Lagos, Nigeria(CNN) As part of its plan to strengthen its position in Africa's movie market, French media giant, Canal+ Group, has acquired Nigerian production studio, ROK film studios from VOD company IROKO TV.

According to a statement released by ROK on Monday, the studio, launched in 2013 by actor and producer, Mary Njoku, is Nigeria's largest production house with more than 500 movies and 25 TV shows.


The organization currently produce Ghanaian and Nigerian movies, reaching 15 million subscribers across DSTV and GOTV platforms, the statement said.

Njoku says that Canal+ is working with ROK because the studio has the ability to create Nollywood content at scale.

"They (Canal+) wanted an organization that could supply their studio with Nollywood content. They have some channels in Francophone Africa and wanted a supply of African content for those channels," she told CNN.

Canal+ currently offers Nollywood TV, a fiction channel dedicated to Nigerian movies to its subscribers in French-speaking countries.
The French media company has turned its sights on African viewers as growth has declined in its home terrain due to competition from Amazon, Apple and Netflix.

"This acquisition represents a key stage in Canal + group's international expansion. It allows the group to be present across the entire Nollywood value chain, and acquire unique expertise in the mass production of African fiction -- films, series, and entertainment," Canal+ said in a media release.

Acquiring ROK will create more hours of Nollywood content for Canal+ Group's audience in France and represents a battle for African eyeballs between media powerhouses such as Netflix and China's StarTimes.

Njoku says the acquisition is a sign that Nigeria's movie industry is doing well in producing quality content for the continent.

"When a company as big as Canal+ acknowledges and is ready to work with us to export Nollywood, it sends out a positive signal to the movie industry. Filmmakers are assured that they are doing something right," she said.


Netflix,in particular, has taken a keen interest in the African market, appointing award-winning Kenyan film producer Dorothy Ghettuba as the Manager for International Originals, and making several high profile Nollywood acquisitions, such as Lionheart and Chief Daddy.

The US media streaming company first captured the heart of the African audience in 2015 when it paid $12million for the worldwide distribution rights of 'Beasts of no Nation', starring award winning actor, Idris Elba.

In the same year, Netflix started the distribution of Nigerian movies buying blockbusters like 'October 1' and 'Fifty.'

In 2017, PAY TV operator, StarTimes announced the listing of Nollywood movies as part of its export to the Chinese market, signaling an interest in Nigeria's movie market.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/07/15/africa/rok-studio-acquisition-intl/index.html

Okay

Damn, she's the owner?

they wants to rival africa magic movies...nice one

okay.

Old news!

Third to comment. Okay too. I hope no is typing as I am.

Okay

We the best

Welcome development in the media industry. Maybe now we can start enjoying real accident scenes.

Fff

There is a huge market for our movies in China which Star times wants to fill.

That is huge huge revenue for Nigeria and Star times.

Omudia11:
Damn, she's the owner?

Yes.
Courtesy of her husband, of course

Nollywood is doing really great now. I can’t see myself going to the cinema to watch Hollywood movies except is a blockbuster.
We getting there.

bending dry fish will only lead to crumbs

Entertainment the only sector that brings Joy in the whole Nigeria.

Ibeju-Lekki, property investment destination
https://choicepropertiesblog..com/?m=1

TSRC:

Yes.
Courtesy of her husband, of course

Not really

https://medium.com/@jasonnjoku/content-is-king-how-i-ended-up-working-for-mrs-njoku-part-1-68ad784d814f

https://medium.com/@jasonnjoku/content-is-king-how-i-ended-up-working-for-mrs-njoku-part-2-ab3df711a4ae

Proffdada:
bending dry fish will only lead to crumbs

Explain ?

Champneys:
Old news!

Very stale news. Important news won't make front page on time here but snake and Regina takes less than 15 minutes

enemmo:


Not really

https://medium.com/@jasonnjoku/content-is-king-how-i-ended-up-working-for-mrs-njoku-part-1-68ad784d814f

There is.nothing in your Link.
The CNN article says the franchise belongs to Iroko TV.
Abeg we all know Jason opened the business for his wife.
And she is the smart type obviously.

TSRC:

There is.nothing in your Link.
The CNN article says the franchise belongs to Iroko TV.
Abeg we all know Jason opened the business for his wife.
And she is the smart type obviously.

I put the link to a two part medium article the husband wrote.
ROK is under iroko TV but the woman made it what it is today

Nice one

This couple done hammer big time

SocialJustice:
Very stale news. Important news won't make front page on time here but snake and Regina takes less than 15 minutes

The moderators are idio...ts!

WIN