MultiChoice Nigeria Petitions EFCC over Moreplex TV Claims

In Short

MultiChoice Nigeria has petitioned the EFCC over allegations against local pay TV operator Moreplex TV. The petition claims unauthorised retransmission of content and losses above ₦2 billion.

What Happened

MultiChoice Nigeria says it has filed a petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, accusing Moreplex TV of criminal interception of signals and intellectual property fraud. Signal interception is when a company takes a broadcast feed without permission, like tapping into a paid satellite channel and rebroadcasting it.

The petition was reportedly signed by MultiChoice Nigeria’s head of anti-piracy. It also alleges tax evasion and “economic sabotage”, and puts the combined revenue and tax losses at more than ₦2 billion.

The document also claims Moreplex obtained and retransmitted signals said to originate from a network linked to Eutelsat at 7 degrees. This matters because pay TV operators often rely on satellite distribution, and the underlying signal path can be central to proving whether content was accessed legally.

The petition lands in the middle of an existing civil and commercial fight between the two firms. Reports say Moreplex previously sued MultiChoice at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt over access to channels and alleged exclusivity practices under the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.

In that case, judgment delivered on March 8, 2024 reportedly favoured Moreplex. The court was said to have ordered MultiChoice to sublicense certain channels, and awarded ₦200 million in damages plus post-judgment interest.

Why It Matters

This is now a test of how Nigeria treats pay TV disputes that sit across copyright, competition, and regulation. Criminal probes can move faster than civil cases, and they can change the negotiating balance between a dominant incumbent and a smaller challenger.

For the wider media and entertainment market, the outcome could shape how premium content is sublicensed, how anti-piracy enforcement is used, and how regulators draw the line between commercial disagreements and alleged cybercrime.

MultiChoice’s claims remain allegations. Any wrongdoing would still need to be established through investigation and due process.