DStv’s channel shake up in 2022

South Africa’s biggest pay-TV provider — DStv — made several changes to its channel packages in 2022, dropping four channels and adding seven.

The MultiChoice-owned satellite TV provider also dropped four eMedia channels in July but was forced to reinstate them a month later.

After winning its court battle against eMedia, MultiChoice immediately dropped the channels again.

The first change to the broadcaster’s catalogue came on 2 March 2022, when its upstream provider in Europe dropped the Russia Today (RT) news channel following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“As of today, 2 March 2022, Russia Today (Channel 407) shall not be carried on the DStv platform until further notice,” MultiChoice said.

“Sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union have led to the global distributor of the channel ceasing to provide the broadcast feed to all suppliers, including MultiChoice.”

DStv added two channels — Dreamworks and KIX — to its channel catalogue that same month.

Dreamworks is available to DStv Premium, Compact Plus, and Compact subscribers. The broadcaster initially said KIX would be accessible to Family and Access subscribers from 31 March 2022.

However, the DStv website’s package comparison feature shows that the lowest-tier package that includes KIX is Compact.

The broadcaster’s compact channel is priced at R429 a month — R120 and R309 more per month than Family and Access, respectively. DStv’s current package pricing is provided in the table below.

The MultiChoice-owned broadcaster was forced to drop its popular Lifetime channel at the start of May as the company responsible for distributing it announced that it was closing the African version of the channel.

“A+E Networks Africa is closing its Lifetime Africa channel, on both linear and non-linear platforms on 31 May 2022,” it said.

It dropped the iTV Islamic community channel just over a month later.

“MultiChoice constantly reviews its channel offering to ensure we continue to bring our customers the best quality local and international content,” the broadcaster said.

“We continue to look for fresh content that resonates with our viewers and an announcement for a channel to replace iTV will be made in due course.”

It also dropped the Afrikaans movie channel FliekNET in mid-July.

DStv quietly added two channels — Hilaal TV and NHK World-Japan —  in June and July 2022.

NHK World-Japan launched on DStv on 1 July 2022, and it airs a variety of programming, including arts and culture, dramas, documentaries, sports, and current affairs.

DStv added Hilaal TV — a replacement for iTV — on 23 June 2022.

In late August 2022, DStv launched Movie Room on channel 113. The channel is packaged and operated by the Ngwato Nkosi Group.

“This channel will offer entertaining local and international movies 24/7, from big blockbuster hits to unforgettable cinema classics,” the group’s co-founder, Thokozani Nkosi, said.

MultiChoice’s DStv then launched an ad-free kids channel — Moonbug Kids Channel — and BBC UKTV towards the end of the year.

BBC UKTV covers various natural history, comedy, soap, and children’s shows.

MultiChoice’s back and forth with eMedia

The broadcaster dropped four eMedia channels — eMovies, eMovies Extra, eExtra, and eToonz —  on 1 July 2022.

DStv removed the channels from its catalogue after the Competition Tribunal ruled against eMedia’s appeal to keep them on MultiChoice’s satellite TV platform.

eMedia laid a complaint with the Competition Commission following MultiChoice’s refusal to renew its channel supply agreement for the channels.

On 1 August, the Competition Appeal Court ruled that MultiChoice must reinstate the channels on the DStv platform.

However, as of January 2023, the DStv website lists all four channels as unavailable on any of its packages.

The table below summarises the channels added and dropped from DStv’s bouquets in 2022.

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