MultiChoice Nigeria has launched a month-long promotional campaign tagged “Open Time”, offering eligible DStv subscribers access to higher viewing packages at no additional cost.

The promotion, which runs from June 1 to June 30, 2026, is aimed at rewarding existing customers, reconnecting subscribers and attracting new users across Nigeria.

Under the initiative, active subscribers on selected lower-tier packages, including Compact and Compact+, will automatically be upgraded to higher viewing tiers, with some customers gaining temporary access to Premium content during the promotional period.

According to the company, eligible subscribers will not be required to register or manually activate the offer, as upgrades will be applied automatically once subscription payments are confirmed.

In a statement announcing the campaign, MultiChoice said the initiative was designed to provide customers with access to a wider range of entertainment content and enhance viewing experiences.

“The Open Time initiative is a simple way for our customers to enjoy more of the stories they love and discover new content across genres, as long as their accounts remain active during the period,” the company stated.

The DStv Premium package, which currently costs N44,500 per month, offers access to more than 160 channels, including sports, movies, documentaries, children’s programming, news and lifestyle content.

MultiChoice said the offer applies to subscribers who maintain active accounts throughout the campaign period.

The company added that the promotion forms part of efforts to enhance customer value by providing broader access to entertainment content, including drama, sports, action and children’s programmes.

To participate, subscribers are required to make payments through approved channels such as the official DStv website, the MyDStv mobile application, USSD banking platforms and authorised payment agents.

The company clarified that all promotional upgrades would automatically expire at the end of June, after which subscribers would revert to their original subscription packages.

Industry analysts say the campaign comes amid increasing competition within Nigeria’s pay television and streaming market, where service providers are introducing incentives and value-added offerings to attract and retain customers.

MultiChoice said the initiative reflects its commitment to delivering quality entertainment and ensuring subscribers enjoy greater value from their subscriptions.

National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that  its planned Digital Switch-Over (DSO) project will create access to Nigeria’s N605.2 billion advertising market for broadcasters and content creators.

Speaking at a press conference, Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, said the project is expected to officially launch nationwide on June 17, 2026, while analogue television broadcasting will completely end by December 31, 2028.

According to him, the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting will help government agencies deliver better television services across Nigeria in a way that is sustainable, reliable, and easier to regulate.

Ebuebu explained that digital broadcasting will allow broadcasters and content creators to earn more revenue because audience data can be measured more accurately.

He also said the project could benefit the economy through the release of valuable 700/800 MHz spectrum, which may generate more than $1 billion from future auctions.

The funds are expected to support digital infrastructure and expand broadband access in rural communities.

NBC added that Nigeria’s creative industry, which contributes about N5 trillion to GDP and supports more than 4.2 million jobs, could benefit from improved content distribution and export opportunities across West Africa using NigComSat-1R.

For consumers, NBC said the FreeTV service will not require monthly subscription payments. Households will only need a small satellite dish and an open-standard DVB-S2 decoder, estimated to cost between N15,000 and N25,000.

Broadcasters were encouraged to join the FreeTV platform and take advantage of an 18-month free carriage period.

However, the Commission noted that there is still an ongoing legal dispute involving local manufacturers over set-top boxes, although officials said this will not stop the national rollout.

On satellite expansion plans, Jane Egerton-Idehen, managing director and CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited,  said NIGCOMSAT 2A is expected in 2028, while NIGCOMSAT 2B is planned for 2029.

She added that backup arrangements have already been made to ensure uninterrupted service and that migration to the new system will happen gradually across different regions to avoid nationwide disruptions.

National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has unveiled a new “Big Picture” strategy aimed at achieving full nationwide Digital Switch-Over (DSO) by December 31, 2028.

DSOis designed to provide Nigerians with superior picture and sound quality while unlocking an estimated N605.2 billion in advertising revenue and generating over $1 billion from digital spectrum auctions.

Charles Ebuebu, director-general of NBC, in a statement issued on Monday, said the revised strategy adopts a converged broadcasting model combining Direct-to-Home (DTH), Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Internet Protocol (IP) systems to expand access to digital television services nationwide.

The Commission also announced June 17, 2026, as the official national launch date for the renewed rollout, describing the framework as a more practical pathway toward a sustainable and affordable digital broadcasting system after nearly two decades of delays.

Ebuebu, said that the transition is no longer being treated as a competition between technologies but as a unified access solution tailored to Nigeria’s geographic and infrastructure realities.

“The Big Picture strategy recognises convergence as the future of broadcasting and aligns with the 2012 DSO White Paper, which adopted both terrestrial and satellite standards including DVB-T and DVB-S2 technologies,” the statement said.

NBC said the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) would play a central role in national content distribution, particularly in underserved and remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure remains weak.

The Commission cited countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Kenya, South Africa and Morocco as examples of jurisdictions that successfully adopted hybrid digital broadcasting models to accelerate migration from analogue systems.

On affordability, NBC assured Nigerians that the proposed FreeTV platform would remain subscription-free for baseline access, adding that compatible DVB-S2 decoders currently cost between N15,000 and N25,000. It said discussions were ongoing on possible subsidy arrangements and financing options for low-income households.

The regulator also defended its plan to support both local manufacturing and transitional importation of set-top boxes, noting that Nigeria would require millions of devices over several years to complete the migration.

Beyond transmission, NBC disclosed plans to introduce a national audience measurement system under the GARB ratings framework to improve advertising transparency and broadcasting analytics.

It projected that the DSO programme could unlock Nigeria’s estimated N605.2 billion advertising market while also freeing up valuable digital dividend spectrum estimated at over $1 billion.

NBC further said Nigeria’s creative industry, valued at about N5 trillion and employing more than 4.2 million people, stands to benefit from expanded distribution channels and improved content monetisation.

Broadcasters, it added, would enjoy free carriage on the platform for 18 months, alongside wider national reach, indigenous language channels and improved commercial opportunities.