimes’ Lagos head office at the end of each month until the promo ends in August.
The next dates for the draws, according to Anetor, are 27th June, 31st July, and 29th August 2014.
“Currently, StarTimes sports channels are NTA Sports 24, Setanta Action, Setanta Africa, NBA TV, and MCS Sports. Soccer lovers can watch Live Matches of the FIFA World Cup moments on NTA Sports 24,” Anetor added.
Meanwhile, the star winner- Abayomi, who sounded really excited about the win while speaking on telephone, said he asked: “How do I reach you, who am I speaking with, can I call you back on this number.”
(L-r): Andy-Liao, assistant, Marketing development Viju Milk, Aminu Muritala, technical manager, Ayokunle Idowu, brand strategist, Somoye Tunde Habeeb, brand and marketing manager, and Irete Anetor, public relations manager, all of the NTA-Star Network, calling a customer to intimate him on winning one of the prizes.
By peter ugwu
Mr. David Abayomi, a Lokoja, Kogi State based StarTime’s customer with decoder number 021105622422, won the grand prize of Toyota Yaris 2014 model at the first draws of the pay Tv’s ExtraTime promo held at its headquarters in Lagos.
StarTimes with over 1.8 million subscribers in Nigeria unveiled the ExtraTime Promo, as every customer stands the chance of winning a brand new 2014 Toyota Yaris Car or a 32’ LED Digital TV at the monthly draws.
Also at this month’s draw other 50 customers won StarTime’s 32’ LED Digital TV.
StarTime is the only licensed Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) pay TV operator in Nigeria with presence in 32 cities.
During the ExtraTime Promo customers would also be rewarded with an extra viewing day on the StarTimes’ Soccer card and its promo card, during the promotion period that would run from May till end of August.
Speaking during the draws, Irete Anetor, public relations manager of the NTA-Star Network, said that promo was basically to celebrate the customers’ loyalty and spur them to cheer the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the forthcoming FIFA world Cup in Brazil.
To qualify, a customer only need to make purchase of the StarTimes recharge card and automatically qualified for the promo’s monthly draws, where they stand the chance of winning brand new 2014 Toyota Yaris cars or 32’ Digital LED TVs. He noted that the Extra Time Promo comes in parts.
“We would give an extra viewing day on our Soccer card and the Extra Time promo card, sell our Soccer card specially designed to cheer the Super Eagles for the FIFA World Cup Season and give out instant prizes through our Extra Time promo card – customers can scratch and win instant prizes on its purchase.
“Customers, just like the today’s winners, automatically qualify for the Extra Time monthly promo draws on the purchase of our recharge cards – be it the usual cards, the Soccer card or the Extra Time promo cards” he said.
Anetor added: “While we are aware that this promo period coincides with the FIFA World Cup season, we are conscious of the passion that Nigerians have for soccer; as such, we are also giving away prizes in our Predict & Win on our Facebook Fan Page (StarSat Decoders and LED TV) and are showing our support to the Nigerian Super Eagles, in our own little way, with an official soccer themed StarTimes recharge card – the Soccer Card.”
To qualify for the promo, Mr. Habbeb Somoye, brand manager of the Company, said that, new subscribers stand the chance of winning a brand new 2014 Toyota Yaris car or a 32’ LED Digital TV at the monthly draws on the purchase of the StarTimes decoder, which comes with a month’s free subscription.
“On the other hand, existing subscribers stand the chance of winning promo prizes by recharging with a StarTimes Soccer card or the usual StarTimes’ recharge card during the promo period. There are also instant gifts like the 32’ LED Digital TV Sets or units of Viju Milk to be won. Instants prizes are to be redeemed at designated StarTimes’ prize redemption centres,” he said.
He added that monthly draws for the promo would hold at StarTimes’ Lagos head office at the end of each month until the promo ends in August.
The next dates for the draws, according to Anetor, are 27th June, 31st July, and 29th August 2014.
“Currently, StarTimes sports channels are NTA Sports 24, Setanta Action, Setanta Africa, NBA TV, and MCS Sports. Soccer lovers can watch Live Matches of the FIFA World Cup moments on NTA Sports 24,” Anetor added.
Meanwhile, the star winner- Abayomi, who sounded really excited about the win while speaking on telephone, said he asked: “How do I reach you, who am I speaking with, can I call you back on this number.”
MultiChoice has said that it will not implement its customary yearly price increase on DStv and GOtv subscriptions.
This is the first time the Pay-TV company will not be adjusting its price in April, as it has in previous years, signalling a clear shift in direction under its new owner, Canal+.
The decision, confirmed by David Mignot, group chief executive,MultiChoice in an interview with TechCentral, comes as the pay television operator grapples with steep subscriber losses across its markets.
For many households accustomed to annual April tariff adjustments, the announcement will be a welcome break.
Responding to questions about whether DStv prices would rise in April as they have in previous years, Mignot gave a firm response: there will be no increase.
He explained that the company’s immediate focus is on rebuilding its subscriber base, making this an unsuitable period to adjust prices upward.
He added that while there are no current plans for a price hike, the company has not completely ruled out adjustments later in the year, especially if economic conditions demand it, such as significant currency movements.
MultiChoice has historically reviewed and raised DStv subscription fees in April, often citing inflationary pressures and rising content costs. As recently as April 2025, bouquet prices were adjusted upwards by between 2.1 per cent and 7.9 per cent.
The DStv Premium package rose from R929 to R979 per month, while DStv Access, the entry-level satellite package, recorded one of the steepest increases.
This year’s pause represents a break from that pattern and forms part of a broader reset following Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice in September 2025.
Mignot, who brings three decades of experience in the pay television industry, summed up his mission in simple terms: halt subscriber losses and return the business to growth.
The urgency behind the move is evident in MultiChoice’s recent performance.
The group has lost 2.8 million linear broadcasting subscribers in the two years ended 31 March 2025, with roughly half of those losses occurring in South Africa.
In the financial year to end-March 2025 alone, MultiChoice shed 1.2 million subscribers, representing an eight per cent year-on-year decline and leaving the group with 14.5 million active customers.
The previous year saw an even steeper drop of 1.6 million subscribers. By June 2025, Canal+ indicated that the pace of decline had intensified further.
The financial impact has been significant. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2025 declined by R4 billion to R52 billion, while trading profit fell sharply by 49 per cent to R4 billion.
According to Mignot, the company’s difficulties stem less from its programming slate and more from weaknesses in its commercial execution.
He argued that in subscription businesses, a churn rate of between 12 and 15 per cent annually is inevitable as customers relocate, experience job losses, adjust household budgets, or change priorities. Without attracting a comparable number of new subscribers each year, losses accumulate.
Mignot maintained that the content offering remains strong, particularly in sport and general entertainment. He cited flagship brands such as SuperSport, M-Net and Africa Magic as evidence of sustained investment in programming. However, he stressed that content strength alone cannot offset a weakening subscriber acquisition engine.
He noted that MultiChoice’s commercial machinery had performed robustly across Africa until around 2022, describing the current challenges as relatively recent.
Drawing on Canal+’s experience in French-speaking African markets, Mignot pointed out that pricing there has remained largely unchanged for close to 14 years, supported by a volume-driven approach. He described his strategy as one focused on growing subscriber numbers while maintaining profitability.
While he did not dismiss the possibility of reviewing prices downward in future, he indicated that no such decision has been taken.
Spotify marked five years in Nigeria since its February 2021 launch with dramatic year-on-year listening growth averaging 163.5% through 2025, featuring triple-digit surges early on and sustained momentum, propelled by Afrobeats streams rocketing +5,022% alongside booming genres like Amapiano (+10,330%), Gospel/Praise (+5,499%), Hip-hop/Rap (+3,020%), and R&B (+2,602%).
Spotify
Indigenous language music listening surged +554% in Nigeria in 2024 and +87% in 2025, with global growth at +141% and +41% respectively, underscoring rising demand for local storytelling sounds.
The platform’s Nigerian artist roster expanded +158%, fueling a discovery boom where average listeners (aged 26) streamed 150 different artists recently; users created over 25 million playlists, logged 1.4 million play hours in 2025 alone, and streamed 59 billion podcast hours total.
Top Artists (2021-2025): Asake, Wizkid, Seyi Vibez, Burna Boy, Davido.
Top Songs: “Remember” (Asake), “Dealer” (Ayo Maff & Fireboy DML), “Awolowo” (Fido), “Kese (Dance)” (Wizkid), “Lonely At The Top” (Asake), “Joy is Coming” (Fido), “With You” (Davido feat. Omah Lay), “Terminator” (Asake), “MMS” (Asake feat. Wizkid), “Doha” (Seyi Vibez).
Nigeria’s debut stream was Shiga Lin’s Cantopop epitomizing borderless discovery from day one.
Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Pheelz (Phillips Kayode Moses) is set to feature this weekend on African Voices Changemakers, the flagship magazine programme on CNN International.
The 30-minute episode, sponsored by digital solutions company Globacom, premieres on Saturday, February 21, 2026. In a candid sit-down with host Larry Madowo, Pheelz opens up about his journey from church musician to global hitmaker, reflecting on the intersections of faith, fame and the expanding influence of Afrobeats on the world stage.
Now 31, Pheelz began his musical path as a multi-instrumentalist in church before earning widespread acclaim in 2012 as the producer behind the hit tracks “First of All” and “Fucking with the Devil” on Olamide’s YBNL album. His rapid rise saw him named among NotJustOk’s Top 10 Hottest Producers in Nigeria in 2013.
He further solidified his reputation by producing nearly every track on Olamide’s Baddest Guy Ever Liveth, earning nominations at The Headies 2013 and in the Producer of the Year category at both The Headies 2014 and the Nigeria Entertainment Awards. In 2020, he clinched The Headies Producer of the Year award, and in 2021 secured the Soundcity MVP Award for Best Collaboration for “Finesse,” his smash hit with Bnxn (formerly Buju).
On the programme, Pheelz reflects on the experiences that shaped his sound and creative philosophy, discusses landmark collaborations, shares his perspective on artificial intelligence and artistry, and explains why sound, storytelling and culture remain central to African music’s global resonance.
The show airs on DSTV Channel 401 at 8:30 a.m. (WAT) on Saturday, with repeat broadcasts at 12:00 noon the same day; Sunday at 4:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Monday at 4:00 a.m. and 6:45 p.m.; and Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. The broadcast schedule continues through Monday of the following week.
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