Broadcasting
Lagos Defies Court Order, Slams 5% Tax on Netflix, Iroko TV, Others
Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board (LSFVB), the LSFVCB has written letters to several platforms, including Netflix and Iroko TV demanding the payment of five per cent tax.
This is despite a Federal High Court judgment barring the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board from the levying film and video producers, according to the Punch.
Justice Chuka Obiozor of a Federal High Court had in a judgment in June 2020 stated that the LSFVCB could not be collecting taxes at the same time as the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) as it amounted to double taxation.
The judge had said, “I have examined Sections 17, 21 and 25(2) of the National Film and Video Censors Board Act and Sections 23 and 24 of the Cinematograph Law Cap. C8, Laws of Lagos State, and find a case of co-existence of a federal law and a state law on the subject-matter of registration and licensing of premises for film and video exhibition. To that extent, therefore, the federal law prevails, and the law of state must go into abeyance, while the federal law subsists.”
Despite the judgment, however, the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has written letters to several digital platforms including Netflix and Iroko TV demanding five per cent.
A letter by Bamidele Balogun, executive secretary of the LSFVCB, which was addressed to Jason Njoku, managing director of Iroko TV, stated that the firm must pay five per cent on all visual and audio content.
The letter obtained by The PUNCH was dated August 31, 2020, and titled, ‘Implementation of 5% Levy On All Audio and Visual Content On All Physical and Digital Platform’.
It read in part, “We hereby request for immediate payment of the five per cent levy on all audio and visual content produced, sold, distributed, marketed, exhibited, streamed, downloaded and shared across all physical and digital platform situate, lying and being within Lagos State.
“A copy of the public notice issued earlier in this regard is herein attached. By this letter, you have been served notice as a necessary procedure and you are obliged to comply within seven days from the date of receipt of this notification.”
When contacted on the telephone, Balogun said he could not speak on the matter.
Mr. Gboyega Akosile, governor’s Spokesman, also did not respond to repeated calls on Friday.
But Rahman Raji, a member of the Creative Industry Group, said the move was appropriate as the funds raised from the new tax would be used to develop the sector.
Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, executive secretary of the NFVCB, described the new levy of the state government as wrong and inimical to the growth of the sector.
“There is an existing court judgment on that matter. The move is wrong and I will be meeting with representatives of the state soon to look into the issue,” he said.
The Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria also lambasted the Lagos State Government for going ahead with the levy despite a court judgment.
In a statement by Justin Ige, its lawyer, the AVRS said it was the only authority that could demand such from its members.
The statement read in part, “The law does not permit LSFVCB to issue levies for the performance of any function by anyone else including the production, sale, and distribution of audiovisual content as is now unlawfully attempted.
“As the Federal Government approved collective management organisation for audiovisual works, only the AVRS may issue and collect levies and royalties for the distribution, exhibition, and public performance of audiovisual works for the benefit of rights owners.”
Mr. Pretty Okafor, president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) described the new levy by the state government as illegal and wicked, adding that it would be challenged again in court.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
Paramount Africa is officially shutting down at the end of December 2025, drawing the curtain on more than two decades of operations in South Africa and Nigeria.
The company, which once reached over 100 million viewers across 52 African territories, confirmed it will close its doors as part of a massive global restructuring at its parent company, Paramount Global.
This is the same Paramount Africa behind channels like BET, MTV, MTV Base, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and more.
Its digital footprint has also been significant, with millions of monthly page views, social media engagements, and content partnerships across Africa.
But despite that scale, rising costs and a global strategic reset have caught up with the business.
Paramount’s retrenchment has been building for months.
Earlier this year, plans to launch a standalone Paramount+ app in South Africa were quietly shelved.
Then in August, the company said its content would remain available only via DStv and Showmax.
And last month, MultiChoice confirmed that BET Africa and MTV Base will disappear from DStv and GOtv on January 1, 2026, as Paramount Africa winds down entirely.
The shutdown is tied to aggressive cost-cutting after Paramount’s merger with Skydance. The company is targeting a 15% reduction in global staff and $3 billion in savings.
International divisions, including Africa, have taken the hardest hit as the business pivots away from linear TV and doubles down on a more streamlined streaming-first model.
At the same time, the global media landscape is being shaken by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chaotic auction. Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast have all submitted fresh bids for WBD, with some offers reportedly focusing on the studios-and-streaming division, home to HBO, HBO Max, DC, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Analysts say the crown jewel bundle could go for as much as $70 billion, a deal that would reshape Hollywood and accelerate the decline of traditional TV.
DStv subscribers may lose access to 12 major Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) channels, including CNN International, Discovery Channel, TLC, and Cartoon Network, from Jan. 1, 2026, if MultiChoice and WBD fail to conclude a new distribution agreement.
DStv
MultiChoice, now owned by Canal+, issued a notice to customers on Monday, warning that its current carriage deal with WBD will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, and negotiations to renew the contract remain inconclusive.
“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, several Warner Bros. Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from Jan. 1, 2026,” the company said.
The channels at risk include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and Travel Channel.
The development comes amid subscriber losses for MultiChoice, which has shed 2.8 million active linear subscribers over the last two financial years.
This includes 1.2 million customers lost in 2025 alone, representing an 8 per cent decline across South Africa and the rest of Africa.
In Nigeria, MultiChoice has lost 1.4 million subscribers in the past two years, largely due to repeated subscription price increases, according to Nairametrics.
The broadcaster is also set to lose additional content in the coming months. Paramount Africa will discontinue BET Africa and MTV Base from Jan. 1, 2026, while CBS Reality and CBS Justice will cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025.
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