What could possibly go wrong for a new DTH platform starting life with 2.5 million subscribers?
On the evidence of what we have seen so far with Poland’s nc+, quite a lot. Formed by the merger of n and Cyfra and officially launched on March 21, it has already come in for stinging criticism from its customers, some of whom have written to me personally to explain their predicament.
Put simply, they feel they being forced into taking the new service, which they say is an inferior and more expensive product to what they previously had from either n or Cyfra+.
They also say that obstacles are being put in their way to prevent them from refusing new contracts that come into effect in May and to which they will automatically be signed up to.
As of March 27, over 15,000 customers had joined a page on Facebook airing criticism of the new platform. Interestingly, nc+ issued a statement earlier this week saying it had gained 15,000 new subscribers, though of course these figures aren’t in any way linked.
It’s clear that nc+ has been taken aback by this criticism. Its response has so far been muted, though the president Julien Verley has acknowledged communication problems and now promised a response in the next few days.
He has also announced some new Easter offers for both former n and Cyfra+ subscribers.
It is interesting to note that some of these subscribers have started taking matters into their own hands by complaining to the Polish competition authority UOKiK. Whether this will lead to an investigation is still too early to tell.
What is now happening at nc+ is probably music to the ears of Cyfrowy Polsat. The undisputed market leader in the Polish DTH market, with just over 3.5 million subscribers, it will certainly find itself under more pressure when the new platform eventually gets its act together.
On the evidence of what has happened in only its first week of existence, that could still be some away off.
