Digital Disruption Catching Up With MultiChoice DStv

Digital Disruption in Zambia taking shape affecting tv entertainment and industry.

Its no longer a ‘Multichoice’ brand sticking with entertainment monopoly as new technologies have emerged. New technologies offer a multi-choice of streaming video and programming.

Even here in Zambia, more options for alternate pay-TV have emerged and with further exposure, we might soon see total migrations.

Case: For a variety of my kids educational programming our 27″ inch iMac has taken the first place of the spot. And Youtube and similar streaming digital platforms offers our great content.

Netflix additionally has grasped our entertainment class. From Stranger Things to Luke Cage our needs are satisfied at a much lesser subscription.

Digital Disruption Knocking MultiChoice

Multichoice through the DStv pay television has held a monopoly and exploited the Zambian market. Apart from football, the content for movies and tv series has not held up to the subscription pricing.

With data bundles pricing rapidly falling across all internet providers in Zambia there are now choices subscribers have to make. Choices toward YouTube, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Netflix are rapidly becoming popular.

Netflix has shaped the digital world and now the greatest monopoly company is crying foul and fears digital disruption at the doorstep. From headquarters in South Africa, MultiChoice calls for Netflix to be regulated.

Business live reported MultiChoice SA CEO Calvo Mawela said subjecting the likes of Netflix to the same regulations (as those applied to Multichoice) would allow the pay-TV operator to “compete toe to toe”.

The pay-tv is reported to have lost 100,000 premium subscribers to emerging digital and streaming platforms. This is in addition to those falling out on economic pressure and choice of delivery of content.

The pressure is also mounting on Multichoice for shared sports rights of premium content. Therefore has more players get introduced to the market DStv will no longer be. Like many Zambians, I have cried foul on DStv monopoly and pricing.

And so as these technological marketing pressure and digital emergence play out it is heartening to ride along with the disruption.