Nigerian Broadcasting Commission Set To Carry Out Review Of Prices, Monopolies Of Pay-TV Companies
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has since challenged the pricing strategy, and the NBC has declared full support for the FCCPC’s intervention.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) may carry out a major regulatory shake-up to address concerns over the pricing strategies, access and monopolies of Nigeria’s dominant pay-TV operators.
Though the commission has not issued a formal directive, remarks by the NBC Director-General Charles Ebuebu during a meeting with journalists in Lagos has confirmed that the NBC would move to curtail the exploitative market practices.
The situation was further underscored by a petition from DAAR Communications, owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT), which accused major pay-TV platforms of stifling competition and using their market power to restrict access to free-to-air (FTA) content.
Added to this is the sudden subscription price hike by one of the country’s biggest pay-TV operators, which has sparked outrage.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has since challenged the pricing strategy, and the NBC has declared full support for the FCCPC’s intervention.
One of the most contentious issues under review is how pay-TV companies have turned free-to-air (FTA) channels into part of their paid subscription models.
While these channels are meant to be freely accessible to all Nigerians, pay-TV operators have long bundled them into premium packages, ensuring that subscribers must pay to access content that is supposed to be free.
The deliberate restriction of FTA access has allowed pay-TV operators to meet their regulatory obligations while suppressing independent broadcasters, effectively cornering the market and forcing consumers into unnecessary payments.
Industry sources suggest that NBC’s review could lead to an enforceable policy ensuring that FTA channels remain truly free, whether a viewer is subscribed to a pay-TV package or not.
Such a measure would restore fair competition, allowing independent broadcasters to reach their full audience without interference from dominant platforms seeking to control distribution.
Beyond price hikes and content access, another key issue under scrutiny is the monopolisation of advertising revenue in the pay-TV sector.
Industry analysts have long pointed out that a few dominant platforms control a disproportionate share of the advertising market, leaving independent broadcasters struggling to secure funding.
NBC’s review is expected to consider measures to cap the percentage of advertising revenue that pay-TV operators can command.
With high-level regulatory reviews underway, public backlash against rising subscription prices, and growing government interest in breaking monopolistic control, Nigeria’s pay-TV industry is at a crossroads.
If the NBC follows through on its review, Nigerians could soon see FTA channels that are truly free, advertising revenue that is more evenly distributed, and streaming platforms that reinvest in local content rather than extracting profits without giving back.
But if the dominant pay-TV operators successfully lobby their way out of meaningful reforms, business will continue as usual—with Nigerians paying higher subscription costs for channels that should be free, independent broadcasters struggling for survival, and corporate giants dictating the rules of the game.
