Analysis | 29 September 2026
MultiChoice has begun testing a perk that gives some DStv Select customers seven days of the Sports package at no extra cost, starting on 29 September 2026. The company says the benefit will be extended to other DStv packages before the end of the year if the test goes well. DStv Select customers are getting a week’s worth of sports for free – Hypertext +2
MultiChoice CEO Willington Ngwepe said in a statement: “We told South Africans to expect more, and we meant it.” He added that the new packages were only the beginning. TechCentral
How the free Sports week works
To qualify, a Select customer must pay month to month, in full and on time. Qualifying customers automatically get seven days of DStv Sports at the start of their new subscription period, with no sign-up needed, and they return to their usual package when the week ends. Stuff South Africa notes that terms and conditions apply. DStv Select customers are getting a week’s worth of sports for free – Hypertext +2
What Select and Sports cost
The two packages are priced as follows: TechCentral
- Select: R339 a month on satellite, R299 on DStv Stream TechCentral
- Sports: R479 a month on satellite, R399 on DStv Stream TechCentral
That leaves a gap of R140 a month on satellite and R100 on Stream. TechCentral
DStv Sports has 17 channels and carries every Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Betway Premiership match, plus international cricket, UFC, WWE and local rugby. Select already includes 11 of those sports channels. Because Select already has full Betway Premiership coverage, the free week mainly opens up international football, cricket and combat sport. DStv free upgrades: seven days of Sports, starting with Select +2
What MultiChoice hasn’t said
The announcement does not say how many subscribers qualify, whether the free week repeats every billing cycle or happens only once, or how MultiChoice will decide the test has succeeded. Coverage so far focuses on South African customers, and it is not clear whether DStv subscribers in other African countries will get the same offer. TechCentral
Why DStv is doing this
TechCentral describes the move as clearly designed to encourage subscribers to upgrade, which would raise average revenue per user, a metric investors follow closely. The trial comes after the biggest DStv package update in 15 years, which launched on 17 September. MultiChoice is now owned by Canal+. DStv free upgrades: seven days of Sports, starting with Select +2
The wider context is a shrinking customer base. Reports on the latest annual results say MultiChoice ended the year with 14.4 million subscribers, down from 14.9 million. In Kenya, industry data show DStv and GOtv lost a combined 57,812 subscribers in the first quarter of 2026, and DStv has lost more than 80 percent of its active subscribers there since 2024. The Kenyan WallstreetTechnext
In our reading, a free week lets Select customers see what a higher package offers before they are asked to pay for it. MultiChoice has not said how it will measure whether that works.
What Select subscribers should do
You can check which package you are on through the myDStv app, DStv’s WhatsApp service or the DStv website, or by contacting customer care. Confirm that your account is paid in full and on time, and read the terms before relying on the offer. You do not need to cancel anything when the week ends, because the account returns to Select automatically. SuperSportHypertext
If you enjoy the extra channels, compare the extra R100 to R140 a month with how often you would actually watch them before you decide to upgrade.
Bottom line
For most Select customers the offer costs nothing and is a low-risk way to try the Sports package. Its real purpose is commercial, and it will succeed only if enough subscribers decide the higher price is worth paying.
Sources
Technext24: MultiChoice loses subscribers in Kenya
TechCentral: DStv tests free subscriber upgrades
Hypertext: DStv Select customers are getting a week’s worth of sports for free
Stuff South Africa: DStv Select customers get a free week’s access to DStv Sports
DStv: new packages, biggest update in 15 years
