Photograph — joblanda.com

Only weeks after several Nigerian staff members of iROKO were laid off, the company has just recorded a major achievement in its history. According to a press release, the internet TV pioneer will launch its own global content distribution and licensing division, iROKO Global. This means that aside from streaming Nollywood movies online, it will license its extensive library of Nollywood films and Television series, both online and offline, to audiences across key market spaces all over the world, through Pay Television (like DStv, Startimes, GoTv), Internet Television, Inflight and Youtube channels.

iROKOtv, which began operations in 2011, has branches in Lagos, London, New York and Johannesburg. However, iROKO Global will operate from a station in the United Kingdom and all activities therein will be overseen by Associated Press’ former Director of Sales for Europe and Africa, Justin Powell, who is the Senior Vice President, Distribution at iROKO Global. From its UK location, it hopes to partner with major media outlets in the United States, United Kingdom and France, to allow them promote the content iROKOtv represents.

iROKOtv has recorded several successes over the years as a tech company focused on the Nigerian movie industry. According to TechCabal, CEO and Founder of the company, Jason Njoku believes that in order to survive, iROKO will have to keep reinventing itself several times over to adjust to market realities.

At the official launch, the CEO, iROKOtv, maintained that the principal goal of the company is to create easy access to Nollywood movies and with the emergence of iROKO Global, that goal has included the widespread reach to other locations where the Nollywood industry is yet to make a name for itself.

“Since 2011, we’ve connected with hundreds of thousands of Nollywood fans through our consumer platform, iROKOtv.com, but now is the time to extend our reach and showcase our content to millions more. Having forensically tracked the growth of interest in African content across the globe, we predict that iROKO Global will generate a strong revenue stream for us and will help cement our position as Africa’s leading entertainment brand”, Njoku said.

Also at the official launch, Justine Powell spoke on the African entertainment industry and how it has been undervalued for in recent times while making it clear that iROKO Global is committed to bringing the best of Nollywood to more fans across all platforms on a global scale. “The gains Nollywood has made in the last five years has been staggering. Building on this momentum,and giving Nollywood the international platform it deserves, iROKO Global will be making the best content the industry has to offer available to its largest audience yet”, she said.

It is expected that with the emergence of iROKO Global, the company will not only increase its reach but will become even more popular and transcend into a global brand like its American counterparts, HBO and Netflix. Also, the company will have to consider pricing as well as top-notch content, if it hopes to get the attention and continuous patronage of global markets.

iROKO Global boasts of several collaborations with Star Times, Canal, Nollywood TV, Lebara, Vox Africa, Zuku, British Airways, Emirates, The Africa Channel, South African Airways and The Nollywood Channel.

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