EbonyLife TV ends exclusivity with DStv, expands globally

EbonyLife TV has said that effective August 1, it will be broadcasting on StarTimes network (Satellite 191 and Digital Terrestrial 107), a leading multinational media company with a strong presence in Africa, operating in 30 countries and with over 10 million subscribers, thereby ending its exclusive arrangement with DStv.

According to the TV platform, the partnership with StarTimes is a bid to provide premium, homegrown content to a larger audience across Africa. In addition to expansion of its linear television audience, TV platform has launched a global, digital video-on-demand (VoD) service, EbonyLife ON, which allows Nigerian subscribers, who cannot afford expensive satellite TV, to watch its high-quality content for as little as N500 per month.

Thrilled about the global expansion the CEO of EbonyLife TV, Mo Abudu said, “This is an exciting time for us. StarTimes is a force to be reckoned with in Africa. It is a privilege for EbonyLife to have an additional home with the network. Together with the global reach of EbonyLife ON, we will have the potential for millions more people to enjoy our gripping dramas, riveting talk and fun entertainment shows.”

StarTimes Managing Director, Justin Zhang, shares similar sentiments with Abudu, saying: “EbonyLife TV is synonymous with quality, which is important to us. As one of Nigeria’s leading television networks, it made sense to include them in the StarTimes family and to continue delighting customers with engaging, original content.”

The collaboration, Zhang explained is a win-win for both parties. “StarTimes will improve its offering by providing an additional, first-rate channel to users and EbonyLife TV gets an opportunity to broadcast to an even greater number of viewers,” he added.EbonyLife is now available online to viewers in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Viewers in the diaspora have already been accessing the service for $2.99 per month.