Nigeria on the up


By Content Nigeria reporter
July 26, 2018

Features

FremantleMedia executive Anahita Kheder discusses Nigeria’s position in the African TV market and how it can become a major player in international formats.

Anahita Kheder

In her presentation to last week’s Creative Nigeria Summit (CNS) in Lagos, Anahita Kheder, senior VP for the Middle East, Africa and South Eastern Europe at FremantleMedia, commended the Nigerian TV industry for always going after the best content despite the many challenges it faces.

Kheder said the country would soon be the biggest digital TV market in Africa, due to the fact that it has the largest population (195 million) and the highest density of smartphone users (112%) on the continent.

This mobile-first population means linear TV is not the only way to get content viewed, she added, with many productions using digital media to reach their audiences across different platforms.

FremantleMedia is one of the companies using digital media to its advantage, reaching a total of 308 million people across Instagram (13 million), Twitter (32 million), YouTube (69 million) and Facebook (194 million).

Topping the charts for the most engaging content via these digital platforms is entertainment and talent formats (37%), followed closely by reality shows (36%), gameshow and quiz formats (19%), and dating and relationships programmes (9%).

Kheder told CNS delegates that Got Talent, The Voice, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, Minute To Win It and Money Drop were the top five international formats. The top five global format distributors are FremantleMedia, Endemol Shine Group, Banijay Rights, Warner Bros and All3Media respectively, she added.

Touching on why Nigeria seems to be lagging behind in terms of format development and distribution, Kheder pointed to a lack of a typical commissioning model, a lack of audience measurement, a scattered ad market and a lack of sponsorship.

She called on brands and content creators to speak with one voice, ensuring that everything they do benefits each other, as everyone is in the business to make money. “For this to work, broadcasters, distributors, media agencies and advertisers must work hand in hand,” said Kheder.

She also emphasised that a global outlook is key to making successful scripted formats. “Many formats are better known in foreign countries than in the country they were originally created for. Create local content, something that will appeal to your market, but think global,” she said.

FremantleMedia operates in 31 countries, producing over 11,000 hours of programming a year. It also rolls out more than 60 formats and airs more than 420 programmes around the world annually.

The company also distributes more than 20,000 hours of content in over 200 territories. In Nigeria, it is behind the local versions of Got Talent, Idol, The Price is Right and Family Feud.

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