MultiChoice and M-Net adding Magic Showcase and CineMagic as lower-tier channels but will try to prevent more complaints about DStv repeats by locking the channels away to filtered-down bouquets, Novela Magic taken away in South Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

In MultiChoice's plan as it shifts focus to acquiring and retaining more mid and lower-tiered DStv subscribers, the satellite pay-TV service and M-Net are adding Magic Showcase and Cine Magic as two new lower-tiered channels although MultiChoice will try to prevent more complaints about DStv repeats by locking the channels of these new repeat-filled channels away to just these filtered-down cheaper bouquets.

MultiChoice is also taking away the Novela Magic channel on 27 November from DStv subscribers in South Africa, although Novela Magic will remain available to DStv subscribers in the rest of Africa.

MultiChoice is adding the Magic Showcase and CineMagic TV channels, packaged by M-Net, specifically for DStv EasyView subscribers who pay R29 per month, although MultiChoice is also locking out higher-tiered DStv subscribers from accessing CineMagic as a film channel and Magic Showcase as a general entertainment channel, in order to minimise the ongoing barrage of complaints about DStv repeats.

MultiChoice doesn't want DStv subscribers above DStv EasyView to stumble onto the repackaged content of Magic Showcase or CineMagic and be confronted with content they've already seen, which leads to DStv subscriber complaints about rebroadcasts and repeats.

Like traditional pay-TV services elsewhere in the world, MultiChoice windows content, with series filtering down from more expensive DStv packages, over time, through to lower-tiered packages, although pay-TV subscribers who pay less, have to wait much longer before they also eventually see the bulk of the content.

To prop up its lower-tiered bouquets since it's becoming more important for MultiChoice to focus on and retain mid- and lower-tiered subscribers, MultiChoice is expanding downward access to both more third-party channels - for instance BET and Comedy Central - as well as M-Net packaged channels, to broaden the appeal of lower-tiered packages.

Magic Showcase will start on DStv on Monday 31 October and is an 18-hour TV channel repeating MultiChoice and M-Net's locally-produced content for lower-tiered DStv subscribers who haven't seen it before or had access to it before.

Content will be in various languages with hardcoded subtitles for content not in English, with old shows funnelled from across various higher-tiered M-Net channels like M-Net (DStv 101) and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) to build the Magic Showcase schedule like Being Bonang, Our Perfect Wedding and Legacy.

CineMagic is a 12-hour movie channel that is starting on DStv on Monday 14 November and will be inaccessible to higher-tiered DStv subscribers above DStv EasyView bouquets.

CineMagic will show "the best in locally-made African films as well as international independent titles. CineMagic is a celebration of storytelling and the common narrative threads that bind us from all parts of the world," according to M-Net. 

CineMagic will be in various languages with hardcoded subtitles for films not in English. Of course all of the films will be "new" to DStv EasyView subscribers but old to DStv subscribers who have been paying more for higher-tiered packages.

Magic Showcase and CineMagic will be just for DStv EasyView subscribers in South Africa, and will reside on the DStv Access and DStv Lite bouquets in Southern Africa.

"As MultiChoice we are committed to giving our subscribers on varying packages the best content there is to offer," says Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment.

"We are proud to grow the EasyView content slate, allowing our subscribers on this package to enjoy award-winning and top-tier local shows and movies from across the continent. It's all about giving our audience the best value for their money, and we are committed to continuously increasing what each DStv package has on show."

Jan du Plessis, director of M-Net channels, says "The addition of two new M-Net channels to the EasyView package only further enhances the subscriber viewing experience".

"We've used the M-Net model in conceptualising and branding the channels – the look and feel are inspired by the 'mother brand', Novela Magic. We trust that viewers will be pleased with the channels and their offerings once they go live."

MultiChoice confirms 2019's DStv price increases from 1 April that will range from between 1.96% to 6.42%.

MultiChoice on Tuesday confirmed 2019's DStv price increases for its pay-TV packages to TVwithThinus, that will see an annual subscription increase of between 1.96% and 6.42% from 1 April 2019.

The monthly subscription fee for MultiChoice's most expensive and cheapest packages will remain unchanged, while there's a price hike for all of the other DStv packages.

The monthly subscription fee for DStv Premium will remain unchanged at R809, and the subscription fee for DStv Easy is unchanged at R29 per month.

The Access Fee of R90 is also being increased to R95 per month that subscribers must pay if they want to use a personal video recorder (PVR) decoder like the DStv Explora.

DStv Family, aimed at the mass market, will see an increase of 6.42% from R249 to R265 per month - the DStv package with the biggest increase, followed by DStv Access that will increase from R99 to R105 - an annual increase from 2018 of 6.06%.

The monthly price of DStv Compact Plus will increase by 1.96% from R509 to R519 per month.

The percentage increase of all of the DStv packages this year is lower than the percentage increase from 2017 to 2018, except for DStv Access that will see a 6.06% increase whereas the price remained unchanged last year.

                                      Now       1 April 2019       % increase    2017 - 2018 %
DStv Premium          unchanged - R809
DStv Compact Plus   R509       R519                       1.96%                 4.1%
DStv Compact            R385       R399                       3.63%                5.5%
DStv Family               R249       R265                        6.42%                6%
DStv Access                R99         R105                        6.06%                0%
DStv EasyView        unchanged - R29

Access Fee                   R90         R95

MultiChoice hiking the prices of DStv packages for 2017 from 1 April - but the percentage increase this year is lower than usual.

DStv subscribers in South Africa will again pay more from 1 April with MultiChoice hiking monthly subscription fees for the year.

MultiChoice is telling DStv subscribers that it is trying to keep subscription fees down in South Africa's tough economic climate.

DStv Family subscribers face the biggest price hike: from R219 to R235 - a jump of 7.3%. That is well above the current headline consumer inflation rate of 6.6%.

All the other DStv monthly price hikes are below the current inflation rate.

It's not yet clear by how much M-Net analogue subscribers' monthly subscription fee will increase.

DStv Premium subscribers will have to fork out R789 per month from April for MultiChoice's most expensive service, although it represents an increase of just 3.95% - the smallest increase out of all the packages.

Last year the DStv Premium increase was a massive 8.58%. It's however not surprising that DStv Premium subscribers are getting the smallest percentage increase this year.

The overall percentage of DStv Premium subscribers as part of MultiChoice's total subscribers base has been falling in 2016 and slid from 22% to 18% ((2.24 million subscribers to 2.005 million).

That's according to MultiChoice's results for the 6 months until the end of September 2016.

MultiChoice likely wants to stem or reverse this trend as subscribers have been opting away from the top tier, not seeing it as representing enough value.

DStv Extra subscribers will pay R489 from 1 April 2017 - a 6.53% increase.
The DStv Extra increase was 8% in 2016.

DStv Compact is increasing from R345 to R365, an increase of 5.79%.
The DStv Compact increase was 8.2% in 2016.

The subscription fees of MultiChoice's cheapest two offerings, DStv Access (R99) and DStv EasyView (R29) will remain unchanged.

The monthly access fee (R85), individual rentals for DStv BoxOffice movies (R35) and DStv decoder insurance will also remain unchanged.

Here is how DStv prices for 2017 will increase and the percentage price hike:

                                    2016      1 April 2017
DStv Premium            R759       R789               3.95%
DStv Extra                  R459       R489               6.53%
DStv Compact            R345       R365               5.79%
DStv Family               R219       R235               7.3%
DStv Access               R99         R99
DStv EasyView          R29         R29

Add-on packages
DStv Indian                 R340       R360               5.88%
DStv Indian add          R220        R229              4.09%
DStv Portuguesa         R445        R465              4.49%
DStv Portuguesa add   R220       R229              4.09%


Two contributing factors
Two things are likely influencing MultiChoice's smaller than usual annual DStv price hike.

Firstly, the South African rand that took an incredible beating in 2016 is recovering and on a strengthening trend.

Since the same time last year the South African rand has strengthen almost 25% against the American dollar.

MultiChoice and M-Net must buy foreign content like American shows and films and broadcasting rights for sports in dollar and pay certain channels on the DStv platform as part of carriage deals in the global currency.

Secondly a flurry of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) players are pecking around MultiChoice's pay-TV nest, will all the recent entrants looking to steal an egg or two where they can.

Netflix, friendly foil ShowMax from same-stable Naspers, Amazon's Prime Video, ONTAPtv.com from China's PCCW Global, PrideTV and other streamers now all offer local South African watch-and-gorge services.

MultiChoice adds SABC Encore channel to more DStv packages; DStv Access and DStv EasyView now also getting the SABC channel.

MultiChoice has extended the recently launched SABC Encore (DStv 156) channel to more DStv subscribers than who had it when the SABC's rerun channel started on 11 May.

Although the SABC with great fanfare announced that SABC Encore as a TV channel would be available on "all" DStv packages, it wasn't the case - MultiChoice kept SABC Encore off certain packages with DStv Premium, DStv Extra, DStv Compact and DStv Family customers getting the channel.

MultiChoice and the SABC were criticised by DStv subscribers.

Subscribers who pay for cheaper entry-level DStv packages like DStv Access, DStv EasyView, or one of the legacy DStv Select packages, were not given access to the SABC Encore channel by MultiChoice.

"Being a teacher, I sadly do not get enough time to watch TV, so I am only on the DStv EasyView bouquet," a DStv subscriber told TV with Thinus. "I phoned MultiChoice hoping to get SABC Encore if I upgrade to DStv Access. I was then told of the bouquets to find it on," said the subscriber.

MultiChoice on Friday confirmed that SABC Encore has now been given to more DStv customers.

This week MultiChoice extended SABC Encore, making the channel available to all DStv customers on DStv Access and DStv EasyView.

"SABC Encore was extended to DStv Access and EasyView this week to give more of our customers this nostalgic entertainment content," said MultiChoice in response to a media enquiry.