Kenya’s traditional pay-TV market had 1.55 million active broadcasting subscriptions as of June 30, 2026, with StarTimes’ digital terrestrial television (DTT) service holding the largest individual share of the market.
According to the latest Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Sector Statistics Report for the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, total broadcasting subscriptions stood at 1,548,964 at the end of June.
The figure represents an 1.8% decline from 1,577,339 subscriptions in March 2026, but the market was still 4.9% larger than the 1,476,421 subscriptions recorded in June 2025.
The data provides a snapshot of Kenya’s traditional broadcasting market at a time when viewers have more alternatives, including IPTV, streaming platforms and other internet-based video services.
StarTimes DTT remains Kenya’s largest individual TV service
StarTimes’ DTT service had 493,394 active subscriptions at the end of June 2026, making it the largest individual broadcasting service in the CA’s data.
Based on the total of 1,548,964 subscriptions, StarTimes DTT accounted for approximately 31.9% of all active broadcasting subscriptions.
GOtv followed with 381,383 subscriptions, equivalent to about 24.6% of the total.
DStv was third with 259,047 subscriptions, representing approximately 16.7%.
The figures show that the two largest DTT services together accounted for 874,777 subscriptions, or roughly 56.5% of the entire traditional broadcasting market.
Kenya’s broadcasting subscriptions ranked
The following ranking is calculated from the CA’s June 2026 active-subscription figures.
| Rank | Broadcasting service | Platform | Active subscriptions | Approx. market share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StarTimes DTT | DTT | 493,394 | 31.9% |
| 2 | GOtv | DTT | 381,383 | 24.6% |
| 3 | DStv | DTH | 259,047 | 16.7% |
| 4 | StarTimes DTH | Satellite | 189,871 | 12.3% |
| 5 | Zuku DTH | Satellite | 157,051 | 10.1% |
| 6 | Azam | Satellite | 37,978 | 2.5% |
| 7 | Zuku Cable | Cable | 27,831 | 1.8% |
| 8 | Cable One | Cable | 1,234 | 0.1% |
| 9 | Hirani | Cable | 760 | 0.05% |
| 10 | CTN (MSA) | Cable | 320 | 0.02% |
| 11 | Wadani Cable | Cable | 95 | 0.01% |
Market shares calculated by TechDrivers using CA’s total of 1,548,964 active broadcasting subscriptions. Percentages may not add to exactly 100% because of rounding.
DTT dominates Kenya’s traditional broadcasting market
Digital terrestrial television remains the largest broadcasting platform in Kenya.
The CA recorded 874,777 DTT subscriptions in June 2026, compared with:
- 643,947 DTH subscriptions
- 30,240 cable subscriptions
DTT therefore represented approximately 56.5% of all active broadcasting subscriptions.
DTH accounted for approximately 41.6%, while cable represented just 2.0%.
The numbers illustrate how significantly cable television has declined compared with terrestrial and satellite services.
StarTimes DTT held almost one-third of the market
StarTimes DTT recorded 493,394 subscriptions in June, compared with 492,887 in March.
That represented a small quarterly increase of 0.1%.
Year-on-year, however, StarTimes DTT was almost flat, rising from 492,330 subscriptions in June 2025 to 493,394 in June 2026, an increase of just 0.2%.
The more significant change occurred at GOtv.
GOtv recorded strong annual growth despite quarterly decline
GOtv had 381,383 active subscriptions in June 2026.
That was down 5.8% from 405,013 in March, but the service was up 21.3% from 314,520 subscriptions a year earlier.
This means GOtv added nearly 67,000 subscriptions over the year despite losing more than 23,000 during the final quarter.
GOtv’s annual growth was therefore considerably stronger than StarTimes DTT’s.
DStv records the strongest growth among major satellite services
DStv had 259,047 active subscriptions at the end of June.
The CA data shows that this was an increase of 4.4% during the quarter, from 248,053 subscriptions in March.
More significantly, DStv grew 37.2% year-on-year, rising from 188,824 subscriptions in June 2025.
That makes DStv’s annual growth particularly notable among the major services tracked by the regulator.
DStv nevertheless remained behind both StarTimes DTT and GOtv in absolute subscription numbers.
StarTimes’ satellite service remained above 189,000
StarTimes also operates a DTH satellite service separate from its DTT platform.
The satellite service recorded 189,871 active subscriptions in June 2026.
That was up 0.8% from March, but down 3.1% year-on-year from 195,948 subscriptions.
When the company’s DTT and DTH services are considered together, StarTimes had 683,265 active subscriptions across the two platforms.
That is approximately 44.1% of all broadcasting subscriptions recorded by the CA.
This combined figure should not be confused with a single platform’s market share, however, because the CA reports DTT and DTH as separate services.
Zuku’s satellite subscriptions declined
Wananchi’s Zuku DTH service recorded 157,051 active subscriptions in June.
The service declined 9.4% during the quarter and 16.4% year-on-year, falling from 187,839 subscriptions in June 2025.
Zuku also operates a cable service, which had another 27,831 subscriptions.
Together, Zuku’s DTH and cable services accounted for approximately 184,882 subscriptions.
Azam continues to grow from a smaller base
Azam had 37,978 active subscriptions in June 2026.
The CA recorded quarterly growth of 5.4%, from 36,031 subscriptions in March.
Year-on-year, Azam grew 26.2%, up from 30,095 subscriptions in June 2025.
Although Azam’s overall subscriber base remains much smaller than those of StarTimes, GOtv and DStv, its annual growth rate was significant.
Kenya’s cable TV market continues to shrink
The most striking structural change in the CA data is the continued decline of cable television.
Total cable subscriptions fell to just 30,240 in June 2026, down 10.2% from March.
More significantly, cable subscriptions were down 54.8% year-on-year, from 66,865 in June 2025.
Wananchi’s Zuku cable service accounted for the majority of cable subscriptions with 27,831.
Cable One had 1,234 subscriptions, while Hirani had 760, CTN in Mombasa had 320 and Wadani Cable had 95.
The combined cable market represented only around 2.0% of all active broadcasting subscriptions.
Why are traditional broadcasting subscriptions falling?
The CA says total broadcasting subscriptions declined by 1.8% during the quarter, primarily because of customers moving to IPTV services and changes in the cost of set-top boxes.
The regulator also attributed higher decoder acquisition costs to increases in global chipset and related component prices.
According to the CA, these higher costs constrained operators’ ability to sustain previous levels of new customer activations.
This creates an important challenge for traditional broadcasters.
Consumers no longer have to rely exclusively on a television decoder to access video entertainment.
With internet connectivity becoming more widespread, viewers can increasingly access content through streaming platforms, IPTV and other online services.
Kenya’s growing internet market is changing television habits
The broadcasting numbers should be viewed alongside Kenya’s expanding internet infrastructure.
The CA recorded 2.84 million fixed internet subscriptions as of June 2026, representing a 6.9% quarterly increase and a 32.4% year-on-year increase.
Fibre optic connections reached 1.57 million, up 29.7% year-on-year.
The growth of fixed connectivity provides households with another route to video entertainment beyond traditional broadcast platforms.
Mobile connectivity is also substantial.
Kenya had 64.26 million mobile data subscriptions at the end of June 2026, according to the CA.
This broader connectivity environment helps explain why internet-based video services are becoming increasingly relevant to the television market.
What the numbers mean for Kenyan consumers
For consumers, the changing market creates more choice.
A household can choose between terrestrial television, satellite television, cable, streaming services or a combination of these options.
The choice increasingly depends on factors such as:
- Monthly subscription costs
- Sports and entertainment content
- Local programming
- Internet availability
- Decoder or equipment costs
- Number of channels
- Streaming quality
- Household viewing habits
For households with reliable broadband, streaming and IPTV can offer an alternative to traditional pay-TV packages.
For households with limited or expensive internet connectivity, DTT and satellite services can remain important.
The traditional TV market is not disappearing yet
Despite the quarterly decline, the CA’s numbers show that traditional broadcasting still had 1.55 million active subscriptions at the end of June.
The market was also 4.9% larger than a year earlier.
That means the data does not indicate that traditional television has disappeared.
Instead, it points to a market in transition.
Some services are growing strongly, others are declining, while the overall market is being challenged by internet-based alternatives.
The contrast between DTT, DTH and cable also shows that the shift is not affecting every broadcasting technology in the same way.
What happens next?
The direction of Kenya’s television market will increasingly depend on the relationship between traditional broadcasting and internet-based video.
Broadcasters will have to compete not only on channel numbers but also on content, pricing, convenience and the ability to reach viewers across different devices.
For consumers, meanwhile, the increasing availability of broadband and streaming services means the television decoder is no longer the only gateway to digital entertainment.
The June 2026 CA figures provide an early snapshot of that transition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many active broadcasting subscriptions did Kenya have in June 2026?
Kenya had 1,548,964 active broadcasting subscriptions as of June 30, 2026, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya.
Which TV service had the most subscribers in Kenya?
StarTimes DTT had the largest individual subscription base, with 493,394 active subscriptions, equivalent to approximately 31.9% of the total market.
How many GOtv subscribers were there in Kenya?
GOtv had 381,383 active subscriptions as of June 2026, according to the CA.
How many DStv subscribers were there in Kenya?
DStv had 259,047 active subscriptions in June 2026. Its subscriber base increased 37.2% year-on-year.
Is StarTimes bigger than GOtv in Kenya?
Based on the CA’s June 2026 active-subscription data, StarTimes’ DTT service had more subscriptions than GOtv. StarTimes DTT recorded 493,394 compared with GOtv’s 381,383.
How many DTT subscriptions did Kenya have?
Kenya had 874,777 DTT subscriptions in June 2026, representing approximately 56.5% of all active broadcasting subscriptions.
How many DTH subscriptions did Kenya have?
The CA recorded 643,947 DTH subscriptions in June 2026.
Is cable TV declining in Kenya?
Yes. Cable subscriptions fell to 30,240 in June 2026, down 54.8% from 66,865 a year earlier.
Why are Kenya’s broadcasting subscriptions declining?
The CA attributed the 1.8% quarterly decline partly to customers moving to IPTV services and higher set-top-box costs linked to global chipset and component prices.
Editorial Note
This article is based primarily on the Communications Authority of Kenya’s Fourth Quarter Sector Statistics Report for the 2025/26 financial year, covering April 1 to June 30, 2026.
The CA says the report is based on data submitted by licensed ICT-sector operators and that the information may be reviewed in subsequent quarters if operators provide revisions or updates. The regulator also notes that the report represents supply-side data rather than demand-side household survey data.
Market-share percentages in this article were calculated by TechDrivers from the CA’s published active-subscription figures. They are presented for analytical context and may differ slightly because of rounding.
Conclusion
Kenya’s traditional television market is entering a more competitive digital era.
StarTimes DTT remained the country’s largest individual broadcasting service with 493,394 active subscriptions, followed by GOtv at 381,383 and DStv at 259,047 as of June 2026.
But perhaps the most important number is the 1.8% quarterly decline in total broadcasting subscriptions.
At the same time, Kenya’s internet infrastructure continues to expand, while the CA says customers are increasingly moving toward IPTV.
That means the future of television in Kenya may not be about one platform replacing another overnight.
Instead, consumers are gaining more ways to watch content—and traditional broadcasters will increasingly have to compete with internet-based entertainment for the same viewers.
