Entertainment
Netflix’s subscriber numbers reflect Nigeria’s economic struggles
The Black Book produced and directed by Editi Effiong is the biggest movie from Nollywood on Netflix, having notched 11 million views since it was released on the global streaming platform. It is also the most expensive movie ever made in Nollywood, given its $1 million budget.
But The Black Book’s success has little to do with the Nigerian audience on Netflix, who, according to the latest data, are only 169,600 paid subscribers out of a population of 106 million bankable adults. Effiong did confirm that more South Koreans watched the movie than Nigerians.
“This still feels so surreal. More South Koreans watched The Black Book than Nigerians,” he said on Wednesday.
South Africa has by far the most paid subscribers on Netflix with 1,172,800 subscriptions, accounting for 73.3 percent of the 1.6 million subscribers the streamer has in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report by Omdia. The country also commanded 69.5 percent of the $135 million subscription revenue from the region in 2022 – meaning Netflix made $93.82 million from South Africa alone.
A spokesperson at Netflix said they do not know where Omdia got their numbers from because Netflix doesn’t reveal regional numbers.
“What we know is that Netflix currently has over 247 million paid members in over 190 countries,” the spokesperson said.
Nonetheless, Netflix is not the only streaming platform facing slow adoption in Nigeria. Last week, Jason Njoku, CEO of Iroko TV, a Nollywood-focused streaming platform, responded to an article written by a media outlet alleging there was a poor run of revenue in the company.
While IrokoTV has been facing declining subscriptions, Nigeria has never been the source of its primary revenue despite huge investments in the country.
“In summary, between 2015 and 2020, we invested (read lost) $30 million in Nigeria, and it made zero sense to continue prioritising the market. In 2015, we launched our first Android growth strategy, priced at N5,000 annually ($30). When we stopped last month, that N5,000 was equivalent to $5. So we focused on customer acquisition and productising Africa and just reverted to where 80 percent of our revenues were coming from; North America and Western Europe,” Njoku said.
Nigeria’s much-touted potential as a major market for streaming services and entertainment in general remains in the realm of rhetoric. While it boasts Africa’s largest population of mobile phone users, internet penetration remains very low – and has even declined in recent times. In 2023, internet penetration in Nigeria bucked the trend as it is yet to record growth in eight months of tracking the progress on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) platform. Rising poverty and high unemployment rates continue to crimp people’s income. It has got worse in 2023 following the removal of petrol subsidy and naira devaluation, which have pushed prices of goods and services to record highs.
Nollywood, the largest movie industry in Africa and the second largest globally in terms of production in a year, has grappled with these problems since its inception. The growth the industry has experienced so far has come more from trying to skirt around these problems and find a safe ground to earn revenue sustainably. In the course of searching for a safe landing, producers have had to enter into some partnerships. For example, in the days of video cassettes and DVDs, alliances were forged between some producers and marketers at Alaba market in Lagos to help pirate their movies. Currently, attention has moved to streaming movies on various streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime, YouTube, Showmax and Iroko.
Since the streaming numbers have significantly grown across the different platforms, shrinking consumer income has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the growth of streaming services in the country. This is why streaming platforms will produce content within the local film industry and push their marketing abroad to attract an audience that is willing to pay. Nigerians in the diaspora, for instance, constitute a significant portion of the target market, because they possess a healthy disposable income.
“The answer is probably a combination of poverty and illegal access without consequences. Illegal access is driven by poverty, ignorance and futile copyright policing. To summarise, Nigerians have a preference to not pay for movies and shows that they can get for free on bootleg,” said Nosa Ugiagbe, a chartered accountant.
Earlier in April, Netflix released a 48-page report in which it showed it has invested a total of $125 million in South Africa and $23.6 million in Nigeria since it began operations in both countries. This is despite Nigeria having more titles (286) than South Africa (186). The Omdia report showed that Netflix has invested over $175 million in general in the sub-Saharan region since 2016, creating 12,000 jobs in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya alone.
Njoku said the subscription video-on-demand industry grapples with the rising cost of creating content.
“The economics are brutal, and survival is of the lord. For the last 18 months, as the narrative changed, the global behemoths of Warner and Disney have been purging content with massive accounting losses as they have pulled billions of dollars off their platforms. They were doing that while generating billions in profits and free cash flows,” said Njoku.
Reekado Banks hints at exposing an industry figure who sabotages emerging talents, clarifying it’s not Don Jazzy after fan speculation
Popular Nigerian singer, Reekado Banks, has raised eyebrows with a cryptic post on X (formerly Twitter), in which he threatened to expose a person he claims is sabotaging emerging talents in the Nigerian music industry.
The singer described this mysterious figure as either “demonic or clueless,” suggesting that they have a history of attracting bright new artists only to hinder their success through poor decisions.
In his post, Banks revealed that this individual, despite being involved with some of the best budding talents, had managed to slow down or even derail their careers. He promised to shed light on this personality during an upcoming interview.
The post read, “One day, I’ll take an interview to talk about someone in the corners of the entertainment industry, who’s either absolutely clueless or plain demonic.
Somehow, the brightest budding talents fall in their lap and either through cluelessness or pure demonic activities, they agree to policies that effectively slow these talents down and for some other talents, frustrate them out of pursuing their dreams. One day…”
Banks’ statement quickly led to speculations among fans that he was referring to a figure from his past, particularly from his time at Mavins Records, the label where he first rose to fame. Given that Mavins’ CEO, Don Jazzy, was instrumental in Reekado’s career, many assumed the post was aimed at him.
However, Reekado was quick to clarify the misunderstanding in another post, writing, “It may not be obvious to you all, but I’m definitely not referring to Baba J [Don Jazzy]. Ejo lol, pls n thanks.”
Despite the clarification, Banks did not reveal the identity of the alleged saboteur, leaving fans to speculate further. Nonetheless, his comments have sparked conversation around the challenges facing emerging artists in the highly competitive Nigerian music industry, where both internal and external factors can significantly influence a career’s trajectory.
Nollywood star Iyabo Ojo steals the spotlight at her movie premiere in Lagos, where she embodied her warrior character in an unforgettable entrance
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Iyabo Ojo left a lasting impression in Lagos over the weekend with the premiere of her highly anticipated movie, *Labake Olododo: The Warrior Lord*.
Also read: Iyabo Ojo celebrates daughter Priscilla’s career milestone with heartfelt message
The star-studded event, which took place on March 23rd at Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX Lekki, brought together some of the biggest names in Nollywood to celebrate this latest cinematic achievement.
Ojo made an entrance that captivated the audience, fully embracing her warrior character from the film. Dressed in an elaborate costume featuring intricately beaded dreadlocks and finely crafted animal skins, she arrived on horseback, embodying the fierce and regal persona of her character.
A priestess, dressed in white and holding a dove, led the procession, singing a traditional song to set the stage for a night of cultural spectacle.
The premiere wasn’t just about the movie—it was an immersive experience. Ojo was accompanied by the film’s cast members, adding excitement and energy to the event.
The venue itself was thoughtfully designed to match the traditional themes of the movie, with the atmosphere reflecting the cultural richness portrayed in the film.
Guests were thrilled by the attention to detail, with one attendee commenting, “The creativity and the attention to detail speaks volume. The venue was designed to match their outfit, depicting the traditional houses in the movie. Kudos to Aunty Iyabo, it’s a sell-out season.”
Social media buzzed with excitement after the premiere, with many praising the creativity and unique approach to the event. *Labake Olododo:
The Warrior Lord* is expected to be a massive success, as fans expressed their confidence in the movie’s success, with one comment stating, “Not me screaming, Billions of views already, May it go far more than anyone’s expectations, Amin.”
While the event was filled with praise for the film’s innovative approach, not everyone was on board. Some voices expressed concerns about the impact of such films on Nigerian society, with one user questioning the use of “fetishism” in movies.
However, the overwhelming sentiment was one of celebration, with many hoping for the movie’s success and wishing Iyabo Ojo continued blessings.
Davido’s recent performance at Richard Nii Armah’s birthday sparked mixed reactions online, with fans divided over his vocal delivery and energy
A recent performance by Nigerian singer Davido at the birthday party of Ghanaian billionaire Richard Nii Armah has quickly gone viral, but not for the reasons the artist may have hoped.
A video clip from the event, which surfaced online, has sparked a flurry of reactions from netizens, ranging from harsh criticism to staunch defence of the singer.
Many social media users expressed disappointment over Davido’s vocal performance, noting that he sounded off-key, with some even claiming he resembled an up-and-coming artist rather than a global superstar.
One user, *aremogucci001*, wrote, “This one just be like upcoming,” while another commenter, *zhouv9*, added, “Zero vocals, noise always.”
Criticism continued with *elon_musk1son* suggesting, “Where is the performance energy? Abi hin don too much banku when he come? God too bless Wizkid sha,” implying that Davido’s energy was lacking and comparing him unfavourably to fellow Nigerian artist Wizkid.
A number of other users shared similar sentiments. *maxika99* bluntly stated, “I swear dis guy no sabi sing,” while *phemonz_* criticised the crowd for not showing Davido more love, saying, “These people don’t show love at all as they can’t sing along with him.”
However, despite the wave of negative feedback, Davido’s supporters were quick to jump to his defence. Some argued that the singer was being unfairly judged, with *kodakblaine2x* suggesting,
“Always performing for big people. The other werey de mumu for Twitter,” implying that the critics were just being harsh without understanding the context.
*victoria_may_7* wrote, “What took his voice? Because I barely heard him say anything. Make artist dey lip-sync ein own song. Nawa for una 001,” pointing out the possibility of technical issues affecting the performance.
Meanwhile, *creamycozy* took a more lighthearted approach, saying, “Wizkid is their godfather, the father that fathered their fathers. Popsy dey ever give me reason to brag differently,” suggesting that the rivalry between Davido and Wizkid still runs deep among fans.
The video and its resulting debate serve as a reminder of the polarising nature of celebrity performances. While some continue to back the artist’s talent, others are left questioning his recent stage presence.
With his career firmly rooted in both the Nigerian and international music scenes, Davido is no stranger to public scrutiny. Whether this controversy will affect his reputation or serve as yet another chapter in his illustrious career remains to be seen.
Davido claims his wealth can only be obtained through divine blessings, not investment
Cynthia Morgan appeals to President Tinubu over fuel subsidy removal hardship
T20Luxury calls out Mercy Aigbe over fake handbag, eyewear
-
Entertainment4 weeks agoPortable to drop new EP ‘Ogo Wanted’ amid legal troubles
-
celebrities4 weeks agoNedu Wazobia denies allegations of drug, fraud links after viral audio leak
-
Entertainment2 weeks agoIjoba Lande’s estranged wife admits to “Truth or Dare” incident
-
Entertainment4 weeks agoNollywood star Ini Edo mourns the loss of her father
-
celebrities4 weeks agoKanayo O. Kanayo calls out instagram over mysterious drop in followers
-
Entertainment4 weeks agoAlexx Ekubo explores celebrity activism in nollywood’s PowerOf1
-
celebrities4 weeks agoVeryDarkMan accuses EFCC of plotting to frame, arrest him
-
Entertainment4 weeks agoMohbad’s father denies protecting nurse accused in singer’s death