Broadcasting
DStv Rules as TSTV, Others Chase Shadows
Over the past decade, various pay TV newcomers have tried to take on DStv, the digital satellite service owned by Multichoice, an arm of South African media giant, Naspers.
It is in a battle for a share of the 23 million subscribers that make up Africa’s fast-expanding pay TV market. So far, none has been able to win.
According to Quartz, the very authoritative digitally native news outlet, said that the latest to try is TSTV, a startup pay TV company that’s just launched in Nigeria.
Perhaps in a sign of concerns around DStv’s dominance as a premium TV distribution platform, Nigeria’s government has already given TSTV its backing by promising a three-year tax holiday to help it get off the ground.
From a programming perspective TSTV’s hopes of traction are largely hinged on offering popular premium sports content, one of the key elements satellite and cable TV distributors have used to build loyal (and at times, resentful) subscribers around the world.
But there’s just one problem with TSTV’s ambitions: it’s unclear if the company has any agreements to broadcast the most popular content of them all, the English Premier League (EPL).
TSTV lists beIN sports channels (which broadcasts the EPL in North Africa) as part of its programming package but that’s been shrouded in controversy with a purported letter from beIN refuting any agreement with TSTV making the rounds on social media in Nigeria.
beIN did not respond to Quartz’s emails seeking to clarify the authenticity of the letter but TSTV has denied infringing on beIN’s rights.
TSTV did not respond to Quartz’s email enquiries.
But despite the latest competition in Africa’s largest market, DStv is likely to retain its hold there as it has elsewhere.
Its dominance is down to a mix of its diverse content portfolio which range from exclusive rights to popular sports leagues to long-running investment in entertainment and movie content.
Backed by Naspers, Africa’s most valuable company with a market cap over $100 billion, very few competitors can match DStv’s deep pockets.
With more than 12 million subscribers DStv’s market share exceeds 50%, says Sa Eva Nebie, research analyst with Dataxis, a market research firm.
Its hold on broadcast rights of the EPL, arguably the most watched sports league in Africa, is an example of this. As the the value of EPL’s broadcast rights has risen sharply along with its global popularity in recent years, that cost presents a barrier to gaining market share for new entrants.
DStv has no such problem. Last year, it paid £296 million to secure rights to broadcast EPL in sub-Saharan Africa from 2016 to 2019, and, in April, it extended its agreement until 2022.
Its hold on the rights have even come under government scrutiny: in Kenya, regulators have unsuccessfully tried to get the company to resell its rights to local channels to “level the playing field.”
But soccer is not the only thing keeping DStv ahead. Its significant investment in original local content, especially the hugely popular Nollywood, through its Africa Magic channels, have also proven a major draw with subscribers that aren’t crazy about soccer.
Just as important are its broad offering of high-profile Hollywood content including movies and series as well as popular Indian soaps and Mexican telenovelas.
DStv’s dominance is also down to its wider reach and retail infrastructure—thanks to its 20-year head-start in the pay TV business.
One way competitors have looked to challenge DStv is by targeting the mass market many of which cannot afford DStv’s more expensive subscription prices.
StarTimes, a Chinese-owned pay TV company, has grown rapidly since the turn of the decade by offering cheaper monthly subscriptions (it’s most expensive bouquet is currently four times cheaper than DStv’s).
With prices as low as $2.50, the company has garnered 10 million subscribers across 30 African countries.
But DStv has since responded by launching GOtv, a less expensive pay TV company with monthly packages as low as $1. StarTimes offers a mix of news, entertainment and sports content (it will broadcast the FIFA soccer World Cup next year).
TSTV isn’t the first Nigeria-owned company that’s tried to test DStv’s hold on the Nigerian market. Back in 2007, newly-launched HiTV beat DStv to EPL rights and looked to build its subscriber base using football as its crown jewel. But that proved inadequate as, with much of its other content considered second-rate, many Nigerians maintained their DStv subscriptions. By 2011, HiTV had shut up shop amid allegations of high-level mismanagement.
As sports rights inflation rises quickly and many major African currencies crashing versus the US dollar in the last two years, it has forced DStv, like other African businesses, to raise their prices fairly frequently. This has engendered a lot of resentment with consumers who feel they have no choice but to use the satellite service with all the top programming. Some have called for tougher regulation of DStv.
Metro Digital Limited, a licenced Indigenous broadcasting organisation, has accused Multichoice, pay television company, of refusing to obey judgements emanating from Courts in Nigeria.
It said the latest of such judgements is the one that was delivered by Justice Chinelo Odili of Rivers State High Court on May 4, 2026 in Suit No. PHC/3943/FHR/2025.
Dr. Paul Osuji, operations manager of Metro Digital, at a press conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,
said the suit was filed by the organisation and two others against Multichoice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Osuji stated that Justice Odili has in the judgement described the arrest of a staff member of the company and the carting away of it’s properties and disruption of it’s broadcasting business by the EFCC over a civil dispute of copyrighy as unlawful and violations of the applicants’ rights.
The manager recalled that in October 2025, Multichoice instigated the EFCC to read their office in Port Harcourt, arrested a staff of the company and staff of another company, while the suit was still pending.
“On October 16, 2025, the premises of Metro Digital Limited, a licenced indigenous broadcasting organisation was raided by the Nigerian anti-graft agency, EFCC, instigated by Multichoice Nigeria, purportedly acting on a preservation order made by the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over the sub licensing of broadcasting content right.
“The preservation order came from a civil dispute already adjudicated by the Court of Appeal No. CA/CS/188/2021 – Multichoice Vs Metro Digital Limited and 20 others, which is a subject of a pending appeal -No. SC/CV/1248/2022 -Multichoice and 20 others before the Supreme Court.
“Instructively, while suit No. PHC/ 3943/ FHR/2025 was still pending, Metro Digital Limited filed an application to set aside the said preservation orders of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Hon. Justice A.T Mohammed.
“In his ruling delivered on December 10, 2025, set aside the preservation orders and it’s legal execution on Metro Digital Limited. The court also ordered EFCC to return unconditionally all the properties and records of Metro Digital Limited, illegally and unlawfully carted away during the raid but the agency has till today not obeyed those orders of the Court,” he said.
Metro Digital Limited is known for operating SLTV, a direct-to-home satellite television service launched to provide affordable, locally-owned alternatives to international pay TV
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from sanctioning or punishing broadcast stations and presenters over the expression of personal opinions, alleged bullying of guests, or failure to maintain neutrality on air.
NBC
Justice Daniel Osiagor granted the interim injunction following an ex parte application filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
The court specifically restrained the NBC, its officers, agents and affiliated persons from enforcing its recently issued “Formal Notice” or imposing sanctions, fines or penalties on broadcasters based on provisions of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
SERAP and NGE had approached the court to challenge what they described as an arbitrary and unlawful move by the commission to punish broadcasters for allegedly expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality during programmes.
The groups also asked the court to determine whether the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by NBC were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
The suit followed an April statement by the NBC in which it raised concerns over what it described as increasing violations of the broadcasting code across news, current affairs and political programmes.
The commission had warned that presenters who expressed personal opinions as facts or bullied guests during live broadcasts would be sanctioned.
However, Justice Osiagor, in his ruling, held that pending the hearing of the substantive matter, the commission must refrain from using the formal notice to threaten, sanction or punish broadcast organisations and on-air personalities under the contested code provisions.
The matter was adjourned until June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Metro Digital Limited before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt over alleged cybercrime and unlawful interception and rebroadcast of content belonging to Multichoice Nigeria.
Metro Digital
The company was arraigned before Justice A.T. Mohammed on an amended four-count charge bordering on cybercrime-related offences and alleged illegal rebroadcast of protected broadcast content.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the prosecution counsel, Steve E. Odiase, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment.
However, defence counsel, S.A. Somairi (SAN), reportedly attempted to halt the proceedings by drawing the court’s attention to a pending preliminary objection.
The judge, however, declined the request and ordered that the plea be taken in line with Section 478 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which allows a corporation to enter a plea in writing through its representative.
One of the charges alleged that Metro Digital Limited, alongside its Managing Director, Ifeanyi John Nwafor, and a staff member, Ikenna Kanu, both said to be at large, conspired between 2015 and 2019 to unlawfully intercept and rebroadcast protected broadcast signals in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Another charge alleged that the defendants intentionally and without authorisation intercepted and rebroadcast broadcast signals and devices, including tiger boxes and dongles, over which Multichoice Nigeria holds exclusive rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The anti-graft agency said investigations into the matter began in 2019 after Multichoice petitioned the commission, alleging that the illegal rebroadcast of its content caused significant financial losses.
Metro Digital Limited, through its representative, pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Following the plea, prosecution counsel prayed the court to fix a date for trial.
Justice Mohammed subsequently adjourned the case until June 29 and June 30, 2026, for continuation of trial.
ATCON Says Telecom Network Under Threat, Urges Stronger Efforts to Protect Infrastructure
CBN Warns Non-Interest Banks against Governance, Compliance Risks
FG Seeks Fresh $1.25Bn Loan from World Bank to Create Jobs, Others
National Assembly to Review National Data Protection Act
Firm Shares Insights into Ransomware Trends and Tactics @ International Anti-Ransomware Day-2026
Kaspersky Discovers Vulnerability in Qualcomm Snapdragon Chips that can Lead to Data Loss & Device Compromise
Vitel Wireless Partners Fintechs to Expand Access to Services
MTN Suspends Data, Airtime Borrowing Service over New FCCPC Lending Rules
MTN, VDT, Zoracom, Digital Realty Back 2026 Girls in ICT Campaign
Bank Customers to Pay N1,500 for ATM Card Issuance, Replacement – CBN
E-Financial3 days agoTranscorp Excites Shareholders with ₦20.3 Billion Dividend @20th AGM
Telecom2 days agoMTN, Airtel, Glo Under Pressure as FG Demands Better Service Delivery
E-Financial3 days agoAfrica Prudential Launches Sabivest to Boost Digital Investment Access
Telecom3 days agoPAFON 3.0: Agency Banking Key to Reaching Millions of Unbanked Nigerians – AMMBAN
E-Business2 days agoFirm Warns of Phishing Attacks via Compromised Amazon Simple Email Service Accounts
E-Financial2 days agoMastercard, BMONI Launch Multi-Currency Payment Cards in Nigeria
General News3 days agoPIN Records 3.07Bn Media Reach, Expands Digital Rights Impact Across Africa in 2025
General News3 days agoInterswitch Inducts 3rd Interns into Its Developer Academy