GOtv & DStv Slash Prices to ₦6,500 & ₦7,900: Real Deal or Desperate Move?

The decoder just got cheaper. Much cheaper.

As of November 1, 2025, GOtv Nigeria has quietly slashed its decoder price to ₦6,500, while DStv followed suit, dropping the full dish kit to ₦7,900. For many Nigerians, this feels like a long-overdue break in a year of rising costs and shrinking wallets.

But behind the bold price tags lies a deeper story.

MultiChoice, the parent company now under Canal+, has lost 2.8 million active subscribers across Africa in two years, 1.4 million from Nigeria alone. Revenue has plunged 44%. The numbers don’t lie: people are walking away.

And they’re not just switching off. They’re switching to Netflix, StarTimes, or free streaming apps. Over 560 platforms now compete for the same eyeballs, and most don’t require a dish, a decoder, or a monthly bill that rivals rent.

So yes, this price drop is real. But it’s also a survival move.

GOtv’s new ₦6,500 decoder is now cheaper than a mid-range data subscy. DStv’s ₦7,900 kit, complete with dish and installation option - undercuts even local resellers. It’s not a sale. It’s a statement.

Still, the fine print matters. Installation fees (₦5,000–₦10,000) and monthly subscriptions remain unchanged. DStv Premium still costs ₦44,000. GOtv Max? ₦7,200. The hardware is affordable. The content? Not so much.

Yet the timing is clever. With Christmas around the corner, MultiChoice is dangling more than just low prices. An “Open Time Weekend” from November 7–9 will unlock Premium channels for all active users. DStv Premium subscribers get two extra streams until December. Five new channels, including SuperSport Action, just went live.

It’s a charm offensive wrapped in a discount.

On social media, reactions are mixed. Some tag friends: “Upgrade now!” Others scoff: “Decoder is cheap, but can I pay ₦44k every month?” The buzz is real, hundreds of views, dozens of replies but trust is fragile.

This isn’t the first cut. In June 2025, decoders dropped 50%. Now, they’ve gone lower. Each time, the message is the same: *We hear you. We’re trying.*

But will it work?

Analysts say hardware is only half the battle. Until subscription fees fall, many will keep their old decoders or ditch them entirely. For now, the ₦6,500 GOtv and ₦7,900 DStv kits are the cheapest they’ve ever been.

If you’ve been waiting to jump back in, the door just opened wider.

Just don’t expect the monthly bill to follow suit.