Media conglomerate Vivendi’s Canal+, which currently owns over a third of MultiChoice—Africa’s largest pay-TV operator, DStv—has recently received antitrust approval for its complete takeover, expected to be finalized by October. Canal+ is open to discussions with Ghana’s regulator to address the ongoing impasse between MultiChoice Ghana and the Ghanaian government regarding subscription rates, according to Samuel Nartey George, the Sector Minister.
In a radio interview with Joy FM on Tuesday, August 12, which was monitored by Graphic Online, Mr. Sam George, the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation, stated that Canal+ has shown a more positive attitude toward the issues surrounding MultiChoice Ghana’s subscription rates. “They are aware of the situation here in Ghana, and I have communicated this to them. They have reached out to me, and I made it clear that if they want to operate in Ghana on the license that they are acquiring, this is our request… They’ve indicated certain things, and I told them I want it in writing,” Mr. George said.
He mentioned that Canal+ has received approval from the commission in South Africa, which he believes will be effective from September. “Canal+ is the one taking over,” he added. “I don’t want to make public policy decisions based on phone calls. I’ve asked them to provide an official letter. Canal+ is willing to engage in dialogue; I acknowledge that their attitude is more positive than that of MultiChoice,” Mr. Sam George noted.
Canal+ is in the process of buying out MultiChoice, with completion expected by October 2025. However, before this transaction is finalized, Ghana’s communications regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), has ordered MultiChoice Ghana—operating DStv’s pay-TV service—to shut down within 30 days, by September 8, 2025, due to the company’s refusal to reduce its subscription rates by 30%.
Like other countries in West Africa, Ghana, through the sector minister, Sam George, recently raised issues about the steep increase in subscription charges for the DSTV pay-TV services which Multichoice Ghana said was partly caused by rampant inflation rates and weak currency.
Over the past two years, MultiChoice has raised fees for its traditional satellite pay-TV business in several African countries, such as Nigeria and Kenya, as well as Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Namibia, among others.
In Ghana, the pay-TV group increased the subscription fees by 15% in April with little notice, prompting the communications minister, Sam George, to give MultiChoice an ultimatum to lower its rate by 30% by August 7.
MultiChoice didn’t oblige and instead offered to maintain rates at existing levels, which has been rejected by the regulator.
The NCA has consequently told MultiChoice Ghana that it has 30 days to “present its views, or provide remedial action, and submit a written statement of its objections to the suspension of the authorization”.
It is following this that the sector minister, in the radio interview monitored by Graphic Online on Tuesday said Canal+, which is taking over from Multichoice in Africa, when the deal goes through by October, has reached out and showed a positive attitude to resolve the impasse.
DSTV tells me they cannot block cross-border piracy of decoders from Nigeria – Sam George
Meanwhile, Mr Sam George has said Multichoice Ghana was not interested in dealing with cross-border piracy issues in Ghana on its platform.
There is a lot of cross-border piracy of DSTV devices [decoders and dishes] from Nigeria working in Ghana, where Multichoice Ghana has no control over.
According to Mr Sam George, he has engaged Multichoice Ghana for them to deal with that cross-border piracy but Multichoice Ghana was not interested in dealing with all critical issues, including the cross-border piracy on their platform.
He said they have told him, there was nothing they can do about it.
Mr George said for instance Starlink is an international company, and “we had instances where people were bringing Starlink devices from other African countries into Ghana to operate. We called Starlink and said we won’t allow that to happen.”
“Because you see, there are revenue lines as well for the state on devices that are located in the country. So if you bring a device from outside the country and it is working, it means that it is blind to the Ghanaian state.”
“I said to DSTV deal with cross border piracy and they tell me, well this is not something they can do anything about.”
Source: Graphic Online
