NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 27 – MultiChoice the marketer of DStv products has welcomed the entry of Swedish firm Next Generation Broadcasting into the Kenyan pay TV market saying it will boost competition.
MultiChoice Kenya General Manager Stephen Isaboke said in spite of the expected competition, they will continue to offer more programming at attractive rates as they strive to change the perception that pay TV is a preserve of the rich.
"DStv believes in a free market economy so we embrace competition. As a business we will continue to focus on our subscribers and potential and what their needs are and ensure that we deliver that content in a convenient, reliable and affordable manner," he said.
On Thursday, NGB launched Smart TV with a promise to offer affordable television services to the mass market which has largely been previously excluded due to the high pricing of pay TV.
And in what appears to be a response to the Swedish player\’s entry, MultiChoice recently announced an offer where subscribers will have DStv fully installed for a fee of Sh5,000.
Mr Isaboke however explained that this was a celebration of the 15 years since the introduction of digital satellite broadcasting in Africa, a feat that he said would give them a competitive edge.
He added that the decline of the cost of decoders coupled with their continued efforts to offer differently priced bouquets have helped to significantly grow their subscriber base and they expected this to increase further.
Mr Isaboke added that MultiChoice would continue to showcase more local content and thus contribute to building the local film and production industry as DStv popularity in Kenya grows.
"We will continue to support and grow local content. We will continue to find out what Kenyans are looking for and make that available by either partnering or commissioning or acquiring what is relevant," he told a press briefing.
DStv currently has two channels dedicated to African content and has made massive investment in local productions in East Africa over the past several years.
During the function, the firm launched two other premieres: DStv on Demand, a service that allows our premium subscribers access up to 20 hours of programmes and \’Dish on TV\’, an enhanced and interactive programming guide.
This means that the December guide will be the last copy that will be printed and subscribers will be required to browse the programming electronically.
He expressed optimism that they would be able to build on the success of 2010 to grow their business in the coming year.
"We have new technology in the pipeline to ensure that more Kenyans will be able to access our products and services affordably; and we continue to invest in our local communities to support the education of our children and development of our nation," he concluded.
