DStv, a leading pay-TV service in Africa, has faced a dramatic decline in its subscriber base in Kenya. Over 80% of its customers were lost within just one year.
Data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) indicates that DStv’s subscriber numbers plummeted from 1.19 million in June 2024 to just 188,824 by June 2025.
The CA also notes that Kenya’s overall pay-TV sector saw a staggering loss of about 76.9% of its subscribers, highlighting a significant shift in consumer preferences. The CA defines an “active account” as one with at least one subscription in the last 90 days.
The steep decline in DStv’s subscriber count has been attributed primarily to multiple price hikes. DStv operates as a subsidiary of MultiChoice, which is based in South Africa.
In November 2024, the prices for the Premium bouquet surged from US$82 to US$86. Similarly, the Compact Plus package increased from US$51 to US$53. By August 2025, Premium subscribers faced another increase to US$91–95, while Compact Plus rose to $56–60. Other packages also saw adjustments: Compact increased to US$32–35, Family rose to US$17–18, Access climbed to US$11–12, while the entry-level Lite package remained unchanged at US$6.
MultiChoice defended these price increases as part of a “routine subscription review,” attributing the hikes to rising costs associated with content acquisition, foreign exchange fluctuations, and inflation.
In a statement released in July, MultiChoice asserted, “These changes are part of our annual subscription review, conducted carefully to ensure that our customers continue to receive the best local and international content. We aim to make these adjustments sustainable while providing high-quality services to our customers.”
The significant drop in DStv’s active accounts raises critical questions about the future of pay-TV in Kenya. With the growing popularity and accessibility of streaming platforms, many households appear to be moving away from traditional television bundles.
DStv’s competitors, Azam and Zuku, have also reported subscriber losses, with Azam experiencing a decrease of 63.1% to 30,095 and Zuku facing a slight decline of 1.6% to 252,051.
