StarTimes
StarTimes is a Chinese-backed digital pay-TV operator offering affordable DTT, DTH, and OTT television services to mass-market African households across 19+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBeijing, China
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
StarTimes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- StarTimes
- Legal name
- Union Shine Holdings
- Website
- https://startimestv.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- StarTimes is a Chinese-backed digital pay-TV operator offering affordable DTT, DTH, and OTT television services to mass-market African households across 19+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where StarTimes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beijing
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
StarTimes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Pay TV Subscription: Monthly subscription fees for access to encrypted pay-TV channels across DTT and DTH platforms. Subscribers purchase bouquets ranging from basic to premium packages.
- Hardware Sales: Sale of set-top boxes (SD/HD), digital LED TVs, antennas, and accessories. Includes 1-year warranty on all devices.
- Chinese Government Investment: Received US$220 million in funding from Chinese sources for African expansion projects including digital broadcasting infrastructure, local content production, and studio facilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | DTT Antenna packages - Basic tier for terrestrial TV access |
| Subscription | Monthly | DTH Satellite packages - Dish-based premium access |
| Subscription | Monthly | Entry-level subscription starting price |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels4 records
StarTimes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
StarTimes is a digital television operator that delivers pay-TV subscriptions across Africa through Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT/DVB-T2) and Direct-to-Home satellite (DTH/DVB-S2) platforms, offering bouquet packages with up to 57 channels on DTT and 128+ channels on DTH. The service is bundled with proprietary set-top boxes, digital LED televisions, and the StarTimes ON mobile streaming app, and is complemented by a solar power system that enables off-grid viewing in areas with unreliable electricity.
Product overview
StarTimes is a Chinese digital television company offering a comprehensive pay-TV ecosystem across Africa. The portfolio consists of digital broadcasting services (DTT and DTH), hardware devices (set-top boxes, LED TVs, solar power systems), and mobile applications. Core offerings include StarTimes Digital TV subscription services with various bouquet packages ranging from basic terrestrial to premium satellite packages, paired with proprietary hardware including HD/SD set-top boxes and digital LED TVs. The ecosystem is complemented by the StarTimes ON mobile streaming application and the StarTimes Solar Power System for off-grid access. The company operates across 18 African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, and others.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- StarTimes Digital TV Service (DTT/DTH)
Companies that use StarTimes
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
StarTimes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature4 records
StarTimes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- UNAIDSminorPartnership to achieve the global goal of ending AIDS epidemic by 2030. Joint cooperation on HIV prevention awareness through StarTimes' broadcast reach.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
StarTimes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Zuku (Liquid Intelligent Technologies): Triple-play (pay-TV + fiber broadband) operator focused on Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania; competes with StarTimes in urban/suburban DTH and bundled broadband-TV segments across East Africa.
Direct peers
- MultiChoice Group (DStv, GOtv): Africa's largest pay-TV operator and StarTimes' primary competitor across Sub-Saharan Africa; operates DStv (premium satellite) and GOtv (terrestrial), directly overlapping StarTimes' DTT/DTH bouquet strategy across the same 19-country footprint.
- Canal+: French-backed pay-TV group actively acquiring African operators (e.g., MultiChoice bid); offers satellite TV and a streaming app (Canal+ App) targeting francophone Africa, competing for the same premium sports rights and middle-class households StarTimes serves.
- Showmax: MultiChoice-owned African SVOD platform with mobile and web delivery, competing head-to-head with StarTimes ON for OTT viewership and exclusive content (e.g., HBO, NFL, local African series) in the same price-sensitive consumer base.
- Azam Media (Azam TV): Tanzanian-based pay-TV operator distributing via DTH satellite and DTT across East Africa; competes directly in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Malawi, often at similarly low entry price points.
Broad incumbents
- iQIYI: Chinese streaming giant and fellow Chinese-origin media platform; shares content supply economics and Chinese-language catalogue access relevant to StarTimes' Beijing-backed operations, and increasingly targets the African OTT market directly.
- Netflix: Global SVOD leader with an active African growth push (mobile-only plans, local production); competes for the same urban, English-/French-speaking premium-content subscribers that StarTimes targets with Bundesliga and UEFA rights.
- Amazon Prime Video: Global SVOD competitor with growing African footprint and live sports ambitions (NFL Thursday Night, Premier League in some markets); competes for premium entertainment wallet share against StarTimes' sports-led proposition.
- beIN Media Group: Qatar-based broadcaster with significant African pay-TV distribution and premium sports rights (including some UEFA/European football); competes for the same premium sports subscriber and rights auctions that drive StarTimes' content economics.
Emerging players
- Trace TV: Africa-focused music, sport, and lifestyle channel network distributed via DStv, GOtv, and StarTimes; relevant comparable as a niche content brand monetized across African pay-TV platforms targeting similar youth and entertainment-seeking segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
StarTimes social profiles
Digital presenceStarTimes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
StarTimes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
StarTimes subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
StarTimes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
StarTimes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about StarTimes
What does StarTimes do?
StarTimes is a digital television operator that delivers pay-TV subscriptions across Africa through Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT/DVB-T2) and Direct-to-Home satellite (DTH/DVB-S2) platforms, offering bouquet packages with up to 57 channels on DTT and 128+ channels on DTH. The service is bundled with proprietary set-top boxes, digital LED televisions, and the StarTimes ON mobile streaming app, and is complemented by a solar power system that enables off-grid viewing in areas with unreliable electricity.
Is StarTimes a public or private company?
StarTimes is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was StarTimes founded?
StarTimes was founded in 2012. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is StarTimes based?
StarTimes is headquartered in Beijing, China, in the Asia region.
How does StarTimes make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Pay TV Subscription is the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales and chinese Government Investment.
Who are StarTimes's main competitors?
Zuku (Liquid Intelligent Technologies) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are MultiChoice Group (DStv, GOtv), Canal+, Showmax and Azam Media (Azam TV). Broad incumbents are iQIYI, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and beIN Media Group. Trace TV is listed as an emerging player.
Does StarTimes have an API?
No public API is recorded for StarTimes.