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My days of watching DStv ended when I downloaded the Netflix app, but I still have a glance every now and then when I visit my folks.

The only time I really regret not having it around is when shows like The Bachelorette SA are on, and I don’t get to cringe-watch with everyone else.

I have, however, managed to take in a supercut of those beyond awkward red carpet introductions.

Good times.

While I’m lamenting the lack of cringe in my life, MultiChoice is lamenting its rapid loss of DStv Premium subscribers.

This, they say, is because of fast and affordable access to broadband, which is steering people in the direction of streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+.

According to MyBroadband, this didn’t stop them from hiking their prices this year, including for DStv Premium, which seems like a bit of an odd strategy.

Or, lack thereof. They might want to look into that.

At the same time, several Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have announced price cuts on fibre and copper networks. Openserve recently announced it will upgrade speeds and cut prices on its fibre and copper network at the start of April.

If you’re keen to get in on that action but have no idea what the difference is between an ISP and a Fibre provider, this might help.

MyBroadband decided to do a few calculations to see how much it would cost you to subscribe to two primary streaming services (Netflix and Amazon Prime Video), with a broadband connection, versus a DStv Premium subscription.

The calculations looked at the fees effective from April that you would pay every month.

25Mbps uncapped fibre will cost on average R597, a Netflix subscription is currently at R139, and an Amazon Prime Video subscription will set you back just R91.

That’s an internet connection that you can and will use for a host of other things, plus two streaming channels for roughly R827 a month.

DStv Premium costs R829 a month.

The one thing that DStv has in its corner, that you won’t get from these streaming services, is some local content like The Bachelorette SA and sport.

DStv Premium subscribers also get Showmax, which is cool, but for many, sport remains the the big one.

MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela is confident that this will keep things rolling.

“Each year we spend over R2 billion investing in local content productions across Africa and our plan is to increase our local content composition from 38% to 45% in the next two years,” Mawela said.

There is a way to mitigate that DStv cost, though.

Two people can watch DStv Premium through apps at the same time as you’re enjoying the game on your TV, so you could essentially share the cost of the service three ways.

One person gets that satellite dish and a remote, and the other two can watch online.

You do you.

[source:mybroadband]