It’s been a bruising year for DStv and its parent company, MultiChoice. Across Africa, the pay-TV group shed more than 1.2 million linear subscribers in its 2025 financial year, a slide that was felt sharply in Kenya. The shift wasn’t just about price, though higher bills played a part. Kenyans are spending more time online, streaming more content, and questioning whether a satellite dish still makes sense in 2025. Meanwhile, a major ownership change—Canal+ taking control of MultiChoice this week—adds a fresh twist to an already fast-moving story.
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| Kenya’s Mass Exodus from DStv: Over a Million Subscribers Abandoned the Pay-TV Giant in 2025 |
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What drove Kenyans away?
Rising prices. In July, MultiChoice announced new Kenya rates taking effect from August 1, 2025. Packages on DStv and GOtv ticked up again, even as households battled tight budgets. Such timing rarely captures affection, and it ultimately encouraged those undecided to take decisive action.
Streaming is now the default. Cheaper mobile data bundles, smarter TVs, and social video have changed habits. Viewers who once kept DStv for sports and soaps now hop between Showmax, Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok. Even MultiChoice admits the market is shifting: its linear base fell to 14.5 million across the continent in FY25, while Showmax paying users jumped.
Piracy and pressure on wallets. MultiChoice’s own results flagged piracy and a tough economy as headwinds. In Kenya, that squeeze translated into a clear drop: local DStv and GOtv accounts fell by about 15% over the year to March.
But is pay-TV dead in Kenya?
Not quite. Kenya still has a sizable TV base. Regulator data for Jan–Mar 2025 shows 1.66 million satellite (DTH) subscriptions and 4.55 million digital terrestrial (DTT) accounts countrywide. The market is evolving, not vanishing, and DTT players and free-to-air options keep many homes connected without premium satellite bills.
The turning point: Ownership and strategy
Canal+ said its takeover of MultiChoice is now unconditional, effectively giving the French group control. Why should Kenyan viewers care? Because strategy could shift—bundles that blend Canal+ originals, SuperSport, and Showmax, new pricing experiments, or thinner satellite line-ups as more content moves online. If Canal+ leans hard into streaming and smarter packaging, it could slow the exodus or accelerate it if prices climb again.
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Numbers that tell the story
- 1.2 million fewer linear subscribers across MultiChoice in FY25, down to 14.5 million.
- ~15% decline in Kenya’s DStv/GOtv customer base over the same period.
- Kenya’s broadcast landscape (Jan–Mar 2025): 1.66m DTH and 4.55m DTT subscriptions—evidence of a large audience, but spread across cheaper options.
- Price hikes for DStv and GOtv from August 1, 2025; Showmax pricing adjusted downward on some plans.
So, why did over a million walk away?
The value equation broke. When bills rise but viewing time shifts to phones and apps, households rethink the dish. Add wider economic strain and easy access to online content (legal and not), and the outcome is predictable. Analysts watching MultiChoice point to this structural shift: linear TV is shrinking; streaming is where growth and investment now live.
What to watch next
- Canal+ playbook: Will new owners bundle sports, films, and Showmax at friendlier prices or push further premium tiers?
- Kenya pricing: If inflation stays sticky, even small hikes could trigger fresh cancellations.
- Regulator trends: CAK’s quarterly stats will show whether DTH stabilizes or more viewers slide to DTT and broadband video.
Bottom line
Kenya’s DStv story in 2025 is bigger than one company. It’s a snapshot of a market that’s moving online, fast. The mass exodus—over a million African subscribers gone, and a double-digit drop in Kenya—wasn’t a fluke. It was the market voting with wallets, remotes, and data bundles. The Canal+ era could steady the ship with smarter plans and better pricing. Or, if misjudged, it could speed up the decline. Either way, the next big Kenyan TV package might be an app, not a decoder.
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