Everything you need to know about cable TV subscription prices

Cable television, also known as Cable TV, is a means of bringing television programs to people to watch without them needing the use of a regular television antenna, and most times subscription is needed.

Cable TV works by the reception of radiofrequency (RF) signals, which are sent to the television through a coaxial cable, or in recent cases, optical fiber cables that transmit light pulses. This is very different from the regular broadcast TV, which we popularly call terrestrial TV.

In terrestrial television, the TV signals are sent by radio waves over the air, and a television antenna – which is usually attached to it – receives it. Also, it is unlike satellite TV where the transmission of the signal is through a communication satellite, which is in orbit, and received by a satellite positioned commonly on the house roof or somewhere signals can be well received.

In contrast to free terrestrial TV, cable TV has to be paid for in order for you to subscribe to it. Tons of TV channels airing a lot of programs, shows and movies are available to watch on Cable TV. Normally, some of these stations are just regular TV stations, while some others are cable channels. These are channels set up for the cables companies themselves.

Also Read: Netflix and EbonyLife TV bringing Lola Shoneyin and Wole Soyinka’s classics to TV screens

Cable TVs in Nigeria

The days are long past and gone when Nigerians could watch only the local TV stations within their states or geographical area. Times when your hope of seeing your most favourite television shows, whether local or international, was totally hinged on them being aired by the local channels. This was because these local stations were the only ways you could see them. Well, information and communication technology is owed the ease of this limitation with the advent of cable TV. With cable TV, access to channels and shows – local, national, and international have been opened up. Hanging antennas on the roof of buildings and even trees are no longer needed. The need to even hang any sort of equipment somewhere is completely eliminated with some cable TVs today and the technology they use means that they still strong signals and grant access to local and international TV stations with so much clarity.

In modern-day, Cable TV provides the best source of fun, information, and entertainment all at the same time. Aside from access to shows and news on national stations that local antennas may not be able to access, with Cable TV you can be connected and updated with information, news and entertainment from all over the world with just a single button press on your remote control.

Cable TV has become a common sight in nearly every home in the country today. The evolution has been massive. In the beginning, the market for Cable TVs was only accessible and affordable by mainly the rich and high-class in Nigerian society. Even amongst these, a few encountered a degree of difficulty or complications in the subscription for channels. The question of how one could keep in touch with the happenings, changes, and progression of the world without being able to subscribe for channels due to these limitations bordered on cost, availability, and affordability.

Welcome to the good life! These concerns and problems that had previously plagued the desire for Cable TVs are solved in the provision of cheaper decoders, simpler installation processes, and affordable subscriptions. These modern Cable TVs are packaged at varying grades, which grant access to a different number of channels. In the same vein, their subscription cost and methods differ. The parallel line on which all these Cable TVs meet, however, is that they provide you with all the necessary information and entertainment that you need to stay updated with global happenings. Generally, cable TVs in today’s world is more than a mere want neither can it be categorized nor described anymore as a luxury. Cable TV is a necessity all around the world and in Nigeria, specifically.

See Also: 99 websites to download movies, tv-series for free (Hollywood, Nollywood, Asian)

Cable TVs in Nigeria: Subscription 

Obviously, Cable TVs have come to stay in the Nigerian market space. The flexibility of this industry has brought in various Cable TV brands that we see and know today.

The demand for these varying brands usher in an appearance of different types and even sound quality levels of Cable TV. These companies supply unique channels and very affordable Cable TV subscription and payment systems. Let us look through the most popular ones.

1. DStv

In the Nigerian Cable TV market, DStv can be said to be the most popular and arguably the most demanded amongst Cable TVs. Digital Satellite Television (DStv), the Sub-Saharan African Cable TV, is a direct broadcast satellite service owned by MultiChoice, a South African company. Being Nigeria’s first pay-TV service provider, MultiChoice launched the first digital satellite broadcasting service in 1993 and began operations in April 1994.

Needless to say, several Cable TV companies which entered into the market after them are no longer existent anymore, but, DStv came, stayed, and are still here, reigning in the market. DStv is one of the Cable TVs that have a high number of TV channels. It features some of the most viewed channels such as the very popular SuperSport, which shows international and club level football amongst several other global channels. DSTV decoders are offered as ‘HD’ and ‘Explora.’ The varying prices of their decoders are

Decoder Prices:

DSTV HD Decoder
N9,000 – N12,000 (without installation);
N12,000 – N16,000 (with installation)

DSTV Explora
N55,000 – N60,000 (without installation);
N63,000 – N65, 000 (with installation)

DStv Cable Tv subscription payment plan & packages prices

1. Premium – It has 175+ channels and costs N18,400 monthly.
2. Compact Plus – It is N10,925 monthly and gives access to 155+ channels including 47 audio.
3. Compact – It costs N7,900 monthly and gives you access to 135+ channels inside of which contain 47 audio.
4. Confam – It has 120+ channels and costs N4615 Naira per month.
5. Yanga – It has 95+ channels and costs N2565 monthly.
6. Padi – It costs N1850 Naira per month and gives access to 80 channels and 11 that are audio.

Add-on packages include:

French Plus – It has 15+ channels and costs N8,100

French Touch – It has 10 channels and costs N2,300

Indian – It has 15+ channels and costs N6,200

Channel List 

DSTV has various channels for different types of viewers ranging from children to entertainment lovers,  sports lover, name it! There are variety of channels on their channel list.

Below are some of the list of channels in different categories

Kids

• Boomerang
• Cartoon Network
• Cbeebies
• Disney Channel
• Disney Junior
• Disney XD
• JimJam

Music

• AFRO Music English
• Hip TV
• MTV Base
• Planet Radio TV
• Sound City

News

• Al Jazeera
• Arise News
• BBC World News
• Bloomberg Television
• CNBC Africa
• CNC World
• CNN International

Science 

• Crime & Investigation
• Discovery Channel (SD/HD)
• Nat Geo Wild

Entertainment

• E! Entertainment
• Ebony Life TV
• Eva
• Eva +
• FOX Life
• FOX (SD/HD)

Sports

2. GOtv

Also owned by MultiChoice, this is another Cable TV box that can suit the average Nigerian. It is second to only DStv in the country today and is known for providing great channels that give information and entertainment alike. Just like DStv, it also has SuperSport TV, which is one of the most coveted and viewed stations on Cable. It is much cheaper to purchase a GOtv decoder than DSTV but it may not have as many channels as its counterpart. However, it is still up there with the best Cable TV companies in Nigeria.

Decoder price

N6,500 – N9,700

GOtv cable TV subscription payment plan & package prices

1. GOtv Max – it has 50+ world-class channels for all. It costs N3600 monthly
2. GOtv Jolli – It has 69+ channels and costs N2460 per month.
3. GOtv Jinja – It has a total of 57 channels. The monthly subscription cost is N1640.
4. GOtv Smallie (Monthly) – It has 36 channels and comes at a cost of just N800 monthly.
5. GOtv Smallie (Annual) – It is the same 36 channels but at a lower cost per year. It is subscribed as N6,200 annually.

Difference between GOtv cable TV and DStv cable TV

Unlike DSTV, GOTV Cable Tv subscription is at a reasonable price for exclusive content

DSTV cable TV subscription, you could get over 135 channels , depending on the package you are subscribed to while on GOTV, you are offered over 50 channels on the standard package.

Channel List 

Below are some of the list of channels in different categories

Science 

• Discovery Family
• Nat Geo Wild

Sports

• SuperSport Blitz (SS Blitz)
• SuperSport Football (SS Football)
• SuperSport Variety 3 (SS Variety 3)
• SupersSport Variety 4 (SS Variety 4)
• ESPN

Kids

• Nickelodeon
• Disney Junior
• JimJam
• Da Vinci Kids
• PBS Kids
• Cartoon Network

Music

• MTV Base
• Hip TV
• AFRO Music English
• Sound City
• Urban TV
• Planet Radio TV
• Naija FM
• Wazobia FM

Religious

• Faith Broadcast Network
• Islam Channel
• Emmanuel TV
• Dove TV

Entertainment

• Telemundo
• E! Entertainment Television
• FOX
• FOX Life
• Sony Max
• BET International
• CBS Reality
• M-Net Movies Zone
• Eva +
• AfricaMagic Epic Movies

Local

• TVC Entertainment
• WAP TV
• Galaxy TV
• NTA 2
• NTA 1
• Silverbird
• AIT
• Channels
• MiTV
• Lagos TV
• Wazobia Max
• Arewa 24
• WAP
• OGtv
• TCV International

News

• BBC World News
• CNN International
• Al Jazeera
• Arise News

 How do I subscribe to my DStv and GOtv?

There are various methods of subscribing to DStv and GOtv and they are:

1. Using online payment services

The following providers support cable and digital TV payments.

Some top payment providers that support payment and renewal of DStv and GOtv payments include Paga, Quickteller, JumiaPay, KongaPay, eTranzact, PayU, etc.

To subscribe, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Visit any payment service provider of choice.

Step 2: Create an account if you don’t have one already, then navigate to the “Pay Bills” section

Step 3: Select your cable TV (DStv or GOtv) as appropriate. Proceed to enter your details and decoder details (Smart card number for DStv; IUC number for GOtv), select what bouquet/package you’d love to subscribe to, and then proceed to pay.

2. Using banking apps

You can also pay for DStv and GOtv subscription directly from your bank app.

Almost every standard bank in Nigeria has a functional (web and mobile) app through which customers can directly send and receive funds, purchase airtime, and pay bills.

To subscribe, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Navigate to the “Bills” or “Pay Bills” section of your bank app and you should see a provision for cable TV payment.

Step 2: Select the TV service you want to pay for.

Step 3: enter your digital TV details, select the bouquet/plan you want to purchase, and pay.

3. Self-service

Multichoice runs an “Eazy Self-Service” platform for both the DStv and GOtv.

The Eazy Self-Service platform allows you to manage your DStv/GOtv accounts online, clear error codes, pay for packages and upgrade your subscription.

The Eazy Self-Service platform even allows you to pay for someone else.

To subscribe, follow the steps below:

GOtv: visit the payment portal on the GOtv Eazy Self-Service platform, enter your GOtv account details (IUC number) and proceed to pay

DStv: visit the payment portal on the DStv Eazy Self Service platform, enter your Smart card number, and proceed to pay.

4. Offline Multichoice Branches/Offices

If you really aren’t a fan of paying for services on the internet, you can also pay for DStv or GOtv packages and renew your subscription at any local/offline Multichoice branches close to your locale.

You may also like: Multichoice increases subscription rates, Twitter reacts

3. TStv

Telecom Satellite Television (TStv) is one of the most recent introductions into the Nigerian cable TV market. Their unique style, very easy and affordable subscription rate stands out. For instance, with as low as two hundred naira, you can make your subscriptions on TStv. One of their main attractions is that live football matches covering clubs and countries can be viewed on the cable network. Having a superb picture display, their decoders are quite affordable.

Decoder Price

Set-Top Box (STB), their TV service decoder costs between N5,000 – N6,000 (without installation charges) and between N7,000 – N9000 (with installation charges).

TStv cable TV subscription payment plan & package prices

1. Daily subscription package: N200
2. Three-day subscription package: N500
3. Seven-day subscription package: N750
4. 14-day subscription package: N1500
5. Monthly subscription package: N3,000

The full monthly subscription plan is set at N3,000. This comes with extras such as 10GB data to browse on any device on the brand’s 4.5G network. First-timers get 20GB data on the first full subscription.

You have access to all channels irrespective of the plan you’re subscribed to.

Channel List 

Below are some of the list of channels in different categories

Sports

• Star Sports
• Fox Sports
• Euro Sports News
• Euro Sports 2
• Kwese Sports 1
• TS Sports 2
• Yolo Sports HD

Music

• Trace Urban/Africa
• HITS TV
• MTV Base
• TLC (HD)

News

• BBC America
• CNBC
• Aljazeera
• TVC News
• Sky News
• Arewa24
• AIT
• CCTV News
• Channels TV
• Press TV
• NTA
• Arise News

Kids

• Nickelodeon
• CN Cartoon Network
• Disney Channel
• Boing
• JimJam
• Baby TV
• TS Junior Kids HD
• Fix Fox
• Panda Biggs

Entertainment

• Star Movies
• MBC Action
• MBC 2
• Star Movies
• African Movie Channel Series (African Magic)
• FOX
• FOX Life
• Nollywood TV
• Z Cinema
• E Entertainment

Science

• Discovery Channel
• Nat Geo Gold
• National Geographic
• Discovery Health TV

Religious

• Dove Television
• Emmanuel TV
• Sunna TV
• Mountain Of Fire And Miracles Ministries
• EWTN – Global Catholic Network
• TBN Network

How to subscribe to TStv

QuickTeller has made it easy to subscribe to your TStv using your mobile phone in the comfort of your home.

To subscribe, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Download the QuickTeller App on your Android, Windows or IOS phone.

Step 2: Lunch the QuickTeller App

Step 3: Select Categories from the top menu

Step 4: Click on Pay Bills

Step 5: Select Cable TV Bills

Step 6: Select TSTV from the

Step 7: Select the package you want to subscribe

Step 8: Enter your Customer ID, phone number, and email address

Step 9: Enter your payment detail and make the payment

Note:  you will be charged a convenience fee of N100

4. Startimes

This is another one of the well-known cable TVs in the country. It has a large customer base, and this is a testimony of their professionalism and quality of service. They are reliable. Their signals are steady and strong. Sports, entertainment and information are provided with Startimes. Their decoders are very affordable while their subscription plans and packages are so flexible and some of the cheapest.

Just like several other well-known cable TVs, the Startimes decoder comes in different ranges: the SD decoder, HD decoder, and combo decoder.

Decoder price

SD Decoder: N8,000 – N10,000

HD Decoder: N8,900 – N11,500

Combo Decoder: N9,900 – N13,000

Startimes cable TV subscription payment plan & package prices

There are four bouquets available for running on the Startimes decoder. These packages have different numbers of channels, prices, and features. All bouquets, however, are available in all types of decoders.

1. Nova Bouquet: It costs N900 to gain access to 26+ local and international channels monthly.

2. Basic Bouquet: With 40+ channels, this is the second cheapest subscription package on the platform. It costs N1,300 per month.

3. Classic Bouquet: This package is set up with the family in mind. It includes 60+ channels. It costs N2400 per month.

4. Unique Bouquet: This is the premium and most expensive Startimes package. With 80+ channels available here, it costs N4,800 per month.

How to subscribe to Startimes Cable TV

Using USSD code: To use USSD code to recharge Startimes, you need to make use of the number used in registering Startimes.

To subscribe, dial the short code *322*1*subscription code*amount# on your mobile phone. E.g *322*1*240617942*3800#

NOTE: You could also recharge using mobile banking.

Channel List 

Below are some of the list of channels in different categories

Local

• AIT
• CCTV News
• Channels TV
• Silverbird TV
• TVC
• TVC News
• Wazobia TV

Religious

• DOVE TV

News

• ALJAZEERA
• BBC World News
• CORE TV NEWS

Kids

• Nickelodeon
• Bloomberg Television
• Child Smile
• Baby TV

Science

• Nat Geo Gold
• Crime Explorer
• CCTV 9 Documentary
• Discovery Science

Entertainment

• E! Entertainment
• Iroko play
• AMC MOVIE
• BET

Sports

• Fox Sports 2
• Trace Sport Stars
• Star Sport 2
• Nta Sports 24
• Fox Sports

Difference between Startimes cable TV and DStv Cable TV

At the moment,  StarTimes is one of the cheapest digital terrestrial TV services we have in Nigeria and it is gaining popularity grounds by the day, simply because the much-preferred DStv is somewhat expensive for an average Nigeria – and this price continues to increase.

I mean, did you know that Startimes offers 30 channels for just #900?

Awesome right?

Also, with DSTV cable TV subscription, you could get over 135 channels, depending on the package you are subscribed to while on Startimes cable TV subscription, you are offered 80 channels in the standard package.

MyTV

Another cable TV that is full of entertainment, information, news, and fun is MyTV. It has very many viewer-friendly channels, which it brings to your doorstep. It is not one with many channels as DStv or GOtv has, but, it is top-rated in the Cable TV market in Nigeria.

Decoder Price

N7,000 – N9,500

MYtv cable TV subscription payment plan & package prices

1. NGN 500 for 1 month
2. NGN 1,450 for 3 months
3. NGN 2,800 for 6 months
4. NGN 5,400 for 12 months
5. NGN 3,250 for a Smart Card

Channel List 

Below are some of the list of channels in different categories

Local

• AIT
• Channels TV
• TVC Entertainment
• TVC New Nigeria
• Galaxy TV
• Silverbird TV

Science

• Love Nature
• RT Documentary

Entertainment

• Boom TV
• Canal 2 English
• Canal 2 International
• Canal 2 Movies
• DBS TV
• Impact TV

Religious

• Loveworld
• TFM Religions
• KBS World
• Rave TV

Sport

• New World Sport

News

• Al Jazeera News

How to subscribe to MYTV

Subscribing MYTV is as simple as A, B, C. To subscribe, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Contact your local authorised My TV dealer.

Step 2: Once your system has been installed, with the dish pointed at BelIntersat 1 (51.5° East), turn on the receiver, make sure it is tuned to a My TV channel, and within minutes a picture will appear.

Step 3: Register your equipment online at MYTV portal

The best Cable TV Package

The different Cable TVs have various subscription packages and they all you unique in their own way.

As for the best, I think comparing your budget will help get you the package that suits perfectly for you.

Conclusion

From the range of Cable TVs provided and all around the market in Nigeria, it is easy to say that there is a variety to pick from, which will suit not only any lifestyle but also any income level. With any of these cable TVs, keeping up to date, following trending and current news is now at your fingertips. It is all up to you to choose your choice.

The world is what is now termed as a global village. We all know what is happening everywhere within and around us. Just like the internet, so also is cable TV. The advantage of cable TV is numerous and this can not leave anyone still guessing. If you want to sport or news, movies or soaps, series or fun, and games, you have it all right in your home.

What’s better with Cable TV is that you even have the option of blocking, restricting, or deleting a channel you may find offensive to yourself or family. This could not be done with terrestrial TV. Children and youths alike have been awakened with the reality of what their counterparts are up to all around. And with the competition in the market that has forced prices down, there can be no excuse for anyone to be left behind in this information age.

This article has everything you need to know about cable Tvs, its subscription packages, and many more.

In case you know about some other cable TVs and their subscription packages that haven’t been listed above. Feel free to post them in the comment section.

Finally, the post is for information purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation. Use your discretion at all times.