MultiChoice now has a new bouquet, DStv Family, available for subscribers. I asked the South African pay-TV platform why it decided to grow the pay-TV family of existing bouquets with a new addition to the family in the form of DStv Family.
MultiChoice says DStv Family will eventually replace the two DStv Select bouquets, that DStv tries to create bouquets which offers the best possible value for money, and explains why the bouquet is called DStv Family.
Why did MultiChoice decide to launch a new bouquet now, and will it eventually replace one of the existing ones or is it expanding to overall range?
MultiChoice is committed to ensure our customers continue to
receive great entertainment at good value for money. Over the last few months,
we have spoken to many DStv Select customers as part of research into the
bouquet. DStv Family is based on feedback from these customers. For now, DStv Family is an addition to our range of packs
but over time the DStv Select 1 and DStv Select 2 packs will be phased out.
In terms of the channels included, how does
MultiChoice go about deciding what channels to put into or include into a
specific bouquet, for DStv Family, how long did this process take and what are some of the considerations of putting it together?
MultiChoice scans all available premium and niche channels,
locally and abroad. We use market research and analysis of the pay-television
marketplace to determine the nature and content mix of the channels. Once we
have signed licence agreements with channels, we package these into our
bouquets.
Our packs are put together to offer our customers the best
possible entertainment at good value for money. Over the last few months, we
have spoken to many DStv Select customers as part of research into the pack.
DStv Family is based on feedback from these customers.
Why is the new bouquet called DStv Family, it’s the
only one with a connotation to a social structure. Is the bouquet geared
towards family viewing more than some of the other bouquets? How has MultiChoice
decided to position this bouquet in terms of its value proposition or offering?
We have now aligned the naming of our packs with our
offering in the rest of Africa.
The bouquet seems very close to DStv Select 1 and
DStv Select 2 and DStv Compact. DStv Compact is clearly a big winner so DStv
Family doesn't seem as if it would be "competition" for that bouquet, but
wouldn't DStv Family now be "competition" for DStv Select 1 and DStv Select 2?
MultiChoice research shows there is a market opportunity at
the R175/month price point. We believe that DStv Family will lead to strong
growth in subscriber numbers at this price point.
Given the price point and channel selection of DStv
Family, if one looks as when DStv Lite was introduced, does MultiChoice see
this as a new "market segment" (a group of possible consumers who are not yet
and could become subscribers? If so, how would you describe this market
segment?
Our focus remains on offering all South Africans great
entertainment at good value for money. We already have an offering at the R175
price point in DStv Select 1 and DStv Select 2. DStv Family is an enhancement of the
offering at this price point, based on the research we conducted amongst DStv
Select customers.
