What DStv Is Planning
DStv lost 1.2 million subscribers last year. That’s a massive drop. People are canceling because Premium costs too much when they only watch rugby or soccer. MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela said they’re looking at unbundling SuperSport from the entertainment channels. This means you could buy a basic entertainment package, then add only the sports you watch. Want rugby? Add a rugby pack. Only watch soccer? Pay for just soccer. They plan to decide on this before the end of their financial year. If it makes business sense and brings in more money, they’ll do it.
Why This Makes Sense
Right now, you must buy DStv Premium at around R799 per month to get SuperSport. But many people only turn on their DStv during sports season. When rugby or soccer ends, they cancel. Then they sign up again next season. This costs DStv lots of money because subscribers keep leaving and coming back. And it costs you money because you’re paying R799 even during months when there’s no sport you care about. Think about it this way: You might love rugby but don’t care about cricket or tennis. Why should you pay for all of them? With unbundling, you could get basic DStv for maybe R400, then add a rugby pack for R200. Total: R600 instead of R799. That’s R199 saved every month, or R2,388 per year.
The Real Problem: Money Is Tight
South African households are struggling. The cost of living keeps going up. Electricity is expensive. Food costs more. Petrol prices hurt. When you need to choose between buying groceries and watching sports, groceries win every time. That’s why 1.2 million people canceled DStv. They couldn’t afford it anymore. MultiChoice lost R800 million last year. They need to do something fast or more people will leave. Streaming services like Netflix cost R99 to R159 per month. ShowMax is cheaper than DStv Premium. Even YouTube has free sports highlights. People are finding cheaper ways to watch what they want. DStv needs to compete on price, not just content.
How Unbundling Would Work
Based on what MultiChoice has said, here’s what you could expect: – Buy a basic entertainment package with movies and shows – Add sport packs based on what you watch – Choose rugby, soccer, cricket, tennis, or other sports – Pay less if you only want one or two sports – Drop sports during off-season, keep entertainment – Add sports back when your season starts This is similar to what Sky does in the UK and what Canal+ offers in France. It’s not a new idea – DStv is just catching up to what other countries already do. The key word here is “bolt-on.” You bolt sports onto your basic package like adding extras to your car. Need it? Add it. Don’t need it? Save the money.
What You Need to Know
DStv won’t offer sports-only packages. You can’t just buy SuperSport without any entertainment channels. MultiChoice made this clear. You’ll need a basic package first, then add sports. Why? Because sports keep people subscribed. Calvo Mawela said sports drive “stickiness” – it keeps you coming back. They won’t give SuperSport to other broadcasters either. It stays exclusive to DStv. The unbundling must make MultiChoice more money, not less. If it doesn’t increase their profits, they won’t do it. This is a business decision, not charity.
Why Most People Only Watch Sports
Let’s be honest about why you keep DStv: live sports. Specifically, rugby and soccer. Maybe cricket if you’re into that. You can watch movies on Netflix for R159. You can watch series on ShowMax. You can get news for free on YouTube. But live rugby? Live soccer? Live cricket? That’s only on SuperSport. During rugby season, you’re glued to the TV every Saturday. When the Springboks play, you need SuperSport. When your soccer team plays in the Premier League, you need DStv. But what about the other six months of the year when nothing’s happening? That’s when people cancel. They’re paying R799 for channels they don’t watch. The entertainment channels aren’t worth it on their own. You’re really paying R799 just for three months of rugby. Do the math: R799 × 12 months = R9,588 per year. But you only watch sports for maybe 4 months. That’s R2,396 per month you actually use. The other R7,192 is wasted money.
What This Could Save You
Let’s look at real numbers. These are estimates based on what similar services charge:
| Package Type | Current Cost | Possible New Cost | Yearly Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium (all sports) | R799/month | R799/month | R0 |
| Basic + All Sports | R799/month | R650/month | R1,788/year |
| Basic + Rugby Only | R799/month | R550/month | R2,988/year |
| Basic + Soccer Only | R799/month | R550/month | R2,988/year |
These are guesses based on international pricing. The actual prices could be different. But even saving R150 per month means R1,800 per year in your pocket.
The Competition Is Winning
DStv faces serious competition. Netflix has 1 million South African subscribers. Disney+ is growing fast. ShowMax is cheaper and has good content. Even YouTube Premium costs less than DStv. People are also streaming illegally. It’s wrong, but it’s free. When money is tight, some people choose free illegal streams over expensive legal ones. DStv’s only advantage is live sports. They have exclusive rights to rugby, soccer, cricket, and other sports. No streaming service can compete with that. But those rights cost them billions of Rands. If they lose more subscribers, they can’t afford those sports rights. Then they lose their only advantage. Then everyone leaves. It’s a dangerous cycle.
When Will This Happen
MultiChoice said they’ll make a decision this financial year. That means by March 2026 at the latest. If they decide to go ahead, rollout could happen within months after that. Don’t expect it overnight. They need to sort out contracts with sports leagues. They need to build new systems for billing. They need to train customer service staff. This takes time. Best guess: announcements by early 2026, actual packages available by mid-2026. Maybe sooner if they rush it. Maybe later if they hit problems.
Should DStv Unbundle? Absolutely
Yes, DStv should definitely unbundle sports from Premium. Here’s why it makes sense for everyone: For you, it saves money. You pay for what you watch, nothing extra. During off-season, drop the sports pack. Save R200 to R300 per month. That’s groceries or petrol money. For DStv, it stops the bleeding. People who canceled might come back if it’s cheaper. People who only watch sports in season can stay subscribed year-round at a lower price. More subscribers mean more money, even if each subscriber pays less. For South African families, it’s about affordability. Times are tough. Every Rand counts. If unbundling means keeping DStv instead of canceling completely, that’s a win for everyone. The current Premium package doesn’t work anymore. It worked 10 years ago when streaming didn’t exist and people had more money. Now? It’s too expensive for what most people actually use.
What You Can Do Now
While you wait for unbundling, here are your options: You could downgrade to DStv Compact Plus for R519 per month. You lose some SuperSport channels but keep the main ones. That saves R280 per month or R3,360 per year. You could cancel during off-season and resubscribe when your sport starts. Yes, it’s annoying to set up again, but you save R799 for every month you’re canceled. Cancel for 6 months and save R4,794. You could share a subscription with family or friends. Split the R799 cost between two or three households. Just make sure you follow DStv’s terms of service. Or you could wait for unbundling. Keep your Premium package until the new options arrive. Then switch immediately to save money.
The Bottom Line
DStv knows they have a problem. They’re losing subscribers fast. They’re losing money. Something has to change. Unbundling sports from entertainment packages is smart business. It gives you choice. It saves you money. It keeps DStv alive. Most people really do only watch sports. You’re not crazy for thinking Premium is overpriced. Millions of other South Africans agree with you – that’s why they canceled. If DStv does this right, everyone wins. You get affordable sports. They get more subscribers. Sports leagues get their money from broadcasting rights. It’s better than the current situation where everyone loses. Watch for announcements in early 2026. When unbundling comes, do the math for your household. Figure out which sports you actually watch. Choose the cheapest package that covers what you need. Keep the rest of your money for things that matter more.