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Facelift for DStv Stream app

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb's news editor.
Johannesburg, 03 Sep 2024
DStv Stream gives viewers access to live and video-on-demand content, with no satellite dish or decoder required.
DStv Stream gives viewers access to live and video-on-demand content, with no satellite dish or decoder required.

MultiChoice has updated its DStv Stream app and announced a reduced price for its DStv Stream Premium contract.

In a statement, MultiChoice-owned DStv notes the app’s user interface has been significantly upgraded.

DStv Stream gives viewers access to the live and video-on-demand content available per package, with no satellite dish or decoder required.

The upgrade comes as DStv struggles to attract new subscribers, while facing stiff competition from global video streaming players, such as Netflix and Disney+.

The JSE-listed MultiChoice recently posted financial results that reflected a dwindling subscriber base and plunging group revenue.

According to the company, this was mainly due to a 13% decline in the “rest of Africa” business, with Nigeria, Angola and Zambia most affected, while the South African business was more resilient, declining by only 5%.

For the year ended 31 March, the video entertainment firm’s overall active subscribers declined by 9%, while group revenue dropped 5% to R56 billion.

Amid the revenue and subscriber decline, the company is driving streaming platforms such as Showmax and DStv Stream.

With competition in South Africa’s streaming market becoming fierce, British TV subscription-based streaming service BritBox recently announced it is exiting SA’s video-on-demand streaming market to “refocus on its more established markets and the areas of the business that will have the highest opportunities for growth”.

Describing the new features, DStv says live TV rows now play back channels as users browse, letting them preview content directly from the homepage, allowing them to immediately jump into live TV.

It adds that the price point of R699 will be available to DStv Stream customers who take out a 12-month Premium contract.

“We know that delivering the streaming experience our customers want means we need to stay at the top of our game,” says Marc Jury, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa. “This latest update is a big step forward, especially for live sports fans.”

According to the company, early numbers show these updates are having a positive impact on the user experience, resulting in a 23% increase in the number of series and movies streamed on demand, a 17% increase in the number of titles that customers have added to their watchlists, and an 8% increase in content watched on DStv Stream compared to the previous month.

It notes the update also introduces several new sections on the platform, tailored to improve content discovery.

Updated navigation on tvOS and iOS platforms aims to make content discovery more intuitive and visually engaging, says DStv.

“This is the second in a series of DStv enhancements over the coming months that will improve user experience and platform stability. We are looking to announce the next one in a few weeks’ time,” it concludes.

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