DStv Compact users get full Premier League

DStv Compact subscribers will get access to every Premier League and UEFA Champions League match from 17 September, as MultiChoice replaces Compact with its new Sports package.

Existing Compact customers will move automatically to Sports during September and will not need to change their subscriptions.

Sports will include 17 sports channels covering every PSL, Premier League and Champions League match, along with cricket previously available only on Premium, local rugby and action sport.

It will also include the entertainment channels carried in DStv Select, including Mzansi Magic.

The change is part of DStv’s biggest restructuring of its packages in 15 years, but the impact differs substantially depending on which package a subscriber currently uses.

Access customers will move to Starter, Family customers will move to Select and Compact customers will move to Sports.

EasyView, Compact Plus and Premium customers will remain on their current packages, although they can switch to one of the new options.

MultiChoice says the changes will come with no price increase at launch.

“Our focus is on giving subscribers better value and access to the entertainment and sport they love,” said MultiChoice CEO Willington Ngwepe.

“For the first time in 15 years, we’ve taken a fresh look at how our packages work. We have reimagined our packages to better reflect how customers watch today, with tailored options specifically for entertainment and sports fans.”

Family subscribers also gain substantially from the changes.

Their replacement package, Select, will include Mzansi Magic, every PSL match and all DStv kids’ channels.

Starter, which replaces Access, gains 10 channels, including Wethu+, SuperSport KICKOFF and kykNET & Kie.

SuperSport KICKOFF will carry selected PSL and Premier League matches as well as full La Liga coverage.

DStv is also introducing Movies & Series as an alternative for viewers more interested in entertainment than sport.

It will include M-Net, kykNET, premium movie channels, Discovery Channel and BBC Earth, along with 10 sports channels and full PSL coverage.

Premium remains DStv’s complete package, with Springbok and international rugby, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis and golf majors added to the sport available lower down the range.

DStv will also introduce two new channels on 17 September: international news channel France 24 and faith-based Church TV.

Its movie channels are being reorganised into M-Net Movies+, M-Net Stars and M-Net Legends.

Premium will also be available on a new 24-month contract for R799 a month, including the Access Fee.

The new packages will be available on both satellite and DStv Stream from 17 September.

*Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and deputy editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky at @jas2bann.