African pay TV market set for trio of dominant operators

The African pay TV market will amass a total of 57 million subscribers by the end of 2027.

According to Digital TV Research, the market will add 18 million subscribers in the coming five years, climbing by 46%.

The report however notes that pay TV revenues will only rise by 35%, reflecting a drop in prices in the increasingly competitive market. Pay TV revenues are expected to reach US$6.46 billion by 2027, up from US$4.78 billion in 2021.

The African pay TV market is dominated by three players – Multichoice, StarTimes and Canal Plus – which account for 90% of the continent’s pay TV subscribers. Multichoice is expected to reach 20.8 million subscribers via its DStv and GOtv platforms, which will have 14.6 million and 6.2 million subscribers each. StarTimes meanwhile is expected to hit 18.4 million subs, while Canal Plus will reach 11.2 million.

Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Few new players are expected. Instead, the three protagonists will battle for supremacy – often by cutting prices.”