‘Content streaming has come to stay as reliable complement to conventional platforms, TV’

In the last quarter of 2020, the Nigerian streaming business welcomed a new entrant. Since then, Wooclick, an online movie streaming platform, has recorded impressive performance in the competitive streaming space.

In this interview, Ubiebi Emoefe,creative director, Wooclick International, speaks to Obinna Emelike on the difference the platform brings to the table, easy access and affordability of movies, potential of streaming business, plans and other related issues.

For those who are coming across the Wooclick brand for the first time, what is Wooclick all about?

In very plain terms, Wooclick is an online streaming platform, where you can watch Nollywood/African movies at very affordable rates. It is an emerging brand in the movie streaming industry, with lots of features that ensure both the viewer and the content provider get value for their time and investment.

Considering that movie streaming/rental service is becoming very competitive, what is your edge over other platforms, especially the established ones?

It is quite competitive alright, but like other industries, there is still room for a lot of improvement and other players. The digital space is very broad and can accommodate as much as we can think and innovate. The most important parts of any innovation are the value it brings and the problem it solves. Wooclick creates a very profitable avenue for movie/content producers to get value for their work and investments. Viewers also get to pay for only what they consume as every aspect of Wooclick was developed by us and can be updated to suit demand promptly without technical delays.

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Content is key in the movie streaming business, how do you get your contents and how has the relationship been with content providers?

Content is king, and what Wooclick is offering is the coronation of these kings. The platform is an open affiliate system that gives a larger part of control to the content provider, and payment goes direct to the producers account with no middles. As the viewer pays to watch, the producer gets paid directly; he can trace and query every form of transaction as it relates to his content on his dashboard. We expect more producers to use the platform to market, promote and satisfy their teaming fans with their contents.

You talked about renting a movie from as cheap as N100, how workable is that considering the huge cost of acquiring content?

The platform also helps the producer reduce cost of production and hardcopy distribution. The baseline concept has always proven to be the most profitable and effective form of marketing. Banks, telecommunications and other large corporations have adopted this concept over the years and it has worked. It does not reduce the value of the content, it just makes it easy for more people to accept and appreciate the production. Like I mentioned before, the platform gives more control to the producer, so they can determine the price of the movie per time.

For movie lovers, especially those in the diaspora, how easy can they access your platform?

The platform can easily be accessed on the worldwide web. It is accessible from any part of the world on www.wooclick.net.

Payment is often an issue in online transactions, amid growing internet fraud. How secure is your system for customers’ online transaction?

We are in partnership with payment switches like Interswitch, and card owners like MasterCard, and the official payment gateway is OSOFTPAY. All these partners will ensure a fast and easy payment process. For payment security, the portal is secured using SSL and our providers are also Pci Dss compliment, there is practically nothing to be worried about in terms of security.

One cannot run a successful streaming business without world class technology, what is your technology backup and who are technical partners?

We are in partnership with streaming giant, Vimeo, and we also have a light and scalable database hosted with Microsoft azure. Our team of software engineers and programmers are young and always updated with any new tech available, so we are at the top of it when it comes to tech.

You talked about open back end for producers and content developers to upload and promote contents on Wooclick, why and how does that work?

Our goal is to simplify the process of generating value for your content, to make it very easy for producers who want their movies to be appreciated anywhere in the world to have access to promote their movies. It is easy, flexible, and once you register as a producer, (for free) you have access to register your movies for uploads but will not be on the public space until our backend team finishes the film review, which will be done within 24hours.

Is the open affiliation to all movie/content providers across African countries and beyond, truly working?

Sure, it has been tested, and it is in perfect order. That is our goal, and we hope to take it one step at a time. We have enjoyed relative acceptance within Nollywood, when we have reached a set mark within the Nigerian industry we will then open other layers of the platform. Collection system within other countries is a major factor too, but we have already made plans and will unveil them in different African countries in the shortest possible time.

The pandemic opened great opportunities for streaming business last year, did you benefit from the boom?

The year 2020 was a very difficult year for every sector, especially the entertainment industry, in terms of shows, movie premieres and cinemas. But streaming gained prominence for home relaxation and safe entertainment. The pandemic period inspired the creation of Wooclick, not basically because we wanted to cash in, but we realized that a lot of content producers were finding it difficult to get a platform that will serve their interest. Wooclick was introduced into the market on December 24, 2020, and since then it has enjoyed massive acceptance by both movie lovers and content producers.

What is your projection for the streaming business this year, as things are getting back to normal?

Streaming business has come to stay, not basically as a rival to conventional platforms and television, but a very reliable complement. For Wooclick, we hope for major collaborations and more investors to come in, because the space is massive.

Where do you see Wooclick in 5 years from now?

Our goal is to be the major plug for African contents, both for those in Africa and in Diaspora. With the right partnerships and investment, the goal is achievable.