DStv moves further to deepen bond with consumers

DStv, biggest pay-TV in Africa, which its English Premier League (EPL) broadcast is perhaps the highest watched content, is intensifying efforts to deepen its bond with its consumers. At the start of the league penultimate week, DStv brand owners thrilled hundreds of subscribers at the Havillah House of Events, Victoria Island, Lagos, to live screening of three EPL matches to usher in the new soccer season.

The experiential event is also a signal to advertisers, sponsors and many other subscribers that the season of the matches, which have large followership in Nigeria, has kicked off

“It is a league our subscribers love and have helped to grow over the years. We don’t only show it on the screen but organise some activations around the league,” Martin Mabutho, general manager, sales and marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria, told BusinessDay at the activation event.

Guests at the venue were made to experience live studio broadcast, as SuperSport temporarily relocated its HD studios to Victoria Island. SuperSport analysts/presenters, Charles Anazodo, Colin Udoh, and ex-international Victor Ikpeba, were joined by Champions League winning ex-coach of Chelsea Football Club, Roberto Di Matteo, on set. He was in the country courtesy of Guinness, which partnered MultiChoice Nigeria/SuperSport.

Football fans have described the month of August as a special season. All over the world, it is a time of the year when majority of the leading football leagues resume action after a three-month break.

As football lovers, who attended the live screening waited the new season to start with the first match of the day between Liverpool and Stoke City, the analysts helped put the new season in perspective regarding what to expect beginning from the 20 teams that make up the EPL. The EPL has been dubbed as the most exciting league in the world.

Mabutho thanked the guests at the centre, stating that viewers will enjoy top-flight matches from across 12 leagues including African leagues, more than 1,500 live matches in the new season.

Based on consumer insight, the brand is also planning an experiential activity for its subscribers. It is creating what it called ‘Seven wonders of the world,’ a new initiative where its consumers will watch live matches. “We will pick the top seven clashes both in Africa and Europe which we will give our subscribers the opportunity to watch. We want to make it more experiential for our subscribers. This is meeting the people who keep us in business and who watch the channels that bring the sponsorship and advertisers,” Mabutho said.

It is believed that the surprise value will assist to deepen DStv relationship with customers as it is coming from a proposition of not just satisfying the identified needs but going further to exceed expectations of consumers.