SuperSport is a global leader in sports broadcasting and remains MultiChoice’s most valuable asset in ensuring its DStv subscribers do not cut the cord.
Globally, pay-TV operators have seen a significant decline in their linear pay-TV subscriber bases over the last few years.
Cable and satellite TV providers have lost over 20 million subscribers in the United States over the last decade, and this trend is accelerating.
The latest research reveals that there are expected to be 80 million cord-cutting households in the United States by 2026.
DStv, in comparison, has enjoyed growth over the last six years. In 2018, the company had 13.5 million DStv subscribers.
In March 2024, MultiChoice had 15.7 million DStv subscribers. Despite a decline over the last year, MultiChoice grew its subscriber numbers by over 2 million over six years.
Although DStv is not immune to the cord-cutting trend, it has been more resilient than its international counterparts.
One of the biggest reasons for DStv’s resilience is its excellent sports offering, which is provided through SuperSport.
DStv Premium subscribers know they will get access to all the top sporting events, including rugby, soccer, cricket, and golf.
Over the last year, SuperSport broadcast 34,490 live events, more than any other broadcaster in the world.
It offered extensive coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, EURO 2024, and the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup.
SuperSport delivered the most extensive broadcast of any broadcaster of the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
It covered 1,200 live events over 2,900 live broadcast hours across 19 days through eight dedicated linear channels.
It offered five OTT streaming channels, a dedicated SuperSport SuperScreen, and 24-hour Olympic News Update channels.
“This led to a 20% increase in unique viewers relative to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,” MultiChoice said.
Over the past six months, SuperSport has broadcast 10,240 live events and provided a total of 21,540 hours of live coverage, a 22% increase year-on-year.
SuperSport Schools doubled its user base and crossed a milestone of one million registered users on its app, delivering over 35,000 hours of content over the past six months.
South Africa is a sport-loving nation, and watching the Springboks, Bafana Bafana, and the Proteas play is a national pastime.
Local soccer, rugby, and cricket leagues are very popular, and the English Premier League is a must-have for many football fans.
South Africans who visit local hotels expect to have DStv in their rooms. If that is not available, there should be at least a sports broadcast in the bar or restaurant to watch sports.
DStv’s excellent SuperSport offering has been its secret weapon to ensure its subscribers remain loyal and do not cut the cord.
MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela said the company will continue to focus on providing the best content, including being the world’s top sports provider.
“We are the home of sport through SuperSport and are definitely among the top providers in the world.”
He said DStv has the content people want to watch, offered on a stable platform that compares to the best available anywhere else.
Mawela is confident that its content offering, bolstered by SuperSport, positions MultiChoice well to show strong future growth.
