DStv’s new R399 Sports package gives South African football and cricket fans a cheaper way into live sport. But there is a catch.
Springbok rugby, international rugby and Formula 1 remain locked into the R799 Premium package.
The changes, which take effect on September 17, follow a major shake-up in DStv’s channel line-up and come months after DStv confirmed the end of its key distribution deal with Warner Bros Discovery, the home of TNT Africa.
DStv package prices: what you get for your money
| DStv package | Monthly price | Main offering |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | R99 | Local entertainment and selected football |
| Select | R299 | Entertainment, reality and PSL |
| Sports | R399 | Football, cricket and selected rugby |
| Movies & Series | R500 | Movies, series and entertainment |
| Premium | R799 | Full DStv offering and major international sport |
The DStv Sports package includes more than 115 channels and 17 dedicated sports channels.
Crucially for football supporters, it carries every Premier League, Champions League and PSL match. It also includes full cricket coverage.
There is some rugby, too.
Sports subscribers get domestic rugby and selected club rugby, including one URC match a week. But Springbok Tests, international rugby and the full SuperSport rugby offering remain on Premium.
That creates a very clear dividing line.
DStv Premium still has the sports that matter most
At R799 a month, Premium costs R400 more than Sports. Over a year, that is R4,800 extra.
For a household that mainly watches Premier League football or cricket, the R399 option could therefore look like the sweet spot.
For a Springbok supporter who also follows Formula 1, international rugby, golf or tennis, the calculation changes quickly.
F1 remains Premium. So do the major tennis and golf events and the wider SuperSport rugby offering.
Technology analyst Arthur Goldstuck sees that split as more than a coincidence.
Speaking to Jeremy Maggs on the Moneyweb Midday podcast, Goldstuck called the R399 Sports package “definitely a big improvement” for sports viewers, but also described it as a “very calculated piece of packaging”.
His view is that DStv has put enough football and cricket into the cheaper tier to make Sports attractive, while holding back the sports that can keep Premium subscribers paying.
Rugby, particularly international rugby, and Formula 1 are central to that strategy, according to Goldstuck.
That makes rugby fans an important test of DStv’s new pricing structure. A supporter who wants domestic rugby can pay R399. Someone who wants the Springboks, international rugby and F1 must still stretch to R799.
Is DStv Sports really cheaper?
There is no doubt that R399 is a significant drop from Premium. It could also help DStv win back football and cricket fans who previously walked away from expensive pay-TV packages.
But Goldstuck points out that R399 still works out to almost R5,000 a year, before adding broadband and other streaming subscriptions.
That broader cost matters, especially after the Showmax shutdown, which changed the streaming and sports landscape for South African viewers.
For football and cricket fans, DStv Sports at R399 is arguably the most interesting new package.
For rugby and F1 fans, however, DStv’s message is harder to miss: if those are the sports you cannot live without, Premium remains the price of entry.
