he Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has introduced a new way of measuring television subscriptions, moving from cumulative sign-ups to “active subscriptions” — accounts that have generated revenue within the past 90 days.
This change has dramatically redrawn the size of the industry, exposing a far smaller market than previously reported.
According to the CA’s latest sector statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024/25, active broadcasting subscriptions stood at just 1.48 million by June 2025. This represents a sharp 76.9 per cent decline compared with the same period last year.
Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), led by GOtv and StarTimes, counted 806,850 active accounts, reflecting an 82 per cent year-on-year drop. Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite services — where DStv, Azam, StarTimes, and Zuku compete — had 602,706 active subscribers, a 67.3 per cent fall. Even MultiChoice, long the dominant player in sports broadcasting, saw over a million customers wiped off its books.
Only cable television showed a sign of resilience. Zuku, the main operator in this segment, managed 66,865 subscribers, a 12.2 per cent increase compared with last year, helped by bundling internet with pay-TV services.
Industry experts say the decline is less about households abandoning pay-TV overnight and more about the regulator’s decision to strip away dormant decoders and promotional giveaways that previously inflated subscriber counts. The new measurement now reflects only paying customers, exposing what many insiders had quietly admitted: Kenya’s pay-TV market is far smaller and more fragile than headline numbers had suggested.
The contraction of traditional broadcasting comes at a time when over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as Netflix, Showmax, and YouTube are expanding rapidly in Kenya. The surge is being driven by cheaper smartphones, falling data costs, and wider 4G and 5G coverage.
By June 2025, more than 73 million devices were connected to mobile networks in the country, with smartphones dominating. For many young and urban Kenyans, television is no longer a box in the living room but an app on their phones.
The shake-up is forcing major players to rethink their strategies. MultiChoice continues to invest heavily in live sports content to keep its customer base engaged. StarTimes is holding on to both terrestrial and satellite platforms despite steep declines. Zuku, meanwhile, is shifting focus to position itself less as a broadcaster and more as a full-service connectivity provider by combining internet and television packages.
Global streaming platforms, riding on partnerships with telecoms and affordable data bundles, are steadily eroding the traditional pay-TV base.
Analysts believe Kenya’s pay-TV industry is at a critical turning point. Legacy operators may need to embrace hybrid offerings that integrate internet streaming or risk losing ground entirely to digital platforms.
“Kenya’s pay-TV business, once a growth driver for regional broadcasters, is now facing a defining moment. How the big players adapt to new consumer preferences will determine the future of the entertainment landscape for the next decade,” an industry observer noted.
