MultiChoice starts a new bouquet, DStv Extra, at R380 per month as a new mid-tiered channel package.

MultiChoice launched a new mid-tiered package for its DStv satellite pay-TV service called DStv Extra, the second new DStv bouquet launched this year following DStv Family in April which is replacing DStv Select which is getting phased out.

DStv Extra which was not announced to the press, will cost R380 per month placing it between the most expensive DStv Premium, and the DStv Compact bouquets.

DStv Extra has 86 channels as opposed to the 119 of DStv Premium and the 73 of DStv Compact. DStv Extra has less premium sports than DStv Premium but includes a lot more first-run general entertainment premium TV content that DStv Compact.

DStv Extra will also not afford viewers any high definition (HD) television watching but do offer DStv subscribers the ability to make use of the DStv BoxOffice service to rent movies through an HD PVR.

DStv Extra contains a number of channels not offered on the DStv Compact bouquet such as BBC Entertainment, Comedy Central, E! Entertainment, kykNET, AfricaMagic Movies 1, FOX in standard definition, Crime & Investigation Network, Tracel Channel, History Channel, TRACE Sports, Nickelodeon, CBeebies, VH1 Classic and Sky News.

DStv Extra includes SuperSport Blitz, SuperSport 3 and SuperSport 4 but not SuperSport which mostly carries rugby coverage.

Eben Greyling, Naspers' CEO of pay-TV business said today in the press conference discussing the media giant's financial report for the financial year ending 31 March 2013, that MultiChoice is focusing on penetrating and growing its lower subscriber base through cheaper DStv bouquets.