IROKO Play & IROKO Plus Added to Africa’s StarTimes Pay-TV Platform

CANNES: The Nollywood entertainment channels IROKO Play and IROKO Plus have secured carriage on StarTimes, the leading African pay-TV platform.

Both channels are being added to the StarTimes Basic Bouquet. IROKO Play will air classic Nollywood movies from 2007 onward. New movies will be added to the schedule each month. IROKO Plus, meanwhile, will broadcast premium Nollywood films from 2011 onward, with additional offerings coming on a weekly basis. Both channels also feature behind-the-scenes interviews and magazine shows.

Jason Njoku, the CEO of IROKO, said: “Launching IROKO Play and IROKO Plus on StarTimes is an exciting milestone for IROKO. We’re known primarily for leading OTT content delivery across Africa through IROKOtv.com, but with digital migration spreading rapidly throughout the continent, now is the right time for us to diversify our distribution model and expand into the linear TV market. StarTimes are very much focused on bringing the very best entertainment to as many people as possible at an affordable price an ethos that is close to our hearts, which is why this new landmark partnership is so befitting.”

Michael Dearham, the VP of StarTimes, added: “The deal with IROKO is a significant advance in our quest to become the home of premier African film and television content. Throughout the global African Diaspora, IROKO is synonymous with high-quality, cutting-edge Nollywood filmed entertainment and their extensive catalogue of prime-time Nollywood movies resonates well with StarTimes’ vision to provide every African family access to high-quality digital entertainment. Our exclusive partnership with IROKO allows us to nurture an 'axis of content excellence,' as well as more clearly differentiate our value proposition which in turn gives us the means to deliver the very best Nollywood movies and series to our subscriber-base.”