Moses Babatope, a former co-founder of FilmOne Entertainment, the country’s leading independent entertainment company, has announced the launch of Nile Media Entertainment Group, a company set to shake up Nigeria’s film distribution landscape.
According to experts, this move promises to ignite fierce and healthy competition in the industry, benefiting filmmakers and audiences alike. Babatope, who played a crucial role in bringing African films to global audiences during his tenure at FilmHouse Group and FilmOne Entertainment, said the Nile Group aims to revolutionise African cinema by focusing on cultural representation, industry excellence, and sustainable practices comprised of five subsidiaries.
This includes Nile Entertainment, a distribution arm covering local and international markets; Nile Cinemas, offering luxury cinema experiences; Nile Motion Pictures, a production company for Nollywood films; Nile Studio Lab, a film village in Nigeria; and Nile Foundation, the CSR arm focused on community development through film.
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Industry experts noted that the launch of Nile Media Entertainment Group might shift the dynamics of the Anglo-West African film market.
FilmOne Entertainment has dominated the market in recent years, distributing and producing a wide range of mainstream and commercial films, including international and indigenous productions. The company has also maintained strategic alliances with major international studios and distributors.
According to the 2023 Nigerian Box Office yearbook report, FilmOne commanded a 72.60 percent market share in Anglophone West Africa, generating N5.3 billion in revenue. Its closest competitor, Silverbird, held a 21.45 percent market share with N1.5 billion in revenue.
FilmOne’s success is partly due to its exclusive theatrical licenses with five international distributors: The Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Empire Entertainment, and Hollywood/Chinese Independents. The company also boasts a vast distribution network that spans cinemas, inflight entertainment, streamers, and linear TV networks. FilmOne has released all the top 10 Nollywood titles in West Africa.
However, the introduction of Nile Media Entertainment Group is expected to shake up the film industry, particularly the distribution sector. Industry experts note that filmmakers and producers have long desired more distribution options.
Dotun Olakunri, Co-Founder of First Features, a company that supports up-and-coming filmmakers, stated that distributors in Nigeria need to do more to promote the films they handle.
“In terms of marketing, you need to know what you can take to the cinema. I think the people who distribute the movies should do more to promote them. Producers have to take that risk themselves, so it’s expensive for producers to take their film to the cinema. And that adds to the risk to the producer and that makes it a little more complicated as to what you did to cinema and what you don’t. It’s easier to deal with the streamers because they will agree with you on the deal upfront,” Olakunri told BusinessDay recently.
Victor Okhai, President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria, believes producers will benefit from increased competition.
Emmanuel Izuoba, a Nigerian filmmaker, highlighted that Nile Entertainment’s entry means that producers now have more choices and can negotiate better deals.
“In his business plan, he mentioned that they will collaborate with local producers. This means that there can be a deal where Nile brings in 50 percent of the movie funding while the local partners bring the rest. This is a big win for everyone,” Izuoba stated.
