JOHANNESBURG – In a strategic move that blends heartfelt nostalgia with sharp business acumen, MultiChoice has announced a grand celebration for DStv’s 30th anniversary, headlined by a return of the beloved “Open Time” concept and a significant price reduction on its hardware. The initiative is being viewed as a powerful thank you to a loyal subscriber base and a bold statement of intent in the face of intensifying competition from global streaming giants.
From Friday, 7 November, to Sunday, 9 November 2025, every single active DStv satellite subscriber, regardless of their current package, will be granted a golden ticket: unfettered access to the entire Premium bouquet. This means that for one memorable weekend, a customer on the most accessible DStv EasyView package can experience the cinematic splendour of M-Net City (channel 105), the adrenaline rush of SuperSport Grandstand (channel 201), and the exclusive dramas on Showmax Originals, all without any additional cost.
The Return of “Open Time”: More Than Just Free TV
The “Open Time Weekend” is a deliberate and evocative throwback to the early days of M-Net, the precursor to the DStv empire. In the 1990s, “Open Time” was a monthly event where the channel, then a premium subscription service, would become free-to-air for a weekend, offering a tantalising glimpse of the premium content behind the paywall. It was a masterclass in marketing that built desire and drove subscriptions.
“By reviving ‘Open Time,’ we are not just giving away content; we are tapping into a shared memory for millions of South Africans,” said a MultiChoice spokesperson. “It’s a way to honour our journey together—from a single channel to a multi-channel powerhouse—while reminding everyone of the sheer scale and quality of entertainment that DStv offers in one consolidated platform.”
The campaign will be infused with this nostalgic spirit, featuring the return of familiar faces from the 1990s M-Net era, who will appear in special anniversary bumpers and programming, creating a powerful sense of continuity and heritage.
A Calculated Response in a Streaming World
The 30th anniversary arrives at a pivotal moment for MultiChoice. The company is navigating a rapidly shifting media landscape, contending with the deep-pocketed competition of Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. Industry analysts see these anniversary promotions as a multifaceted counter-offensive.
“This is a very clever play,” noted Thabo Mokoena, a media analyst at Avior Capital. “The Open Time weekend is a ‘try-before-you-buy’ on steroids, directly targeting the ‘value for money’ debate. Letting a Compact subscriber experience Premier League football in HD or the latest HBO series might be the nudge they need to upgrade. Simultaneously, the decoder price cut is an investment in their hardware ecosystem, making the full DStv experience more accessible and sticky.”
The announcement explicitly excludes streaming-only DStv subscribers, a clear indication that the campaign is designed to reward and reinforce the loyalty of its satellite customer base—the core of its business—while also showcasing the superior, immediate reliability of satellite delivery, especially for live sports.
For one weekend in November, the gates to DStv’s kingdom will swing open, offering a reminder of its past dominance and a compelling vision of its future, all while saying a simple but significant “thank you” to the audiences that have sustained it for three decades.
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