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What is the Current State of Streaming in Nigeria?

Video‌ ‌streaming‌ ‌platforms‌ ‌are‌ ‌the‌ ‌latest‌ ‌big‌ ‌thing‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌technological‌ ‌revolution‌ ‌and‌ ‌have‌ ‌changed‌ ‌the‌ ‌way‌ ‌people‌ ‌consume‌ ‌entertainment.‌ ‌Netflix,‌ ‌in‌ ‌particular,‌ ‌has‌ ‌set‌ ‌the‌ ‌standard‌ ‌for‌ ‌this‌ ‌form‌ ‌of‌ ‌viewing‌ ‌and‌ ‌has‌ ‌brought‌ ‌a‌ ‌whole‌ ‌new‌ ‌meaning‌ ‌to‌ ‌video-on-demand‌ ‌services.‌

The‌ ‌gaming‌ ‌industry‌ ‌is‌ ‌also‌ ‌heavily‌ ‌reliant‌ ‌on‌ ‌live‌ ‌streaming‌ ‌now,‌ ‌with‌ ‌it‌ ‌being‌ ‌used‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌playing‌ ‌and‌ ‌viewing‌ ‌of‌ ‌certain‌ ‌offerings.‌ ‌It‌ ‌appears‌ ‌that‌ ‌Nigerian‌ ‌entertainment‌ ‌is‌ ‌being‌ ‌adapted‌ ‌for‌ ‌this‌ ‌new‌ ‌medium,‌ ‌with‌ ‌plenty‌ ‌of‌ ‌great‌ ‌options‌ ‌cropping‌ ‌up‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌country‌ ‌in‌ ‌recent‌ ‌times.‌

Why is Streaming Important?

Getting into streaming now is so important for studios and businesses in the entertainment industry, and failing to do so could represent a huge mistake. Indeed, streaming has had such an impact that it could be considered the biggest development since the internet. When the online world first emerged, businesses that failed to adapt disappeared swiftly – Blockbuster, a VHS rental store, was the most famous example of this. A similar shift could soon be seen with streaming services.

An example of the slow but industry-changing effect of streaming services has been the introduction of blockbuster-style movies to platforms such as Netflix and Amazon. Netflix has released numerous high-budget titles featuring A-list actors including Bright with Will Smith, Bird Box with Sandra Bullock, and The Irishman with Robert De Niro. These titles are skipping the cinema altogether, and could one day render these places obsolete.

Streaming is also incredibly important for the gaming industry, as more players than ever are wanting to enjoy games in a communal environment. There has been a rise in multiplayer and live games, where the action is happening for everyone at the same time. These are just a couple of reasons why Nigeria can’t ignore the growing popularity of streaming services.

Plenty of Great Nigerian Netflix Content

Luckily, it appears as though Nollywood is fully aware of the need to create high-quality content for services like Netflix. There have been some fantastic movies coming from the country in recent years that have made a splash on the platform and have helped promote the service in the country. Up until 2019, there were only 50,000 subscribers to Netflix in Nigeria, so the release of more Nigerian films will boost these figures.

 

The first-ever Nigerian Netflix original film was released in 2018. This was Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, a drama movie that initially premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. It was selected for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards but was unfortunately disqualified due to the majority of the dialogue being in English. Some other highly popular and successful Nigerian movies on Netflix include The Wedding Party and The Wedding Party 2, Meet The In-Laws and Chief Daddy. With all of these offerings being well-received, there is likely to be a lot more high-quality Nigerian content on the platform in the future.

Game Streaming Should Not be Ignored

Nigeria may need to take a leaf out of South Africa’s book when it comes to game streaming. The southern country is arguably in the lead with this sector, and this is being led by the iGaming industry. Indeed, live casino is so popular in the country that there are comparison sites helping players find the best live casino operators on the African continent. The sites are recommended based on the variety of games available, along with the bonuses for new players. They are also decided based on whether the sites can be played on both mobile and desktop. Nigeria seems to be tapping into this lucrative form of streaming as well, with casino games growing in stature in recent years.

The other main form of streaming in gaming is Twitch, which should also be embraced in Nigeria. This is because the game streaming service has been a major catalyst towards the success of the eSports industry. Competitive gaming is gaining a foothold in Nigeria, but it would be boosted more by a greater influx of Nigerian Twitch streamers. This is another industry that should not be overlooked as it will be highly fruitful in the years ahead.

Streaming appears to be on the up in Nigeria, but there is still a lot more that can be done. By following on from countries with a lot of strong streaming offerings in place, the entertainment industry could be enriched by this new and popular platform.

 

 

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