Content streaming platforms Netflix, iROKOtv, and Amazon, as well as pay television channels, ROK TV and Africa Magic; are considering cutting off further investments in the Nigerian film industry; after the Nigerian Broadcasting Company (NBC) released a controversial new code.
The new code AKA sections 9.0.1 to 9.0.3 as well as sections 9.1.1.8 to 9.1.1.11, basically make exclusivity illegal. In simpler terms, NBC is making it illegal for Netflix and other streaming platforms to have sole ownership of Nollywood content.
Rather, these entertainment platforms wold have to sub-license content from Nigeria. This is a huge blow, worthy to be considered an assault on Netflix and other platforms; which have heavily invested in acquiring Nollywood content.
Check out this screenshot of the amendment below:
Unsurprisingly, industry stakeholders were not too thrilled to find out about this new development; which in actuality, is more of a regression. Many Nollywood filmmakers have condemned the amendment for its authoritarian stance on content.
One of the opposers of this bill is actress and filmmaker Judith Audu-Foght; who called for fellow industry members to fight the amendment or risk their jobs; under the hashtags #MyContentMyProperty and #nbcdontkillnollywood.
Check out her post below:
IROKOtv founder Jason Njoku also voiced his aversion to the new bill. Njoku stated that it would destroy PayTV as well as tank the investments that stakeholders have made in Nollywood.
Check out his tweets below:
Mary Remmy Njoku lamented about the NBC destroying her business. She then guaranteed that because of the new amendment, Nollywood would be starved of investment from DSTV, Netflix, and others; which have basiccally become the life force of the industry.
Check out her post below:
Indie filmmaker Chiemela Nwagboso talked about how the lack of funding from streaming platforms resulting from this bill will lead to unemployment; because movie sets employ a lot of people and demand much funding.
Check out his post below:
This outrage is quite called for because for a country that claims to be democratic and capitalist, the NBC is trying to enforce a feudal system where filmmakers are not allowed to own, control, and trade content as they wish.
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This could destroy the foundation of online streaming before the revolution is complete; thus leaving a lower standing for the budding content creators of the future who would have depended on streaming sites for capital to set off their dreams.
It is quite unclear how this falls into the agenda for progress; but it seems as though the NBC like other Nigerian government bodies is just another bully that does not want to see people win.