Broadcasting
Are Audio Streaming Platforms in Your Marketing Mix? They Should be
By Mark Redguard, Audio & Mobile Partner Director, Ad Dynamo by Aleph
Walk down the streets of any major city around the world and take a look at all the people you pass along the way. Chances are you’ll see more people wearing earphones and headphones, in all of their shapes and sizes, than not. Most of those people, whether they’re consuming music or podcasts, will be listening through an audio streaming platform.
Mark Redguard, Audio & Mobile Partner Director, Ad Dynamo by Aleph
In fact, Spotify’s 500 million-plus users spent more than 132 billion hours streaming audio on the platform in 2022. And that’s just Spotify. Factor in other platforms, including the likes of Mdundo and Audiomack, and the numbers become truly astronomical. Africa isn’t immune to the embrace of music streaming either. According to Statista, music streaming revenue is set to grow more than nine percent a year over the next four years, aided by constantly improving levels of connectivity.
That growth in audio streaming across the continent doesn’t just represent an opportunity for artists and streaming platforms. It’s also a powerful opportunity for brands to market to their customers in new, innovative, and effective ways.
Reach, elevated engagement, and personalisation
Before looking at how brands can make use of those opportunities, it’s worth looking at some of the advantages that marketing on audio streaming platforms offers.
One of the biggest advantages that advertising on audio streaming platforms offers is that it allows advertisers to reach their customers wherever they are and whatever they’re doing. Unlike traditional radio, which is largely restricted to people’s homes and vehicles, people can listen to audio streaming when they’re commuting on public transport, working out, or even just going for a walk. Given the growing importance of meeting customers where they are, that’s a powerful incentive to embrace marketing through audio streaming all on its own.
But ads on audio streaming platforms can also be more engaging. There are fewer screen-related distractions (especially if the listener is doing something that doesn’t allow them to scroll on their device at the same time), and audio also feeds the listener’s imagination. In fact, research from shows found that “digital audio listeners have an elevated listening experience compared to broadcast radio, resulting in more memorability, engagement, and emotional intensity.”
Adding to this increased engagement is the fact that audio-streaming ads can be highly personalised according to the listener’s interests. That can then be further refined by age and location, ensuring that people only hear the adverts that are most relevant to them.
Sounding out the right partner
It should be clear then that audio streaming platforms have a lot to offer from an advertising perspective and can be a powerful addition to any company’s marketing mix. But if you’re going to get the most out of adding audio-streaming ads to your mix, it’s important to do so with the right partner.
Ideally, you should look to work with a partner who has extensive experience working with the streaming platforms most relevant to your target customers. Moreover, they should be able to help you produce the most effective marketing content tailored to those platforms.
For whichever platform you’re advertising on, that also means having an innate understanding of all the available ad formats. These include audio ads but may also extend to things like video takeovers, sponsored sessions, and display ads. Remember, while audio is the largest component of any streaming platform, people still have to open the app and scroll to get to the content they want. Implemented effectively, all of these formats can be brought together to ensure your marketing messaging is delivered to maximum effect.
For the love of listening
Right now, audio-streaming services play an incredibly important role in day-to-day media consumption around the world, including in Africa. And as connectivity becomes ever more ubiquitous and affordable, that role will only increase. As such, any business wanting to really meet its customers where they are should embrace the marketing opportunities that they present.
Broadcasting
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
Following an expanded partnership between CANAL+ and Samsung Electronics, the DStv Stream app will now be pre-installed on new Samsung Smart TVs sold in Nigeria and 17 other African countries.
The agreement covers English and Portuguese-speaking African markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It marks the first pre-installation rollout of a MultiChoice Group streaming application on Samsung Smart TVs.
The development comes after the completion of the combination between CANAL+ and MultiChoice Group. It also extends an existing relationship between both companies that already spans 40 markets across Europe, French-speaking Africa, and Asia.
Through the integration, Samsung customers can now access DStv Stream directly from the television home screen. The app provides access to premium sports and entertainment content, including coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, English Premier League football, domestic and international rugby, and local and international television programming.
With the introduction of this connected television which kicked off on June 1, televisions can now connect to the internet, allowing users to stream content directly without requiring a separate decoder or satellite dish. The pre-installation of the app removes the need for users to search for and download it themselves, reducing friction and improving content discoverability.
The rollout is one of the first major distribution initiatives following the integration of CANAL+ and MultiChoice. The combined group has identified streaming growth and enhanced digital distribution as key priorities across Africa, where connected television adoption continues to increase.
David Mignot, CEO of CANAL+ Africa and CEO of MultiChoice Group, affirmed, “We are delighted to extend our longstanding partnership with Samsung across new English and Portuguese-speaking African countries. It marks a significant milestone in the synergies created by the combination of CANAL+ and MultiChoice Group.
“Mignot added, “As viewing habits continue to evolve rapidly across the continent, strengthening the accessibility and discoverability of our content offer on connected devices is key. By expanding the availability of our applications on Samsung Smart TVs across key African markets, we are making it even easier for millions of MultiChoice Group’s subscribers to seamlessly access the content that define the uniqueness of the CANAL+ and MultiChoice Group experience.”
This extended partnership is expected to strengthen Samsung’s position as a key distribution partner for streaming services globally while providing CANAL+ and MultiChoice with a broader route to market as competition intensifies among international and regional streaming platforms across Africa.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) challenging a Federal High Court judgment that restrained the commission from imposing fines on broadcast stations.
Delivering judgment, Justice Jane Esienanwan Inyang held that the appeal was fundamentally defective and therefore incompetent.
The appeal stemmed from a Jan. 17, 2024 judgment delivered by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which barred the NBC from enforcing N5 million fines imposed on several broadcast stations in 2022.
The sanctions had been issued over allegations that the stations aired documentaries on banditry and insecurity considered by the commission to be capable of undermining national security.
The affected broadcasters included Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of DStv, TelCom Satellite Limited, Trust TV Network Limited and NTA StarTimes Limited.
The suit was instituted by Media Rights Agenda (MRA), which challenged the legality of the fines imposed by the commission.
In her ruling, Justice Inyang pointed to a discrepancy in the appeal documents, noting that the respondent before the Federal High Court was listed as the “National Broadcasting Commission,” while the notice of appeal identified the appellant as the “Nigerian Broadcasting Commission.”
According to the court, the inconsistency was substantial enough to deprive it of the jurisdiction required to entertain the appeal.
“The notice of appeal is the foundation of an appeal and a condition precedent to the exercise of appellate jurisdiction by this court,” the judge held.
Consequently, the appeal was struck out without consideration of the substantive issues raised by the commission.
The ruling represents another setback for the NBC in its efforts to defend its authority to sanction broadcast organisations through administrative fines.
In April 2026, the Court of Appeal similarly dismissed a separate appeal by the commission against another judgment that restricted its powers to impose fines on broadcasters.
Earlier, in May 2023, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the NBC lacked the judicial authority to impose penalties on media organisations without recourse to the courts.
The controversy over the commission’s sanctioning powers dates back to March 2019 when the NBC imposed N500,000 fines on 45 broadcast stations for alleged violations of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code during the general elections.
At the time, the then Director-General of the commission, Is’haq Kawu, said the sanctions were imposed for ethical breaches and violations of broadcasting regulations.
Legal analysts say the latest judgment reinforces previous court decisions limiting the commission’s authority to impose fines on broadcasters without judicial intervention.
Nigeria has launched FreeTV, a broadcasting platform, designed to provide households across the country with free access to digital broadcasting, improved picture quality, and a wide range of local and international content without subscription fees.
The announcement was made in a post on the official X handle of the Presidency, describing the initiative as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises inclusion, expanded access to opportunities, job creation, support for local enterprise and the use of technology to improve daily life for citizens.
According to the statement, FreeTV forms part of Nigeria’s Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme and is intended to ensure that no Nigerian is excluded as the country transitions fully from analogue to digital broadcasting.
The platform will offer access to more than 100 national, regional and state-owned channels, covering news, sports, films, music, children’s programming, educational content, as well as dedicated Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo language channels.
The Presidency noted that the service will be accessible through satellite, terrestrial transmission and a dedicated FreeTV mobile application, enabling coverage for users in urban centres, rural communities and previously underserved areas that were not fully captured in earlier DSO pilot phases.
It also clarified that Nigerians will not need to purchase new television sets to access the service. Existing televisions can work with compatible DVB-T2 or DVB-S2 decoders, while users with already compatible free-to-air devices may not require additional equipment.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Charles Ebuebu, director-general, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), said the initiative reflects the administration’s broader digital inclusion strategy.
“FreeTV speaks directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of Renewed Hope towards expanding access, creating opportunity and ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or income, can benefit from the digital economy. With FreeTV, families across Nigeria can enjoy quality digital television without a monthly subscription, while our local content producers, technicians and young creatives gain new platforms and new jobs,” he said.
The statement added that the platform will also strengthen Nigeria’s creative and broadcast industry through regional production hubs in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Benin, creating employment opportunities for content creators, editors, camera operators, sound engineers and other media professionals.
The Presidency further disclosed that the final analogue switch-off remains scheduled for December 31, 2028, urging Nigerians to begin preparations by confirming decoder compatibility and downloading the FreeTV mobile application ahead of rollout.
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