Icasa has decided to conduct an inquiry into the so-called “must-carry regulations”, which allow MultiChoice and other pay-television operators to carry the SABC public service channels at no cost.
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MultiChoice reported a strong set of full-year results on Tuesday, with good growth coming from its lower-tier pay-television bouquets, although its DStv Premium segment remains under pressure.
MultiChoice will report a full-year headline loss per share of as much as R3.90, from earnings of R4.10 a year ago, as the result of foreign exchange losses and a decision to give additional equity to black investors at no cost.
MultiChoice, which owns DStv and SuperSport, has filed papers in the high court in Pretoria against communications regulator Icasa over its inquiry into sports broadcasting rights.
Newzroom Afrika, the new 24-hour new channel licensed by MultiChoice that replaces the defunct, formerly Gupta-owned ANN7, will be launched on DStv on Thursday.
Despite some short-term potential headwinds, there may be a long-term investment case to be made for the pay-television operator. By Renier de Bruyn.
Ahead of its unbundling from parent Naspers and separate listing on the JSE, the bear case for MultiChoice is fairly well understood by the market. The reality, as always, is a lot more nuanced.
The pay-television broadcaster, which will list on the JSE later this month, has revealed all the price adjustments to its DStv bouquets, which will take effect on 1 April 2019.
MultiChoice won’t hike the price of DStv Premium in 2019, reflecting the pressure the pay-television broadcaster is under at the top end of the market.
MultiChoice will carry losses incurred by Showmax in the “medium term”, but the goal is eventually for the streaming television service to turn a profit once broadband infrastructure in South Africa and the rest of the continent has been built out further to support it.