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Broadcasting

Showmax Unveils First Ever Nigerian Masterbrand Campaign

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Showmax, Africa’s original streaming service is staking a major claim on the rapidly growing streaming industry in Nigeria with its first ever Nigerian Masterbrand campaign with tagline “No one tells a story like we do”.

The campaign officially launched on Monday, 29 May with a super crisp and relatable television commercial featuring Nigerian actress, Sharon Ooja, who also stars in the AMVCA-nominated Showmax Original, Flawsome. The campaign pays an ode to the vibrant, larger-than-life storytelling streak of Nigerians and Showmax’s apparent efforts to tell authentic Nigerian stories through its slate of originals – eight of which were launched over the past one year.

Showmax had first teased the campaign with a display of some of the most popular Nigerian slangs such as Just Dey Play, Woto Woto, Eweee and Pressure Ti Wa on billboards across major cities in Nigeria. Conversations about these billboards were amplified on social media with many users giving their unique spins and takes on the campaign.

It wouldn’t be the first time Showmax would be starting conversations on social media. In 2022, the streaming platform’s hit Nigerian iteration of the Real Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOLagos) dominated conversations on social media, sitting on the Twitter trend table for its 13-week long run. RHOLagos has gone on to win an AMVCA for “Best Costume Designer”, alongside other Showmax originals like the police and procedural drama, Crime and Justice Lagos, which snagged the awards for “Best TV Series” and “Best Picture Editor”.

Speaking on the campaign, Opeoluwa Filani, General Manager at Showmax Nigeria, says that the campaign is a celebration of the wealth of stories that abound in Nigeria and Showmax’s commitment to telling them as a truly Nigerian brand. “In Nigeria alone, we have over 300 tribes and thousands of untold stories.

“We can tell 300,000 stories in a year, and you will still find a new and exciting story to tell for the next 10 decades. That’s the beauty of our diversity,” he says.

“As a brand, we believe it is our duty to tell these stories and tell them in their most original and purest form. And this is even more important to us because we’re Africa’s original streaming platform and we truly believe that no one can tell our stories better than we do,” Filani concluded.

The streaming service had officially set up shop in Nigeria last year with the appointment of Filani as General Manager and other key hires for its Nigerian operations as part of efforts to solidify its presence and investment in the country.

At the time, Yolisa Phahle, the CEO of Showmax, had said in a statement that the platform has witnessed unprecedented growth in its paying subscriber base and it “has become even more important to have a dedicated team at the helm of affairs of Showmax in one of our most important markets.”

That decision is paying good dividends. With 22 nominations at the biggest TV and film awards in Africa, a record charting kids’ show, Jay Jay: The Chosen One, mirrored after the reimagined childhood of Nigerian football legend, Jay Jay Okocha, a growing slate of critically acclaimed originals including the James Omokwe-produced Diiche, Flawsome, Crime and Justice Lagos, The Real Housewives of Lagos and Abuja, and Wura, as well as an extensive collection of TV shows and films from Africa Magic – such as Itura, Covenant, My Beautyful Life and Ricordi.

The streaming platform is also home to HBO shows. Fans of Game of Thrones and its prequel, House of the Dragon can binge-watch the complete seasons of the fantasy series as well as other fan-favourite HBO and Emmy-winning shows such as Succession, Barry, The Last of Us, Love and Death, Industry and Euphoria.

Showmax Pro bundles the Showmax entertainment offering with music channels, news and live sports streaming from SuperSport. Subscribers can live stream the latest seasons of the English Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, UEFA Europa and UEFA Conference leagues, FIFA World Cup qualifiers and more.

Showmax can be streamed using apps for smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers, media players and gaming consoles with data consumption management available using the bandwidth capping feature.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

Broadcasting

Nigeria Week Ahead: Inflation, Oil and Naira in focus

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By Lukman Otunuga, Senior Market Analyst at FXTM.

A flurry of high-risk events may pump global financial markets with fresh volatility this week.

Top-tier data, including US Inflation, the unofficial start of earnings season, and US Congress Crypto Week,” among other themes, could spell fresh opportunities.

Amidst this, uncertainty over global trade will add to the mix after President Donald Trump threatened 35% tariffs on the EU and Mexico over the weekend.

Regarding US inflation, this may impact bets around Fed cuts in the second half of this year. Markets are forecasting CPI to rise 2.6% from 2.4% in the prior month, with core CPI rising to 2.9% from 2.8%. Signs of rising prices may shave bets around the Fed cutting interest rates – boosting the dollar as a result.

Closer to home, Nigerias June CPI data due July 15 is expected to show signs of cooling inflationary pressures. This could offer some relief to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which aggressively hiked interest rates throughout 2024. Inflation is expected to have eased to 21.4% year-on-year from 23% in May – marking the 4th consecutive month of decline. However, the slowdown is largely a technical adjustment aided by the recent gains in the Naira amid higher non-oil exports and a weaker dollar.

The CBN is scheduled to meet later this month and will most likely keep rates unchanged at 27.5%.

One key challenge for the country will be how to re-tweak its budget for lower oil prices. Indeed, the budget was based around oil production at 2 million barrels and oil prices of $75. Brent is trading around $70 with the nation producing 1.544m b/d of crude in May according to OPEC. Nigeria is hoping to raise production to 1.9m b/d by the end of 2025. But its impact on the economy may be muted if oversupply and tepid demand keep oil prices subdued. Brent is up 4% this month but still down over 6% since the start of 2025.


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EFCC Re-Arraigns Echefu, TStv CEO for Allegedly Defrauding Ex-Minister of N1Bn, $1.3m

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Bright Echefu, chief executive officer, Telecom Satellites Limited (TStv), and three co‑defendants appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday on an amended twelve‑count indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges allege money laundering, tax evasion, and investment fraud involving approximately ₦1 billion and $1.3 million.

EFCC Re-Arraigns Echefu, TStv CEO for Allegedly Defrauding Ex-Minister of N1Bn, $1.3m

Bright Echefu, chief executive officer, TStv

In addition to Echefu, the defendants are TStv Executive Director, Felix Igboanuga, Telecom Satellites Limited itself, and Briechberg Investment Ltd.

According to the April 5, 2025, amended charge sheet the EFCC accuses the quartet of defrauding Mr. Tanimu Turaki, Managing Director of Kalsiyam Global and former Minister of Special Duties, alongside BYI General Limited, out of a combined investment of ₦1 billion and $1.3 million. The commission has also included a ₦66 million alleged tax default.

The revised indictment lists:

Count 2: ₦33,909,542.47 in unremitted Company Income Tax

Count 3: ₦13,519,382.00 in unremitted VAT

Count 4: ₦19,488,860.00 in unremitted PAYE

Counts 5–12: Various fraud‑related transactions, including ₦380 million from Kalsiyam Farm, ₦400 million from BYI General Ltd and $1.35 million in loans secured under false pretences.

All defendants pleaded not guilty once again. At the hearing before Justice Mohammed Umar, Echefu’s lead counsel, Senior Advocate Eyitayo Fatogun, informed the court of ongoing settlement discussions with the complainants.

“There are moves to settle this matter and there was a meeting on Saturday between myself and the Nominal Complainant as it is about investment,” Fatogun stated.

“The Defendants have paid some money and I was thinking that the matter be adjourned for report of settlement.”

EFCC counsel A.S. Tomwell confirmed receipt of those payments but emphasized the necessity of entering a plea before considering any adjournment. The court thus ordered the formal reading of the charges and adjourned the trial to October 15, 2025.


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More Woes for MultiChoice as Ghana Orders 30% Price Cut

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The government of Ghana has ordered MultiChoice Ghana to reduce DSTV subscription costs by 30%, noting the significant appreciation of local currency and growing dissatisfaction with current rates.

This comes as Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).

According to Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, head Legal, Enforcement & Regulations, NDPC, the investigation, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024, was triggered by suspected breach of privacy rights of Multichoice subscribers and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians.

MultiChoice, which operates across Africa, continues to lose revenue and subscribers.

Ghana’s minister of communication, digital technology, and innovation, Samuel Nartey George, made the call last week during a meeting with a DSTV team led by Dr. Keabetswe Modimoeng, group executive for regulatory and corporate affairs.

According to a ministry statement, George said the government’s responsibility is to respond to Ghanaians’ concerns over high DSTV pricing and outdated content offers.

The Minister pointed out that despite a 30% increase in the cedi’s value over the past five months; DSTV prices have not reflected the positive economic trend.

‎The statement went on to say the minister is therefore calling for a 30% price reduction to match the cedi’s appreciation and to pass on economic benefits to consumers.

According to the statement, while MultiChoice has implemented promotional packages, people prefer a direct price reduction over temporary discounts.

George said feedback from public engagements revealed that many users are dissatisfied with DSTV’s content, describing it as outdated save for Premier League football. They also believe that the current cost is not justified.

‎”To address the concerns, he said MultiChoice Ghana has until July 21 to formally respond to the government’s request. The Minister expects a concrete proposal by this date, allowing time for further engagement before the end of July,” the statement said.

‎In response, Dr. Modimoeng acknowledged the government’s concerns and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to dialogue.

The MultiChoice team reacted positively to the minister’s request and committed to provide input by July 21st. They emphasised the need of balancing public interest and business sustainability.

This is the continent’s latest pricing conundrum for the pan-African pay-TV business, following fee disputes with Nigerian and Malawian authorities.

In Ghana, the demand for price cuts comes as MultiChoice is under pressure, having lost revenue and subscribers in the financial year that ended March 31, 2025. Last month, the company announced its financial year-end results.

In a statement to shareholders last month on the Stock Exchange News Service, the company said the past two financial years have been a period of significant financial disruption for economies, corporates and consumers across Sub-Saharan Africa due to challenging macro-economic factors.

Combined with the impact of structural industry changes in video entertainment, such as the rise of piracy, streaming services and social media, this has materially affected the overall performance of the MultiChoice Group, it noted.

Over this period, MultiChoice said the group lost 2.8 million active linear subscribers and had to absorb a R10.2 billion negative impact on its top line due to local currency depreciation against the US dollar.

For the year, the company reveals that linear subscribers were down 1.2 million, or 8% year-on-year, to 14.5 million active subscribers, with the loss evenly split between South African (600 000) and rest of Africa (600 000).

 


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