The growing fragmentation of Africa’s television landscape is creating a significant commercial opportunity for broadcasters and content producers that own the rights to their programming, according to new industry intelligence from Broadcast Media Africa.
The report, From Spots to Streams: How African Broadcasters Are Rebuilding the Business of Television Across Linear, OTT and FAST, identifies content ownership as one of the most important forces shaping the future economics of African television. As audiences move between linear television, OTT platforms, social media and FAST services, ownership of intellectual property is giving local media businesses greater flexibility to distribute and monetise their programming across multiple platforms.
The report’s findings suggest that the commercial value of content increasingly extends well beyond its first broadcast. A programme that once generated revenue primarily through a television advertising window can now be repackaged, licensed, syndicated or redistributed through multiple digital channels, creating opportunities for recurring income from a single production.
This is particularly important for African content producers facing increasing competition for advertising revenue. Rather than treating content as a one-off production expense, the report highlights the opportunity to develop programming as a long-term commercial asset, with strong storytelling and extended shelf life allowing productions to continue generating value years after their initial release.
The report cites testimony from a West African content company that maintains ownership of approximately 70–80% of its catalogue. Its strategy shows how retaining intellectual property can free companies to distribute content through linear television, SVOD, YouTube and FAST without depending on a single platform.
For African broadcasters, this points towards a fundamental shift in how content investment should be viewed. The opportunity is no longer simply to produce programmes that fill a broadcast schedule, but to develop valuable intellectual property that can travel across platforms, territories and revenue models.
Distribution is becoming equally important. The report highlights localisation, including dubbing, as a way for African content owners to enter neighbouring language markets and reach diaspora audiences. Partnerships with telecommunications operators, streaming platforms, aggregators and other distributors can further expand the commercial footprint of locally owned content.
This also creates opportunities for broadcasters and producers to develop new revenue relationships with advertisers. The report points to brand integration, where advertisers can help fund productions in exchange for their brands being incorporated into relevant stories, providing an additional source of production financing beyond conventional advertising.
Benjamin Pius, CEO of Broadcast Media Africa, said the changing television landscape presents an opportunity for African media companies to rethink the value of what they produce. “Content ownership gives African broadcasters something that platforms cannot easily replace: an asset they can continue to distribute, license and monetise. The opportunity is to move from producing content simply for a broadcast slot to building intellectual property portfolios that can generate value across multiple platforms and markets.”
The report argues that this shift could be particularly significant as African audiences increasingly consume content across a combination of traditional and digital platforms. Rather than viewing linear television, OTT and FAST as competing destinations, broadcasters can use each platform to extend the reach and commercial lifespan of their content.
As the industry moves from the traditional “30-second spot” toward diversified revenue models, the report concludes that content ownership could become one of the most valuable assets in Africa’s evolving television ecosystem.
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.
