StarTimes- The new PayTv Launched in Kenya

Here comes competition for both Zuku and Dstv. The paytv space in Kenya has gotten a new entrance in the name of StarTimes. StarTimes Media announced the launch of its digital TV services in the country. It will offer over 60 digital quality entertainment channels to the Kenyan consumer. Kenya is the 10th country in Africa where StarTimes operates its services.

In 2010, the Communications Commission of Kenya adopted the DVB-T2 platform, replacing the DVB-T1 as the new digital TV broadcasting standard in the country.   To comply with this new broadcasting regulation, StarTimes has invested $75,000,000 to build a countrywide platform that is DVB-T2 compliant

Currently StarTimes carries over 120 channels worldwide, ranging from news & commerce, movies, sports, entertainment, documentaries, lifestyle, religion, kids channels, music and much more. Some of this content is excusive to StarTimes.

And StarTimes  has promised to offer over 300 jobs to qualified Kenyan’s countrywide by the end of this year. The employee size is expected to rise over 1000 within 3 years.

Product and Price

StarTimes is offering a package, where subscribers will only need to pay Ksh 3499 to get a DVB-T2 decoder plus one month’s viewing on the basic StarTimes bouquet, accessing over 40 channels.StarTimes will offer a one-year warranty and full term maintenance service for its products.

StarTimes will offer 7 bouquets (Basic, Basic Plus, Classic, Classic Plus, Unique, Unique Plus, India) to meet the needs of varied subscribers ranging from the low to the high-end consumer. Monthly subscriptions will range from Ksh 499 to ksh.2499.

Mr. Leo Lee, the CEO at StarTimes Media Kenya stated that the new service will be available in  Mombasa and Kisumu in early July. StarTimes intends to expand its network and services to 11 cities by the end of this year, with the aim of covering the whole of Kenya within 3years.