Cannes, France − IROKOtv and StarTimes signed an exclusive deal at MIPTV, France, for two brand new linear TV channels, IROKO Play and IROKO Plus, on the African pay TV platform. Available across 14 countries, with a reach of 4.6 million subscribers, the announcement of this deal signals a considerable investment in Nollywood entertainment for StarTimes, Africa’s fastest growing Pay TV operator.
Subscribers will have the choice of two Nollywood channels. IROKO Play, available in the StarTimes Basic Bouquet, will showcase classic Nollywood movies from 2007 onwards, with a brand new exclusive movie added to the schedule each month. IROKO Plus, in the StarTimes Unique Bouquet, will show premium Nollywood movies from 2011 onwards, with the addition of an exclusive brand new movie each week. As part of the 24/7 programming schedule, and in addition to the movies, both channels will also show behind the scenes interviews with the stars and magazine shows.
Jason Njoku, CEO of IROKO said, “Launching IROKO Play and IROKO Plus on StarTimes is an exciting milestone for IROKO. We’re known primarily for leading OTT content delivery across Africa through IROKOtv.com, but with digital migration spreading rapidly throughout the continent, now is the right time for us to diversify our distribution model and expand into the Linear TV market. StarTimes are very much focused on bringing the very best entertainment to as many people as possible at an affordable price an ethos that is close to our hearts, which is why this new landmark partnership is so befitting”.
Michael Dearham, VP of StarTimes said, “The deal with IROKO is a significant advance in our quest to become the home of premier African film and television content. Throughout the global African Diaspora, IROKO is synonymous with high-quality, cutting-edge Nollywood filmed entertainment and their extensive catalogue of prime-time Nollywood movies resonates well with StarTimes’ vision to provide every African family access to high-quality digital entertainment. Our exclusive partnership with IROKO allows us to nurture an ‘axis of content excellence’, as well as more clearly differentiate our value proposition which in turn gives us the means to deliver the very best Nollywood movies and series to our subscriber-base.”
Blockbusters including Alvina, Nkuli, Could This Be Love and Mother’s Error are scheduled for the launch of IROKO Plus, and classics, including Desperate To Survive, The Beast and Classic Love will show on IROKO Play.
IROKOtv is Africa’s distributor of movie content, with a catalogue of over 4,000 titles totaling 10,000 hours. To date, IROKO has streamed content via its online platform irokotv.com only, but with the migration from analog to digital broadcasting currently being undertaken across Africa, DTT platforms such as StarTimes are now increasing the number of channels available in their entertainment bouquets. Digital migration is driving Pay TV growth up considerably, with the sector estimated to be worth $5.35 billion by 2020, a 69% increase from 2013.
