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DStv vs GOtv vs StarTimes: which TV package is best in Kenya (2026)

Packages, prices, channels, sports coverage, paybill numbers, and which fits your household.

MM
by Reviewed by Arnold Ochieng 11 min read Updated 27 April 2026

Kenya has four serious pay-TV operators: DStv (MultiChoice, South African), GOtv (also MultiChoice, the budget cousin), StarTimes (Chinese, the value challenger), and Azam TV (Tanzanian, the FKF Premier League rights-holder). All four accept M-PESA, all four serve Kenyan households, and all four want your monthly KES. The choice depends almost entirely on what you actually watch and how much you're willing to spend.

The short answer

For most Kenyan households, GOtv Plus at KES 1,150/month is the sweet spot. You get local channels, SuperSport Select for some English Premier League games, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network for kids, and a respectable lineup of documentaries for adults.

DStv only justifies its price if you watch the full EPL, the Champions League, or premium movies. StarTimes wins on sheer value if your priority is local content and the cheapest possible TV bill. Azam TV is the only operator that carries the FKF Premier League live, under a seven-year deal that runs through 2030. If you follow Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards, Tusker, or Kenya Police FC, it is the one to add.

DStv Kenya packages and prices (2026)

DStv runs eight tiers in Kenya. The full ladder, from cheapest to premium:

  • DStv Lite at KES 750/month. ~45 channels. Local Kenyan content, kids, news, lifestyle. No SuperSport. Cheapest DStv tier.
  • DStv Access at KES 1,450/month. ~75 channels. Adds movies and basic sports highlights. No live English Premier League.
  • DStv Family at KES 2,250/month. ~105 channels. Adds Discovery, Nat Geo, more kids channels. Some SuperSport (Variety 4).
  • DStv Compact at KES 4,200/month. ~155 channels. Most SuperSport channels except SS1 and SS3, plus M-Net Movies 2.
  • DStv Compact Plus at KES 7,300/month. ~175 channels. Adds SS1 and SS3 (the key English Premier League games), more M-Net.
  • DStv Premium at KES 11,700/month. ~200 channels. The full spread: every SuperSport channel, M-Net Movies Premiere, BoxOffice rentals included.

Prices change roughly annually. Check the live prices on dstv.com/ke before subscribing. The 2026 prices above reflect the post-January adjustment.

GOtv Kenya packages and prices (2026)

GOtv is MultiChoice's lower-cost terrestrial digital service. Same parent company as DStv, but it uses a UHF terrestrial signal instead of satellite, meaning a small antenna instead of a dish, lower install cost, and a more modest channel count.

  • GOtv Lite at KES 700/month. ~25 channels. Local Kenyan stations, basic news, music, religious.
  • GOtv Value at KES 1,000/month. ~45 channels. Adds Disney Junior, lifestyle, more local.
  • GOtv Plus at KES 1,150/month. ~65 channels. SuperSport Select, Nickelodeon, basic movies. The mainstream pick.
  • GOtv Max at KES 1,750/month. ~85 channels. Adds SuperSport Variety 4 and more sports content.
  • GOtv Supa at KES 2,750/month. ~100 channels. SuperSport Premier League and major leagues, plus broader entertainment.
  • GOtv Supa Plus at KES 3,500/month. ~115 channels. Top GOtv tier with the maximum SuperSport coverage available outside DStv.

GOtv's value comes from the Plus tier upward. Below Plus, you lose access to most SuperSport channels, which is the main reason most households take pay-TV in Kenya.

StarTimes Kenya packages and prices (2026)

StarTimes is the Chinese-owned challenger that has aggressively undercut both DStv and GOtv on price. Its channel count is lower and its sports coverage is narrower, but the value proposition is real for cost-conscious households.

  • StarTimes Nova at KES 599/month. ~30 channels. Local Kenyan, kids, basic news, music.
  • StarTimes Smart at KES 999/month. ~60 channels. Adds movies, more international, basic sports.
  • StarTimes Classic at KES 1,499/month. ~80 channels. Adds StarTimes Sports (some Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga rights apply, though they vary year-to-year), and more documentaries.
  • StarTimes Unique at KES 1,899/month. ~95 channels. The top StarTimes tier, with the most sports and entertainment.

StarTimes also sells a separate satellite product (StarSat) targeting customers in remote areas without UHF terrestrial reception. Pricing is similar with slightly higher install costs.

Azam TV Kenya packages and prices (2026)

Azam TV is a Tanzania-based satellite operator that has become a serious player in Kenya for one specific reason: it holds the exclusive FKF Premier League broadcast rights under a seven-year deal signed in 2023 (worth roughly $9.2M total, running through 2030). For local football fans, no other pay-TV provider can show live KPL matches. Azam Sports also carries the Tanzanian Ligi Kuu Bara and selected African football events; AFCON broadcast rights in Kenya are typically shared across SuperSport (DStv/GOtv), Azam, StarTimes, and free-to-air KBC, so most viewers can find the tournament on whichever platform they already subscribe to.

  • Azam Lite at KES 600/month. ~85 channels. Local Kenyan and Tanzanian content, basic news, kids, music. Entry tier.
  • Azam Plus at KES 750/month. ~95 channels. Adds movies and more lifestyle channels.
  • Azam Play at KES 1,400/month. ~130+ channels. Includes Azam Sports (live FKF Premier League), plus more movies and documentaries. The pick for Kenyan football fans.

Decoder + dish + install runs roughly KES 3,500 for the full kit (one month free included), or KES 2,000 for the decoder alone if you already have a dish. Azam also sells the Azam Max streaming app, which lets you watch live FKF Premier League matches and Azam Sports on a phone or smart TV without a decoder, useful for Kenyans in the diaspora who still want to follow Gor Mahia or AFC Leopards.

The catch: Azam's general entertainment lineup is thinner than DStv or GOtv outside sports and movies, so most football-loving Kenyan households end up running Azam Play alongside another provider rather than as their only TV subscription.

Head-to-head: which one wins by use case

For English Premier League / Champions League fans

DStv Premium or Compact Plus is the only realistic answer. SuperSport holds the EPL, Champions League, La Liga, and most major European football. GOtv Supa carries a SuperSport subset, which works out to roughly 60 to 70 percent of EPL games but not every match. StarTimes carries fewer top-tier rights. You will get some Bundesliga and Serie A but not the full EPL schedule. If you cannot miss a Liverpool match, only DStv works. SuperSport does not carry the local FKF Premier League. See below for that.

For Kenyan Premier League / FKF football fans

Azam TV is the only option. Under the seven-year deal that started in 2023, Azam Sports broadcasts live FKF Premier League matches across multiple rounds each weekend, plus highlights, and runs the FKF Cup. SuperSport (DStv / GOtv) does not carry the Kenyan league. StarTimes does not carry it either. Azam Play (KES 1,400/month) is the cheapest tier that includes the Azam Sports channels.

For family households watching kids and news

GOtv Plus at KES 1,150 is the value champion. You get Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney Junior, KTN, Citizen, NTV, BBC, Al Jazeera, and a respectable lineup of documentaries. DStv Family at KES 2,500 is similar but adds Discovery and Nat Geo if those matter. StarTimes Smart at KES 999 is even cheaper but the kids selection is thinner.

For absolute budget households

StarTimes Nova at KES 599 is the cheapest pay-TV in Kenya. You get the major Kenyan broadcasters plus a handful of international channels. If your alternative is going without TV altogether, this is the floor. GOtv Lite at KES 700 is 100 shillings more for similar Kenyan content.

For movie watchers

DStv Premium has M-Net Movies Premiere, M-Net Movies 1-4, and BoxOffice (rotating recent releases), the strongest movie lineup in Kenya. GOtv Max has basic movie channels. StarTimes carries Star Movies and ST Movies but the catalogue is older.

Hardware and install costs

Forgotten in monthly comparisons, the install cost can swing the decision:

  • DStv: Decoder + dish + install ~KES 7,500 - 12,000 depending on retailer. Decoder owned outright.
  • GOtv: Decoder + UHF antenna + install ~KES 2,500 - 4,500. Far cheaper to start.
  • StarTimes: Decoder + UHF antenna ~KES 2,200 - 3,500. Cheapest entry.
  • Azam TV: Decoder ~KES 2,000, full kit (decoder + dish + install) ~KES 3,500 with one month free.

DStv's install is two to three times the cost of the others. For households unsure about committing long-term, GOtv or StarTimes lets you experiment cheaply.

How to pay each one via M-PESA

The mechanic is identical for all four:

  1. Open M-PESA on your phone.
  2. Select Lipa na M-PESA → Pay Bill.
  3. Enter the business number: 444900 (DStv), 423655 (GOtv), 585858 (StarTimes), or 827190 (Azam TV).
  4. Enter your IUC / smartcard number as the account number (Azam smartcards are 12 digits).
  5. Enter the package amount in KES.
  6. Enter your M-PESA PIN and confirm.

Activation is usually instant. If your decoder doesn't reactivate within 5 minutes, unplug it for 30 seconds and plug back in. If still inactive after 30 minutes, contact the operator with your M-PESA transaction code.

Service reliability differences

DStv and Azam are both satellite, the most reliable in normal weather but they cut out during heavy rain (every Kenyan in the long rains knows this). GOtv terrestrial UHF is rain-resistant but more sensitive to terrain, works fine in towns, struggles in deep valleys. StarTimes also uses UHF terrestrial with similar coverage characteristics.

For coverage inside Nairobi, all four work fine. In rural Kenya, DStv and Azam tend to win on sheer signal availability since they bounce off communications satellites, anywhere with a clear sky view gets a signal. GOtv and StarTimes need a UHF transmitter within ~80km.

Our recommendation

Many Kenyan football households run two subscriptions: DStv (or GOtv) for SuperSport + Azam Play for FKF Premier League. Combined cost is typically KES 2,500-8,000/month depending on the DStv tier.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheapest?

StarTimes Nova at KES 599/month is the cheapest entry-level pay-TV package.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes, all three are month-to-month. Stop paying and the service deactivates after your last paid period ends. There's no contract penalty.

Can I pause my DStv / GOtv subscription?

DStv and GOtv allow temporary disconnection without losing your decoder configuration. Useful if you travel for a month, request via the My DStv or My GOtv app. Azam TV also deactivates the moment your subscription lapses and reactivates instantly when you top up.

Why does only Azam TV show the FKF Premier League?

Azam Media Limited won an exclusive seven-year broadcast deal with the Football Kenya Federation in 2023, reportedly worth $9.2 million in total (an initial $1 million for the first season, escalating by $100,000 per year). The deal runs through 2030, which is why SuperSport (DStv / GOtv) and StarTimes do not air live KPL matches.

Where is my smartcard / IUC number?

DStv: printed on the smartcard inserted in the decoder, usually 10 digits. GOtv: printed on the back of the decoder, 10 digits. StarTimes: same, 10-12 digits on the decoder back panel. Azam TV: 12 digits, printed on the smartcard or visible in the decoder system menu.

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