DStv's new Ghana prices start 5 November. Here is what the minister's claims leave out

DStv subscribers in Ghana will move to four new packages on 5 November. At a joint press conference with the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations on Monday, MultiChoice Ghana Country CEO Alex Okyere announced Starter at GH¢50 a month (90 channels), Select at GH¢100 (123 channels), Sports at GH¢250 and Ultimate at GH¢570. They replace Padi, Access, Family, Compact, Compact Plus and Premium. "No, it's not a promo," Mr Okyere said.

The biggest change is for football fans. Mr Okyere said all of DStv's football, including the Premier League and the Champions League, will be on the GH¢250 Sports pack. He put today's price for the Champions League at GH¢563. That is a cut of about 56 per cent.

Communication Minister Sam George told the room the packages are "unique to Ghana." On the same day, DStv Kenya announced four packs with the same names, Starter, Select, Sports and Ultimate, also starting on 5 November. South Africa moved to a similar line-up on 17 September, and MultiChoice Nigeria is due to unveil its packages on 27 October. Broadcast Media Africa reports that Canal+, which took full control of MultiChoice in September 2025, is rolling out one simplified package structure across sub-Saharan Africa. The cedi prices are Ghana's own. In 2025, the ministry also described its first DStv deal as tailored exclusively for Ghanaian subscribers.

Mr George said football had fallen "from about 875 to 563, and now 250," which he called "more than a 60% reduction." QMS News found no record of a GH¢875 price. DStv Premium cost GH¢750 before April 2025, GH¢865 after a 15 per cent increase that month, and GH¢854 today, according to TechLabari, Citi Newsroom and MultiChoice's own figures at the briefing.

Mr George also said that critics of the previous deal had complained "the value did not result in cash," and that "this time that's been fixed." In August 2025 he called DStv's prices "plain stealing" and set a 7 August deadline for a 30 per cent cut. On that date the National Communications Authority issued a 30-day notice instead of a suspension. He later set 6 September and said MultiChoice's operations would be shut down if there was no resolution. No shutdown followed. On 5 September he said MultiChoice had "finally accepted that there will be a reduction". MultiChoice said the same evening that it had not agreed to a price reduction. The deal announced on 29 September moved every subscriber up one package at the same price, and the fact-checker Dubawa rated claims that prices would fall from 1 October as false. On 7 September 2026, Mr George described that deal as "a promise made, and a promise kept."

He said the new prices also prepare the ground for a crackdown on illegal "ghost boxes," which is waiting on an opinion from the Attorney-General. He first announced a task force on pirated decoders on 29 September 2025. The minister's June 2026 claim that MTN cut its fibre broadband price from GH¢987 to GH¢299 is confirmed by MTN. QMS News could not find a published report from the pricing committee set up in September 2025.