African broadcasters need to move beyond traditional advertising and subscription models and build diversified revenue portfolios to unlock sustainable growth in an increasingly digital media environment.
This is one of the key findings from Broadcast Media Africa’s Reimagining Next for African Broadcasting industry intelligence report, which draws on discussions at the Broadcasters Convention – East Africa 2026 held in Nairobi from 26–28 May 2026.
The report highlights a growing disconnect between audience growth and broadcasters’ ability to monetise that audience effectively. While digital and mobile consumption continue to expand, broadcasters are under pressure from fragmented audiences, low advertising yields and the limited commercial returns achieved by many first-generation OTT services.
The opportunity, according to the report, lies in developing a portfolio of revenue streams rather than relying on a single business model. Opportunities identified include first-party audience data, branded content, digital advertising, and more efficient cloud-based production. First-party data is particularly important, as broadcasters need greater visibility into who is consuming their content and how audiences are engaging with it to demonstrate greater value to advertisers.
The report notes that 85% of media consumption in Kenya and Nigeria now takes place on mobile, while internet advertising is growing significantly faster than several traditional media categories. At the same time, approximately 70% of African OTT consumers reportedly prefer ad-supported services over paid subscriptions, highlighting the potential for advertising-led digital models.
For broadcasters, this points to an important strategic shift: the priority should not simply be growing audiences, but building the infrastructure and commercial capabilities needed to understand, segment and monetise those audiences.
Cloud technology could also play an important role in improving margins. The report highlights examples of shared and virtualised production environments delivering substantial reductions in production costs, potentially freeing resources to redirect toward audience data, content development, and digital growth.
The report also highlights the potential of brand-funded content and multi-territory licensing as alternatives to conventional commissioning and advertising. Such approaches could allow African producers and broadcasters to secure financing earlier while creating opportunities to distribute successful content across multiple markets.
For media executives, the message is clear: the next phase of broadcasting growth will depend less on chasing the latest platform and more on building sustainable commercial ecosystems around audiences and content.
The report recommends that broadcasters prioritise first-party audience data, diversify revenue sources and use technology to reduce production and distribution costs. For the industry, this could transform digital audiences from a scale metric into a more valuable and measurable commercial asset.
To view the brief report, including detailed analysis, data tables, regional trends and strategic recommendations, please check HERE.
To access the full report of the event, please check HERE.
