The CANAL+ group announces the acquisition of the production, content distribution, and channel publishing activities of IROKO PARTNERS, thereby strengthening its activities in content produced in Nigeria, one of the world's most prolific film industries and a genre that is hugely popular with African audiences on the continent and in the diaspora.
This acquisition covers three businesses:
– ROK Studios, Nigeria's leading producer with more than 500 hours of new films and series per year and a catalog totaling more than 2,000 hours. ROK Studios is headed by Mary Njoku, an iconic figure in the rise of "Nollywood." A successful actress from the age of 17 ("Home Sickness," "Blackberry Babes," etc.), Mary Njoku then moved on to directing ("Single Ladies," "Festac Town," etc.), then to production after a stint at the London Film Academy.
– Distribution of proprietary and third-party Nollywood content to operators, particularly digital operators, worldwide.
– Publishing and distribution of four channels (under the ROK brand) broadcast in English-speaking Africa and in the UK via Sky.
Since 2013, the CANAL+ Group has been publishing and distributing the Nollywood TV channel (the leading African fiction channel), followed by Nollywood Epic, both of which are included in the group's offerings in Africa and beyond.
This acquisition, a key step in CANAL+'s international development, enables the Group to be present across the entire value chain of the Nollywood industry and to acquire unique expertise in the industrial production of African fiction—films, series, and animation.
In parallel with this agreement, the CANAL+ group is maintaining its stake in IROKO Partners (led by Jason Njoku), which will continue to develop Iroko's SVOD business.
Press release