A smartphone user looking at the StarTimes ON app.

By Martin Siele (@S_iele)

StarTimes has announced significant price reductions targeting subscribers acquiring its decoders and satellite kits for the first time.

The pay TV firm's terrestrial Digital Box will now be retailing at Ksh999, down from Ksh1,499 representing a 33% price drop. A full satellite kit- which includes a dish, decoder, 10 metre cable and accessories- will cost Ksh2,699 down from Ksh2,999 representing a 10% price drop.

The new prices took effect on February 15, with StarTimes decoders and satellite kits available from retailers and authorized distributors across the country.

Notably, StarTimes will be offering one month free access to the top bouquet for the new terrestrial and satellite subscribers to complement the price reduction. New subscribers will get to enjoy over 100 channels offering sports, documentaries, news, telenovelas, music and entertainment among other shows.

StarTimes Regional Marketing Director Aldrine Nsubuga noted that the company was not only focused on making the cost of initial device acquisition affordable, but also ensuring customers have access to premium content.

A family watching TV in Kenya

“We are impressed by the headway we have made so far in making it possible for Kenyans to access digital television be they in urban or rural areas.

"The move to extend a price reduction for our set top boxes is therefore continuity in this effort as we seek to make it more affordable to not only acquire but also access our premium television content,” he noted.

The decoder has numerous helpful features including multilingual support with options for English, Kiswahili, French and Portugese as well as parental control.

While its channels offer a wide range of shows across various genres, StarTimes' impressive slate of sports offerings has been attracting new customers.

The firm recently acquired exclusive broadcast rights for the Betking FKF Premier League, the country's top-flight football league. The move was a pointer to the firm's ambition to be the preferred pay TV destination for viewers in Kenya and the continent at large.

StarTimes also has rights to the Europa League, La Liga, FA Cup and Bundesliga.

Nsubuga asserted that the firm was committed to ensuring customers enjoyed world-class content at affordable rates.

“We continue to also establish ways to grow our subscriber value through giving subscribers a taste of our premium programing, which explains the one month offer where new subscribers will enjoy access to over 100 local and international channels at no extra cost upon acquiring either the terrestrial decoder or the satellite full kit,” he noted.