With the recent government directive that all analogue TV frequencies in Nairobi be swithed off, Digital Pay Television company StarTimes has announced a drop in the cost of acquiring its approved DVB T2 decoders in a move aimed at further growing the company’s market share. The StarTimes Pay Television Digital Box will now be retailing at just Ksh 2,999 up from Ksh 3,499 (a 14% drop) where the same will be enabled with one month free viewing of the Unique bouquet that costs Ksh 1,999 per month. The digital boxes will have 1 year warranty with the offer applicable at all StarTimes outlets across Kenya.
Acknowledging this latest development by the company, StarTimes Media CEO Mr. Leo Lee observed that the key differentiator for StarTimes in the market is its flexibility to suit consumer needs as the company makes headway to achieve its goal of ensuring the majority of Kenyan households have access to digital television.
“In the coming days, many Kenyans especially in Nairobi will be required to acquire type approved digital boxes, most of those who will be affected are first time buyers, we have therefore thought of making it easier for Kenyans to access our premium digital television service by lowering the cost of the digital box while giving them a taste of our best programing on Unique bouquet,” noted Mr. Leo. The StarTimes Dual Feature Free To Air Digital Box will be retailing at Ksh 4,999 and will equally be enabled with one month free viewing of the Unique bouquet giving customers access to over 72 local and international channels. The Free to Air decoder will be upgradable to the company’s pay television platform at the customers will, while giving free access to local channels if one does not pay subscription fees.
The company has also announced a 43% subsidy for the external antenna and cabling which is aimed at ensuring customers get the best digital television reception. The outdoor antenna and a ten meter cable will now retail at Ksh 800 down from Ksh 1,400 while the same with a 15 meter cable will retail at Ksh 900 down from Ksh 1,600.
The move comes as the company introduced a bonus program for its subscribers where a top up of Ksh 1,500 will see subscribers enjoy a Ksh 500 bonus airtime giving them an option to access either 4 months basic bouquet, 2 months Classic bouquet or 1 month Unique bouquet.
“Access to digital television is no longer a luxury, as more and more Kenyans embrace the technology, we are positioning our brand as not only the most affordable but also one with an enviable range of channels at a very competitive cost.” said Mr. Lee.
The company has set a target of covering up to 90% of the Kenyan population by the end of the year thus giving more Kenyans access to the affordable digital television service while ensuring subscribers get value for their money. StarTimes Media has a global subscription base of over 7 million, 1.5 million of whom are in the 10 African countries it currently operates in.
