Amazon Prime Video has signed a second exclusive licensing arrangement with a Nigerian production business, extending its drive into the African market.
The streaming service has signed a multi-year contract with Anthill Studios in Lagos, which is responsible for local theatrical hits such as Prophetess, Day of Destiny, and Elevator Baby. Following their theatrical runs in Nigeria, Prime Video will become the exclusive global streaming home for Anthill’s portfolio of films.
This is Amazon’s second such agreement in as many months, following its agreement with Inkblot Studios, the production firm behind The Wedding Party.
In an official statement on their Instagram post, they said, “We are super excited to announce to the world that AnthillStudios has officially signed a multi-year licensing deal with Amazon Prime Video. Prime Video will have exclusive worldwide distribution rights to Anthill’s slate of theatrical releases, starting in 2022, which will be made available to an audience of more than 200 million Prime Video members worldwide following their cinema run in Nigeria!,” Anthill Studios
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“We are very excited to offer Anthill’s upcoming slates of popular Nollywood movies to Prime Video customers around the world,” Ayanna Lonian, Prime Video’s Director of Content Acquisition and Head of Worldwide Major Studio Licensing Strategy, said in a statement. We want to showcase our clients the finest of Nollywood and authentic African stories, and this ground-breaking deal will help us to achieve that goal,”
Niyi Akinmolayan was ecstatic about the collaboration with the streaming service, calling it “the proper type of home” for local storytelling.
“Films from Anthill Studios have always excited global audiences. This is large because we believe in the power of authentic and original stories. We also love to explore genres and go boldly where most don’t. This is why Amazon Prime Video is the right kind of home for our stories. I am really excited because, with this licensing deal, we can explore more story ideas, including genres new to Nollywood like sci-fi and animation, for a global audience,” Akinmolayan said.
This would be the streaming platform’s second Nigerian-based studio collaboration, since they announced similar partnerships with Inkblots studios on December 16, 2021, following an Amazon team’s visit to the African International Film Festival in Lagos in November.
BBC Studios, Sony Pictures, and Netflix have all signed partnerships with Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Media to enter the Nigerian market.
