To Cut or Not to Cut: DSTV Users to Know Their Fate on Monday After Minister’s Demand for 30% Price Cut

Ghanaians who have long bemoaned the high cost of DSTV subscriptions may finally get some answers on Monday, July 21, 2025, as the Minister for Communications, Samuel Nartey George, has revealed the end of the ultimatum.

MultiChoice Ghana, operators of DSTV in the country, is expected to deliver an official response to the government’s demand for a 30% price reduction.

The ultimatum came from the Minister for Communications, Digitalisation and Innovation, who says the price cut is a necessary reflection of the cedi’s sustained appreciation, over 30% in the past five months.

After holding a meeting with executives of Multichoice few weeks ago over the possible price reduction leading to the demand for the 30% cut, the minister says he is awaiting the feedback of Multichoice on Monday.

“My focus for now is on the response from DSTV, which is due latest by Monday, 21st July 2025,” Sam George noted in a social media post.

With households tightening budgets amid rising utility bills and school fees, this Monday could determine whether subscribers of  DSTV will receive a respite through a cut in prices or maintain the status quo.

For months, subscribers have raised concerns over DSTV’s pricing model, which is often adjusted upwards during periods of cedi depreciation but rarely revised downwards when the local currency recovers.

While MultiChoice has introduced temporary promotions and offers, Sam George insists only a permanent price adjustment will do.

If MultiChoice complies, Ghanaian subscribers could enjoy significant monthly savings across all packages, potentially bringing back customers who had dropped off due to cost. But failure to act could escalate tensions with the government and reignite calls for market regulation, including passage of the long-stalled Competition and Fair Trade Bill.

Industry players such as CUTS International note that DSTV’s dominance in the pay-TV space, particularly with exclusive rights to the Premier League and major sporting events, gives it enormous pricing power.

The consumer protection CSO further believes that the demand by the Minister is just a band-aid masking the structural deficiencies in Ghana’s economy, hence calling for the passage of the competition law to address such issues.

The government is not only pushing for price relief. It is also demanding stronger support for local content and tighter controls on cross-border piracy, which has flooded the Ghanaian market with unauthorized DSTV boxes and deprived the state of tax revenue.

With just days left, all eyes are now on MultiChoice Ghana’s boardroom. Will they heed the Minister’s call and offer subscribers a much-needed break? Or will they hold their ground, citing operational costs and content acquisition rights?

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