Kenya’s pay-TV market is changing as traditional television services face growing competition from internet-based entertainment.
The latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows that the country had 1,548,964 active broadcasting subscriptions as of June 30, 2026. That was a 1.8% decline from 1,577,339 subscriptions in March, although the market was still 4.9% larger than a year earlier.
Among individual services, StarTimes DTT had the largest subscriber base with 493,394 active subscriptions, followed by GOtv with 381,383 and DStv with 259,047.
The numbers provide an interesting picture of how Kenyans are consuming television and how traditional pay-TV services are adapting to competition from IPTV, streaming and other internet-based video platforms.
Kenya Pay-TV Market at a Glance
The CA’s June 2026 figures show the following subscriber numbers for the three largest individual services:
| Service | Platform | Active subscriptions | Approx. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| StarTimes DTT | DTT | 493,394 | 31.9% |
| GOtv | DTT | 381,383 | 24.6% |
| DStv | DTH | 259,047 | 16.7% |
Market shares calculated by TechDrivers using the CA’s total of 1,548,964 active broadcasting subscriptions.
Together, StarTimes DTT, GOtv and DStv accounted for approximately 73.2% of Kenya’s active broadcasting subscriptions in June 2026.
However, StarTimes also operates a separate satellite service. Its DTH platform had another 189,871 subscriptions.
StarTimes Leads Kenya’s Individual Pay-TV Services
StarTimes DTT remained the largest individual broadcasting service in Kenya in June 2026.
The service recorded 493,394 active subscriptions, slightly above the 492,887 recorded in March.
That represented quarterly growth of just 0.1%.
Compared with June 2025, when StarTimes DTT had 492,330 subscriptions, its subscriber base increased by approximately 0.2%.
This means StarTimes DTT maintained a remarkably stable subscriber base over the year.
Its position is also significant because DTT remains the largest broadcasting platform in Kenya.
What this means for Kenyan households
For a household that wants conventional television without relying entirely on an internet connection, DTT remains an important option.
This is particularly relevant in areas where households may have access to television but do not necessarily have fixed broadband connections.
GOtv Has Fewer Subscribers but Stronger Annual Growth
GOtv had 381,383 active subscriptions at the end of June 2026.
That placed it second among individual broadcasting services.
Unlike StarTimes DTT, however, GOtv experienced a noticeable quarterly decline.
Its subscriptions fell from 405,013 in March to 381,383 in June, representing a decline of approximately 5.8%.
The longer-term picture was different.
GOtv had 314,520 subscriptions in June 2025. Its subscriber base therefore increased by approximately 21.3% year-on-year.
In other words, GOtv lost subscribers during the final quarter of the financial year but remained substantially ahead of its position a year earlier.
That distinction is important when looking at Kenya’s pay-TV market. A single quarter can show a decline even when a service is still growing over a longer period.
DStv Remains Kenya’s Third-Largest Individual Service
DStv recorded 259,047 active subscriptions in June 2026.
That made it Kenya’s third-largest individual broadcasting service based on the CA’s figures.
DStv’s performance was different from both StarTimes DTT and GOtv.
Its subscriber base increased from 248,053 in March to 259,047 in June, representing quarterly growth of approximately 4.4%.
The year-on-year increase was even larger.
DStv had 188,824 subscriptions in June 2025, meaning its subscriber base increased by approximately 37.2% over the year.
Despite that growth, DStv remained behind StarTimes DTT and GOtv in absolute subscriber numbers.
StarTimes Has Two Different Platforms
One detail that can easily be missed when comparing the Kenyan pay-TV market is that StarTimes operates both DTT and DTH services.
Its DTT service had:
493,394 subscriptions
Its DTH service had:
189,871 subscriptions
Combined, the two StarTimes platforms had 683,265 active subscriptions.
That would represent roughly 44.1% of all active broadcasting subscriptions.
However, TechDrivers treats the platforms separately in the main comparison because the CA reports them separately.
This is important when comparing StarTimes DTT with GOtv and DStv.
DTT Remains the Largest Broadcasting Platform in Kenya
The June 2026 data also shows the continued importance of digital terrestrial television.
Kenya had:
- 874,777 DTT subscriptions
- 643,947 DTH subscriptions
- 30,240 cable subscriptions
DTT therefore represented approximately 56.5% of all active broadcasting subscriptions.
DTH accounted for about 41.6%, while cable represented approximately 2.0%.
The figures show that terrestrial and satellite broadcasting still account for the overwhelming majority of traditional television subscriptions in Kenya.
Kenya’s Cable TV Market Continues to Contract
Cable television is a much smaller part of Kenya’s broadcasting market.
The CA recorded only 30,240 active cable subscriptions in June 2026.
That was down from 33,676 in March and from 66,865 in June 2025.
The year-on-year decline was approximately 54.8%.
This is one of the clearest changes visible in the CA’s broadcasting data.
While DTT and DTH continue to account for hundreds of thousands of subscriptions, cable has become a relatively small segment.
Kenya’s Pay-TV Market Is Facing Internet Competition
Traditional television is no longer competing only against other television companies.
It is also competing with internet-based video.
The CA said the 1.8% quarterly decline in broadcasting subscriptions was mainly attributed to customers moving to IPTV services and changes in set-top-box costs.
The regulator also noted that increases in global chipset and component prices raised decoder acquisition costs, which affected operators’ ability to maintain previous levels of new customer activations.
This is an important development for the Kenyan market.
A consumer today can access entertainment through several routes:
- DTT television
- Satellite TV
- IPTV
- Streaming platforms
- YouTube and other online video platforms
- Mobile video
- Smart TVs
- Smartphones and tablets
That means the traditional decoder is no longer the only gateway to television content.
Kenya’s Growing Internet Market Could Change TV Habits
Kenya’s expanding internet infrastructure provides another piece of the story.
The CA reported 2,838,656 fixed internet subscriptions in June 2026, up 6.9% from March and 32.4% from June 2025.
Fibre optic subscriptions reached 1,566,815, representing a 29.7% year-on-year increase.
Mobile connectivity is also expanding.
Kenya had 64.26 million mobile data subscriptions and 52.26 million smartphones by the end of June 2026, according to the CA.
For Kenyan consumers, this creates a wider range of ways to watch video content.
A household with a reliable fibre connection, for example, may increasingly combine a smart TV with streaming services rather than depending entirely on a traditional decoder.
Meanwhile, mobile users can watch video directly from smartphones.
StarTimes vs GOtv vs DStv: What the Numbers Show
The three major individual services occupy different positions in the market.
StarTimes DTT
StarTimes DTT had the largest individual subscriber base at 493,394.
Its subscriber numbers were almost unchanged year-on-year.
GOtv
GOtv had 381,383 subscriptions.
Its quarterly numbers declined, but it recorded 21.3% year-on-year growth, showing that its longer-term subscriber base was considerably larger than a year earlier.
DStv
DStv had 259,047 subscriptions.
Its subscriber base increased 37.2% year-on-year, the largest annual percentage increase among the three services.
These numbers describe subscriber trends; they do not measure content quality, customer satisfaction, viewing hours or the value consumers receive from individual packages.
What Should Kenyan Consumers Consider?
For someone choosing a television service in Kenya, subscriber numbers alone do not determine which service fits their household.
Different households have different priorities.
A consumer may consider:
Monthly cost: How much can the household comfortably spend on television each month?
Content: Does the package offer the sports, news, movies, children’s programming or local channels the household actually watches?
Internet availability: Is reliable fibre, fixed wireless or mobile broadband available?
Equipment: What is the cost of the decoder, installation and any additional equipment?
Viewing habits: Does the household mainly watch scheduled television or increasingly use on-demand services?
Location: Signal availability and internet quality can vary depending on where someone lives in Kenya.
For example, a household with unreliable internet may place greater importance on a conventional DTT or satellite connection, while a fibre-connected household may have more opportunities to combine traditional television with internet video.
The Kenyan Pay-TV Market Is Becoming More Hybrid
The data suggests that Kenya’s television market is not simply moving from one technology to another.
Instead, consumers can combine multiple services.
A household might use a DTT decoder for local channels, a satellite service for additional programming and a fibre connection for streaming.
Another household might rely almost entirely on internet video.
This hybrid model is likely to become increasingly relevant as internet access expands.
The CA itself notes that continued growth in internet-based communication and digital content, including over-the-top and video-on-demand services, is expected to drive demand for broadband connectivity and bandwidth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which pay-TV service has the most subscribers in Kenya?
StarTimes DTT had the largest individual subscriber base in Kenya, with 493,394 active subscriptions as of June 30, 2026.
How many GOtv subscribers are in Kenya?
GOtv had 381,383 active subscriptions in June 2026.
How many DStv subscribers are in Kenya?
DStv had 259,047 active subscriptions in June 2026.
Is StarTimes bigger than GOtv in Kenya?
Based on the CA’s June 2026 active-subscription data, StarTimes DTT had more subscriptions than GOtv. StarTimes DTT recorded 493,394 compared with GOtv’s 381,383.
How many DTT subscriptions does Kenya have?
Kenya had 874,777 active DTT subscriptions in June 2026.
How many DTH subscriptions does Kenya have?
Kenya had 643,947 active DTH subscriptions in June 2026.
Is cable TV declining in Kenya?
Yes. Kenya’s cable subscriptions fell to 30,240 in June 2026, down 54.8% from 66,865 a year earlier.
Why are traditional TV subscriptions declining in Kenya?
The CA attributed the quarterly decline partly to customers moving to IPTV services and higher set-top-box acquisition costs linked to global chipset and component prices.
Editorial Note
This article uses data from the Communications Authority of Kenya Fourth Quarter Sector Statistics Report for FY2025/26, covering April 1 to June 30, 2026.
The CA states that its sector statistics are based on data submitted by licensed ICT-sector operators and represent supply-side data rather than demand-side household survey data. The regulator also notes that figures can be revised if operators submit updates in subsequent quarters.
Market-share percentages in this article were calculated by TechDrivers using the CA’s published total of 1,548,964 active broadcasting subscriptions. Percentages are rounded.
Conclusion
Kenya’s pay-TV market remains dominated by a handful of major services, but the way Kenyans consume television is changing.
As of June 2026, StarTimes DTT had 493,394 active subscriptions, GOtv had 381,383 and DStv had 259,047.
StarTimes DTT remained the largest individual service, while GOtv and DStv recorded stronger year-on-year growth.
At the same time, Kenya’s total broadcasting subscriptions declined 1.8% during the quarter as IPTV and other internet-based options continued to compete with traditional television.
For Kenyan consumers, the future of television may therefore involve more than choosing between StarTimes, GOtv or DStv.
The bigger change is that television is becoming increasingly connected to the internet, giving households more ways to choose, combine and consume video content.
