FIC Secures Extended Carriage in Africa

JOHANNESBURG: FOX International Channels (FIC) continues to increase the distribution of its channel brands in Africa, recently placing eight networks on the new Nigerian pay-TV platform African Cable TV (ACTV).

The partnership between the two companies increases FIC’s reach in Africa to more than 17.3 million subscribers with up to 18,000 new subscribers added in Nigeria. FOX, FOX Crime, FX, National Geographic Gold, FOX Movies, FOX Sports, FOX Sports 2 and the toddlers channel Baby TV are available through ACTV’s direct-to-home service.

Hannelie Bekker, the managing director at FOX International Channels Africa, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with ACTV in Nigeria. The West African market is growing rapidly, and is full of possibilities for our brands and business strategy. ACTV’s Direct to Home premium package provides content to low- and middle-income subscribers, and allows us to offer our brands to even more subscribers, who will be able to enjoy our high-quality, premium content, including amazing National Geographic productions and successful series such as The Walking Dead, The Simpsons or the next big FOX series Wayward Pines.”

ACTV's CEO, Godfrey Orkeh, added: “Our vision is to ensure that low- and middle-income Nigerians can enjoy premium pay TV at a value price. That is why we are delighted to welcome the FOX portfolio of channels to our platform. FOX is known for its high-quality programming, and its rich array of offerings means that there is something for every demographic. We are proud to partner with FIC to bring these channels to our discerning audiences across Nigeria.”