Some DSTV subscribers in the Cape Coast Metropolis have expressed strong support for the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation’s directive for Multichoice Ghana, operators of DSTV to reduce subscription prices.

The subscribers in separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency praised Mr Samuel Nartey George, the sector minister, for taking decisive action to address what they described as “unaffordable” and “unfair” high subscription fees.

They also urged government to intervene and break the DSTV monopoly to address high pricing and affordability challenges they were facing.

The subscribers largely felt exploited by DSTV’s significantly higher subscription fees in Ghana compared to neighbouring countries, with some packages costing nearly triple the price paid elsewhere in the West African sub-region.

The support stems from growing complaints among subscribers about the rising cost of DSTV packages, which many feels have become a significant financial burden for households.

The sector minister at a press briefing dubbed “Government Accountability Series” on Friday, August 1, 2025, gave MultiChoice Thursday, August 7, to implement the 30 percent fee cut or face suspension of its broadcasting licence.

The minister described DStv’s pricing in Ghana as unfair, noting that customers paid the equivalent of US$83 for the premium bouquet, compared with US$29 paid by subscribers in Nigeria for the same package.

Despite DStv’s response that a proposed 30 percent price reduction was untenable under current conditions, citing the need to maintain service quality and customer choice, subscribers in Cape Coast were in support of the government’s position.

They argued that a fair price adjustment would improve accessibility to digital content and alleviate financial strain on many families who relied on DSTV for entertainment and information.

Mr Daniel Mensah, the Manager of Honest Public at Aquarium who is a subscriber, said expressed his worry over the high cost of Pay-TV services, saying many of his folks welcomed the price reduction directive as the initial pricing had been too exorbitant for many Ghanaians.

Mr Kwesi Mensah, a pub owner, said “the monthly DSTV charges had steadily increased, but the service remained unreliable, with frequent signal interruptions, adding that at these rates, many of them were struggling to keep up.

Similarly, Mrs Akosua Ofori, a school teacher, shared her concern that the cost of DSTV was just too high.

“We pay so much for very little new content, mostly just football matches and it is becoming unaffordable for average families.”

Another subscriber, Mr Samuel Boateng, echoed the sentiment and indicated that the constant hikes in subscription fees without improvements in service or diversity of channels was unfair.

“We urge MultiChoice to reconsider their pricing to reflect the current economic realities,” they said.

Many other users confirmed to GNA that they preferred direct price reductions over temporary discounts, emphasising fairness given the appreciation of the cedi against the foreign currency.

The subscribers pleaded with MultiChoice Ghana to make their packages more affordable and improve service consistency, signalling a need for a balance between business sustainability and customer welfare.