Pay-TV cost to drop as new channel opens
Sep 30, 2010
THE cost for pay-TV channels is expected to drop further following the official launch of Star Times DTV in Uganda.
By Patrick Jaramogi
THE cost for pay-TV channels is expected to drop further following the official launch of Star Times DTV in Uganda.
There are five pay-TV channels in the country: Multichoice, Pearl Digital TV, JR Net, Metropo Cable and Star Times DTV, which is being officially launched today.
Kevin Chen, the chief marketing officer of Star Times DTV, said they are set to introduce live football channels to step up the competition.
Currently, Multichoice is the only pay TV which airs live football. It charges at about sh350,000 for the initial installation and $48 (about sh110,000) for monthly subscription.
Star Times DTV charges an initial installation fee of sh120,000 and its monthly subscription fee is sh15,000 for 36 channels and shs25,000 for 40 channels.
“Our aim is to make pay-TV affordable to all Ugandans. We now have 30,000 subscribers, but once the numbers shoot up we shall have live football matches,†Chen told the press at their Kampala offices yesterday.
Multichoice, the pioneer of pay-TV in Uganda, has about the same number of subscribers.
The competition has forced Multichoice to slash its monthly charges nearly by a half for the premier packages from over sh500,000 to about sh290,000.
Chen added that they would be expanding to Mbarara and Gulu by next year.
“We have a commitment with the International Telecommunication Union to ensure that by 2012, Uganda has no analogue system,†he said.
Star Times DTV is chinese owned and also operates in about 10 countries in Africa, with its headquarters in Beijing, China.
StarTimes comes onto the market barely two years since Gateway Television Services (GTV) wound up.
THE cost for pay-TV channels is expected to drop further following the official launch of Star Times DTV in Uganda.
There are five pay-TV channels in the country: Multichoice, Pearl Digital TV, JR Net, Metropo Cable and Star Times DTV, which is being officially launched today.
Kevin Chen, the chief marketing officer of Star Times DTV, said they are set to introduce live football channels to step up the competition.
Currently, Multichoice is the only pay TV which airs live football. It charges at about sh350,000 for the initial installation and $48 (about sh110,000) for monthly subscription.
Star Times DTV charges an initial installation fee of sh120,000 and its monthly subscription fee is sh15,000 for 36 channels and shs25,000 for 40 channels.
“Our aim is to make pay-TV affordable to all Ugandans. We now have 30,000 subscribers, but once the numbers shoot up we shall have live football matches,†Chen told the press at their Kampala offices yesterday.
Multichoice, the pioneer of pay-TV in Uganda, has about the same number of subscribers.
The competition has forced Multichoice to slash its monthly charges nearly by a half for the premier packages from over sh500,000 to about sh290,000.
Chen added that they would be expanding to Mbarara and Gulu by next year.
“We have a commitment with the International Telecommunication Union to ensure that by 2012, Uganda has no analogue system,†he said.
Star Times DTV is chinese owned and also operates in about 10 countries in Africa, with its headquarters in Beijing, China.
StarTimes comes onto the market barely two years since Gateway Television Services (GTV) wound up.