More opportunity beckons on Nigerian video producers to monetise content

Nigerian video content producers are in for a good time as SuperTV and StarTimes have promised them an opportunity to showcase their work and monetise content.
SuperTV, an online streaming company that is set to offer Video-on-Demand (VOD) through zero-data App to watch all-inclusive entertainment which recently launched in the Nigerian market said one of its objectives is to encourage content producers to monetise their content.

With this offer, content producers have the opportunity of media platform to showcase their movies to the viewing audience and make money.
This has become important as the audience gradually shift to watching video in non-linear environments such as desktops to tablets and mobile devices. It has therefore become an opportunity for content producers to engage the audience through various viewing metrics and monetise their works.

Today, Nigeria has a big market for video streaming but it is underperforming, perhaps due to high cost of data. Ijeoma Onah, Acting CEO, Super Network Limited, promoter of SuperTV, said that, “Nigeria currently has about 173 million mobile subscribers with a penetration rate of 123%. Smartphone penetration is 40 million – forecasted to grow to more than 140 million by 2025’’.

According to her, in spite of these very impressive numbers, Nigeria is still performing very poorly in the streaming markets and she attributed this to data cost required to stream video. The SuperTV is therefore partnering with MTN to offer a zero-data App to watch all-inclusive entertainment. The subscriber does not incur internet data charges to stream after subscribing to SuperTV with as low as N200 on a daily plan.
This will perhaps encourage more Nigerians to key into the platform to watch content as the platform will also engage more content producers for more films for the audience.

Read also: StarTimes set to portray life of struggling Nigerians in Okirika drama series

On the other hand, StarTimes, the foremost pay-TV provider has also intensified efforts to entertain its viewers with more of local but community-related content. The Content Director at StarTimes, VikiLiu assured that StarTimes is open for receive content from producers as she said that the major goal of the station is to entertain viewers.

She recently assured that StarTimes is willing to collaborate with budding talents in the Nollywood industry to bring more creativity to life. “For young and promising creative individuals who do not have the opportunity to showcase their ingenuity, we are open to collaborate with you on your journey to becoming a global brand. You have the talent; we have the finance to power your creativity,”, she said.

As prove of her statement, StarTimes in July unveiled plans to air later in the year, Ile Alayo comedy series which is an adaptation of the blockbuster movie. The series centre on humorous characters with conflicting behaviours. Ile Alayo was first released in 2013 but with popular demand, the producers are bringing it back on StarTimes.

The pay Tv also last week launched ‘Okirika’, a drama series exclusively for the station. Okirika which is a familiar word in Nigeria means second items, especially clothes. This is part of the station’s efforts to entertain its viewers with more of local but community-related content.

The Okirika series which showcases top-notch Nollywood actors and actresses including JideKosoko, Korode Bello, IyaboOjo among others, is a story around second-hand clothes and other items in Nigerian markets. The series depicts the life of struggling Nigerians and the drama which will start at the end of the year will attempt to portray reasons people buy ‘okirika’.

The series is likely to be an exciting drama as okirika is a big market patronised largely by over 87 million Nigerians who are considered to be living in extreme poverty.
The Nigerian film industry has since the late 1990s transformed into leading movie industry and it is expected that with empowerment from media viewing platforms, the growth of the industry will be sustained.