DStv has reintroduced the ability for subscribers to live-stream on two devices simultaneously. This follows its decision last year to limit live streaming to a single device at a time. There are some caveats, however.
The first is that the two-stream limit only applies to its DStv Stream packages which do not require a satellite dish. Second, it has hiked the prices of its streaming-only packages to account for the ‘Extra Mobile Stream’.
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This means that the price of the top-end DStv Premium Stream package goes from R699 to R799 per month. This is not too far off its R879 per month fee for the standard (decoder-based) package, although this excludes the R115 PVR access fee, which means the total subscription is R994.
In effect, this change brings the streaming-only packages in line with its satellite ones which offer the main decoder feed as well as a secondary streaming one (limited to a single simultaneous stream).
Customers with DStv Stream packages would’ve been right to feel hard done by by the change implemented last March that limited all subscriptions to a single live stream. This meant that someone subscribing to DStv Premium Stream at effectively 80% of the ‘full price’ would only get half the utility.
That change, designed to crack down on ‘password sharing and piracy’, drew sharp criticism from customers who, at the top end, pay around R1 000 a month for their subscriptions.
In the past, this sharing was so prevalent that it was often formalised in that both parties shared the monthly subscription cost.
Anecdotally, DStv Stream accounts continue to be shared across family and friend groups – although, because of the aggressive limit, there is far less utility. If one party is streaming the Wimbledon final, for example, another can’t. At best, accounts can now be shared among two parties, with one watching on their decoder and the other using the stream.
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The pay-TV operator has since said it is working on a solution to enable additional streams per subscription. It is understood that it is also working on an option that leverages its DStv Streama box (which connects to the internet, not a satellite dish).
When subscribing to DStv Stream packages, customers will be able to remove the additional stream and pay the ‘current’/old prices. It is unclear at this stage whether existing DStv Stream customers will have to opt in and add the additional stream or whether this will automatically be done (i.e. they will need to opt out).
The most curious pricing choice in the new packages is its DStv Compact Plus, where the Extra Mobile Stream costs R110. On Compact it is R80, Family costs R50 more and Access R30. DStv has also introduced a streaming-only package for its lowest tier package (EasyView) at just R29 per month. This only has a single stream, however.
To date, MultiChoice has not disclosed the number of streaming-only subscribers, but it did say in June that this base had tripled in the past year – up 201% between March 2022 and March 2023. Off a likely smaller base, its number of DStv Internet customers is up 447% over the same period.
It has also rolled out these streaming-only packages in Angola, Kenya and Zimbabwe, with other markets in Africa to follow.
Following a trial in certain markets, Netflix will become a lot more aggressive in limiting password sharing on accounts in all its operations globally.
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Source: DStv
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