Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
After its initial refusal to allow its subscribers enjoy pay-as-go form of pricing scheme, MultiChoice, owners of the popular payTV platform, DStv, has said it may likely consider the system in the nearest future.
Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr John Ugbe, however, said the option would only be considered if its business model supports it.
“The pay-as-you-consume [pricing option] is something we may consider. If it is technologically possible and the business model supports it, we will,” Mr Ugbe said on the side-lines of the Digital Dialogue in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
For a long time, subscribers of DStv had called on MultiChoice to introduce the pay-as-you-consume option but the company had been very adamant in heeding their requests.
At the moment, MultiChoice allows DStv subscribers to suspend their subscriptions for only twice in a year.
The firm had always argued that the pay-as-you consume price system was not possible to implement in Nigeria on the grounds that they bought the contents they relay as a whole and not in bits.
According to the management of MultiChoice, it would be impossible to use such model despite working in the telecoms industry.
Recall that before Globacom came into the picture, Nigerians were asking the then two main networks, MTN and Econet (now Airtel) to use the per-second billing system instead of the per minute, but MTN particular was adamant.
However, Glo gained ground when it introduced the per-second billing option and forced others to embrace the system.
DStv has remained the preferred payTV platform for Nigerians because of their exclusive right to the English Premier League, which shows on its SuperSport channels.
Some years ago, when the defunct HiTV also had rights to broadcast of the league in Nigeria, DStv lost its huge market share.
