Hitv Breaks Dstv Monopoly, A Good Score For Nigeria Entrepreneurs

Monopoly in Nigeria’s pay-television industry hitherto enjoyed by South Africa’s Multic-hoice, owners of DSTV, was finally broken yesterday when an indigenous firm, Enterta-inment Highway Limited (HITV), began commercial broadcast in Lagos. Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. Frank Nweke (Jnr), who was the special guest at the launch also described as “ridiculous, exploitative and unacceptable”, a situation where Nigerians pay the highest rate for Pay-TV services in any part of the world.

HITV is a wireless digital terrestrial platform that has no limit on the channels it can broadcast and is starting with 24 channels including CNN, BBC World, LBC International, Al Jazeera, God Africa, MTV Base, Fox Sports and Nicke-lodeon. It also has specially created channels like Hi-Sports, Hi-Ovation, Hi-Nolly, Nigezie, Hi-KIDS, Hi-Mix and Hi-Biz.

The direct-to-home entertainment service provider, HITV, made history late last year when it won the right to broadcast English Premier League (EPL) to its Nigerian subscribers. The implication of this is that from August, South Africa’s DSTV would no longer broadcast EPL to its Nigerian subscribers. The company already has rights to broadcast other football leagues including La Liga, Spanish League, Euro 2008 qualifiers, among others.

The Managing Director/Chef Executive Officer of HITV, Mr. Toyin Subair said at the launch that “the achievement of HITV is nothing to be boastful about, but seen as tool to create value, develop the minds of Nigerians and to sell Nigeria’s uniqueness to the world.”

A good Score for Nigerians Entrepreneurs

I do not hv their modus operandi/web address yet , wil update asap

Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. Frank Nweke (Jnr), who was the special guest at the launch also described as “ridiculous, exploitative and unacceptable”, a situation where Nigerians pay the highest rate for Pay-TV services in any part of the world.

yea this guy is as dumb as ever, common sense he doesnt have, you sell someone license and he happens to be the only one providing the service- he will charge any bloody amount he wants duhhhh no competition whatsoever!

Yea Good Job HITV, hope they grow to other parts of Nigeria and Africa, I _{wonder why south africa companies always have more support from their banks and government and nigerian companies just.  .  .   .}

I wonder what mytvafrica and trendtv are doing; but we should not count our chicks before they are hatched.

yea it looks quite promising, like most things in Nigeria there's "potential"

Congratulations to HITV on "breaking" a monopoly that never existed.
TrendTV and others have been doing this for a while, so why are these ones making noise?

Seun:

Congratulations to HITV on "breaking" a monopoly that never existed.
TrendTV and others have been doing this for a while, so why are these ones making noise?

Bross,

I thnk the Monopoly meant here is the right to broadcast English Premier League (EPL) 2Nigerian subscribers

though I still stand 2 b corrected

@seun

Oga gomina or Sole Administrator

Nice 2 meet u, am honored as u can c, am very new in ur territory

big ups 2 u man

The direct-to-home entertainment service provider, HITV, made history late last year when it won the right to broadcast English Premier League (EPL) to its Nigerian subscribers. The implication of this is that from August, South Africa’s DSTV would no longer broadcast EPL to its Nigerian subscribers.

You mean DSTV lost the right to broadcast the English Premier League in Nigeria?
What about those Nigerians who have invested a lot into their DSTV equipment? This is bad news for them!
They have "broken" the DSTV monopoly by establishing their own more monopoly. So the customer loses.

Seun:

You mean DSTV lost the right to broadcast the English Premier League in Nigeria?
What about those Nigerians who have invested a lot into their DSTV equipment? This is bad news for them!
They have "broken" the DSTV monopoly by establishing their own more monopoly. So the customer loses.

that is one thing we must correct in this country,

How can they just seize the licence of DSTV like that, and then these dude's take their fat tommy to oversies crying for foreign investors to come and invest. I don't know how much HITV gave to the minister for this rubbish decision and I don't know who took the decision but my brothers It is not fair.


Who gave the licence to DSTV in the first place?
And how many people uses HITV
What happens to those equipment we bought for DSTV
What happens to those equipment DSTV uses to operate in Nigeria
How good is the services of HITV

Men I must say that this is another example of the STUPID economic reforms of OBJ's administration 


Check out the fake site http://www.hientertainment.tv/

Still under construction

DSTV has so many channels so why are people fretting over the premiership? Moreover, the premiership is not exclusive to HITV so DSTV can still broadcast the same channel from other African countries.

we should b applauding the fed gov nd the Minister 4 this wise decision because the monopoly was broken in order to favor Nigerian entreprenuer nd i thk Hitv will work sumfin out with DSTV in order they dnt lose out

I agree with inoo but Hitv does not have to collaborate with DSTV. It has promised to charge more affodable fees.

HITV is going to charge N3000. I heard this from a reliable source.
I'm gonna buy it soon as it is launched.

HITV is going to charge N3000. I heard this from a reliable source.
I'm going to buy it soon as it is launched.

DSTV has so many channels so why are people fretting over the premiership?

The Premier League is a major factor that drives the purchase of DSTV. Soccer fanatics need it.

@Seun

If what you mean is that Nigerian Soccer fanatics needs the entertainment, Yeah

But why not Nigerians(HiTV) benefit from the sales, y foreigners?

We should support our own businesses to grow into multi nationals too

charity they they say begins @home

Besides you sound as if u hv a stake in DSTV,

Because I won't want South Africans stealing a license I have in a similar manner.
(A man of integrity treats others as he would want and expect them to treat him.)

As long as DSTV is serving Nigerians like you and me, I see no problem with supporting them.
Think about those Nigerians who are customers of DSTV. How would they feel to lose the EPL?

HiTV can't have more than 50 employees, but DSTV customers are in the thousands.
Why should the government of Nigeria issue a directive that harms thousands for the benefit of 50 people?

How would you feel, as a soccer-loving DSTV subscriber, to be forced to get a new decoder and reciever?
How would you feel to be forced to subscribe to two different networks to recieve the same channels?

I am a dstv subscriber and have been for close to 10 years now.I am happy with this new development and I'll explain.

6 years ago Nigeria offered GSM licences to 3 networks,MTN,ECONET(now CELTEL) and NITEL.For obvious reasons let us not even discuss Nitel.For 2 years the 2 Southern African networks bestrode the Nigerian terrain and licked the GSM booty .They paid for it ,so good.We also enjoyed the new found love/experience of GSM but it was not until Glo came on board that you could say the common man really began to benefit from this new era.That was when the benefits of GSM really trickled down.Now MTN easpecially has to sit up.Who benefits?The consumer!and by extension every other person.

The near monopoly of DSTV(at least over the EPL) has been really frustrating.To purchase a decoder costs close to 40k(single) or 70k PVR.Just like SIM packs were exhorbitant 5 years ago.Then they cost N20,000.Today?less than N500.

In spite of the love of the EPL in Nigeria how many people can boast of having DSTV at home or if they do how many can afford to pay for the monthly full bouquet which guarantees you the Prem.Folks how many.I swear DSTV decoders will crash to half the price in the next 2 years and they will still be making profit.Subscription amount will also crash and they won't fold up.Just like GSM companies have not yet folded up.

Monopoly is not good and Hitv will break that somewhat.Knowing where we are coming from they will make their prices affordable,like Glo.Unlike DSTV they will tend to be more populist in their pricing.And like Glo they will gain a lot of disenchanted subscribers who feel ripped off by high tariffs/outlay. Being Nigerian their errors will be more tolerated than that of a foreign firm.Good?Maybe not .But about time we begin to  sell the country to some Nigerians too.

I understand there was a bid for the EPL for Nigeria and HiTV  won.DSTV had previously lumped Nigeria as part of South Africa which the FG disagreed with.Fair is fair.

I think like the GSM companies who lost their market to Glo, if consumers had seen DSTV as friendly(especially with their pricing)the celebration of a new entrant will be less subdued.

I will buy HiTV.and I will not feel bad for DSTV.They will not collapse.N10200 monthly is a lot to pay for cable TV.Just like telecoms we will get to a point considered fair to all(consumer and investor).Then we'll move on.

For now though I am excited.

Brilliant post!!

Geez guys, can you imagine paying only 3000 naira a month for the same channels that we watch on DSTV? 
Its just too fantastic.
I'm so excited!   
And to top it all, I heard that the decoder would cost only 25,000 or 27,000 (I'm not so sure). My goodness, I get to watch my favourite channels, E and sports channels.    :-j

You can all say what you want, but I think this package is brilliant!      

@razorr
u sure u avnt hooked 1 bobo from hitv thts leakin all this top secret info to u

hmm Don't you guys get locked unto 12months minimum subscription contracts with dtsv? 

Being Nigerian their errors will be more tolerated than that of a foreign firm

 

I heard they'll only be operating in Lagos for now 

When do they start, what channels have they got? WHO owns it? what is the koko?

@manu4laif

Perfect analogy, you are a true son of the Soil

10x so much 4d exceptional analysis

otoidea:

@razorr
u sure u avnt hooked 1 bobo from hitv thts leakin all this top secret info to u

I actually have!

You are truly a 'Man U' fan. I love your simple analysis.

sharp grl

Monopoly is not good and Hitv will break that somewhat.

What you don't seem to realise is that HiTV itself is now a monopoly as far as the premier league is concerned.

Look, if I was interested, I could easily beat DSTV without stealing any license. DSTV is no monopoly.

Geez guys, can you imagine paying only 3000 naira a month for the same channels that we watch on DSTV?

That is impossible. HiTV cannot afford to charge 3,000 per month if they have all the channels we have on DSTV.

Seun, I got my info from a 100% reliable source.

No shaking!