Multichoice: Rising online piracy a threat to creative industry

Multichoice Africa Director -Nothern Africa Region Glauco Ferreira at the official launch of its latest Customer Value Campaign aimed at driving awareness and engagement around the revamped GOtv Value bouquet at MultiChoice Offices. [David Gichuru,Standard]

Kenya's entertainment industry is facing a growing threat from the rapid rise of online piracy, which now surpasses traditional cable theft in scale and impact, putting thousands of jobs in the creative economy at risk.

Online piracy is now growing at a faster pace than traditional forms like illegal cable redistribution, according to MultiChoice Kenya Managing Director Nzola Miranda.

He emphasised the broader economic impact, including tax revenue loss and harm to the local film industry.

"Piracy doesn't just hurt broadcasters it cripples the livelihoods of actors, producers, and crews. Every time you watch pirated content, someone loses income. And the government misses out on crucial tax revenues," Miranda said during the launch of new campaign for GOtv in Nairobi on Thursday.

The campaign is aimed at reconnecting long-time subscribers and providing greater access to high-quality local content at more affordable prices.

It also serves as a strategic move to combat piracy by encouraging legitimate content consumption across the country.

"Today is an exciting day for us. This campaign is part of our hyper-local strategy to bring more Kenyan content to more Kenyans," said Miranda.

The campaign also includes a nationwide caravan to engage customers across all 47 counties. In addition, MultiChoice has lowered the price of its GOtv decoder, making it more accessible to new and returning customers.

Miranda noted that many long-term customers had disconnected due to economic hardships. The reduced price point is meant to ease their return to the platform and curb the increasing trend of pirated content consumption.

"We want to reconnect with customers who left us due to tough economic times. Saving even Sh100 can be significant for families.

"And by offering affordable access, we're reducing the incentive to turn to pirate sites, which are the biggest threat to our industry," the MD said.

He highlighted that what's different now is the blend of affordability, quality, and local focus.

"We understand the economy, because we live here. What we're offering is world-class, legitimate entertainment at a cost that respects Kenyans' spending power. That's what's new and impactful this time."

MultiChoice, which has operated in Kenya for 30 years, currently runs two 24-hour local content channels and has supported hundreds of local production houses. Major shows like Selina have employed over 180 people per production, showcasing the company's direct impact on Kenya's creative economy.