As part of its expansion plan in 2013, digital terrestrial television network provider, Startimes has revealed plans to invest over $94 million (15billion Naira) in the Nigerian pay-television sector before the end of the year.

The Chinese company said the additional $94 million investment will double its investment to $184 million (30 billion naira) before the end of the year, as it had already invested more than the proposed amount in the last two years in a sector dominated by South African company, Multichoice which operates the DStv Satellite Television service, arguably the main satellite TV service in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Chief Operation Officer of Startimes, Joshua Wang, and Director of Operations, Maxwell Loko revealed that the next phase of the company’s expansion drive is to cover additional 15 states before the end of the year, having already established presence in 16 states across the country. He also revealed that the company’s subscription base had already hit one million.

According to Loko, “Since the company began operation in Nigeria about two years ago, we have been able to provide unequal services to Nigerians. Our services are not only cheap; we have been able to demonstrate that Nigerians from all walks of life can have access to digital television.”

He added that “At present, the company has over 700 Nigerians on its pay roll and it intends to generate additional 3,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs through its new expansion strategies.”

According to Loko, the new expansion will generate about 8,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Some of the products launched include the Startimes DVB-T2 decoder, which will enable subscribers have access to over 70 channels; provision of door-to-door after sale service; and Startimes M50 mobile television, which will only be available to subscribers in Lagos and Abuja.

The Pay TV company also hinted that it is in talks with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) to secure the right to show the forthcoming African Cup of Nations tournament.

Startimes Nigeria is a digital television partnership between Nigeria’s Nigerian Television Authority and Chinese company, Startimes. The Chinese company currently operates in eight African nation s including Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Guinea, Central African Republic and Burundi.

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