Yanga goes mobile with Vision 247
Yanga! TV, the award-winning channel aimed at the African diaspora, has brokered a deal with UK media tech firm Vision 247 and can now be streamed to smartphones via the VisionTV app.
The two-year-old channel, owned and operated by UK-based Africa MediaWorks and focused on Nollywood content, first debuted in the UK on subscription satcaster Sky, which Content Nigeria exclusively reported here back in 2018.
Now, with Vision 247 onboard as partner, the channel is also available on free digital TV platform Freeview, reaching 17.5 million UK homes, and most recently the VisionTV app, which is freely available to Android and iOS smartphones. To access the channel via Freeview, viewers need a Freeview-compatible TV set and an internet connection.
The channel said it has changed its content in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, pivoting to share relevant and topical information through original programmes. This includes the launch of Y! Community, a programme keeping African communities connected with news, hot topics and life hacks; and Your Voice, a live debate show in which hard-hitting issues are discussed.
“Recent topics on Your Voice have included the felling of historical statues linked to racial oppression and the next steps for the Black Lives Matter movement. This content has proven popular across the UK’s African communities, as the mix of drama and discussion has exposed traditional Nollywood lovers to dynamic debates about the world today,” said a Yanga! representative.
“In the current climate where stark contrasts have been uncovered in coronavirus mortality rates in black and Asian communities, and the UK embarks on an uncomfortable conversation about race, channels like Yanga! are now more important than ever,” the channel added.
Yanga! is run by Africa MediaWorks CEO Lindsey Oliver, the former director of networks at CNBC Europe and founding director of Al Jazeera International. Its programming director is Simon London.
Airing between 9am and midnight, Yanga! offers a mix of original commissions and acquired content across a range of genres, from lifestyle, comedy, music and drama to kids, current affairs and news. The network is the first commercial venture from Africa MediaWorks.