Broadcasting
Senate Passes Copyright Bill to Boost Creative Industry
The Nigerian Senate has passed the Bill for an Act to Repeal the Copyright Act, Cap C28 LFN, 2004 and Enact the Copyright Act to Provide for the Regulation, Protection and Administration of Copyright; and for Related Matters, as amended.
Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Lawal, CON, sitting as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, emphasised the importance of the Copyright Bill to the development of the creative industries and sustainable wealth creation in the national economy.
He took the distinguished members carefully through the 107 clauses of the Bill and its schedule, leading eventually to its passage.
The Bill, which was laid before the Red Chamber by Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, was the outcome of the harmonisation carried out by the Senate Joint Committee on Trade and Investment; Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The Joint Committee had considered the Private Member Bill (SB 688) sponsored by Senator Mukhail A. Abiru (Lagos East Senatorial District) and the Executive Bill (SB 769) sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (Kebbi North Senatorial District), both of which were presented in 2021 to repeal the Copyright Act Cap C28, LFN, 2004 and to enact the Copyright Act, and for matters connected therewith.
Presenting the Report of the Joint Committee, Senator Bamidele explained that the Bill sought to provide for a holistic review of the policy and legal framework for the effective regulation, protection and administration of copyright in Nigeria in line with global best practices.
In his words: “The overriding intents and purports of the Bill are to ensure that the Nigerian Copyright Commission, which is the statutory agency of Government saddled with the responsibilities for the promotion of the use of the copyright system, as a tool for advancing the growth of the creative industry in Nigeria, is properly repositioned and strengthened in order to harness the potentials of creativity for national development, particularly in today’s digital environment.”
Commenting further, Senator Bamidele stated that the four cardinal objectives of the Bill include: (a) strengthen the copyright regime in Nigeria to enhance the competitiveness of its creative industries in a digital and knowledge-based global economy; (b) effectively protect the rights of authors to ensure just rewards and recognition for their intellectual efforts while also providing appropriate limitations and exceptions to guarantee access to creative works; encourage cultural interchange and advance public welfare; (c) facilitate Nigeria’s compliance with obligations arising from relevant international copyright treaties; and (d) enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Copyright Commission for effective administration and enforcement of the provisions of the Copyright Act.
While urging the distinguished senators to favourably consider the Bill, Senator Bamidele lamented that due to the inability of successive governments to update the copyright law in Nigeria, many businesses had disappeared and many creative experts in Nigeria were deprived of their legitimate rights to earn a living from their creative works.
He also noted the adverse consequences of the weak administrative and legal framework, low criminal sanctions, inadequate pre-emptive provisions and the huge scale of copyright piracy and other copyright abuses.
He, therefore, expressed optimism that the Bill would meet the expectations of stakeholders to streamline Nigerian copyright law with current realities and make room for more effective regulation, promotion and protection of the copyright of Nigerians.
Speaking after the passage of the Bill, the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi congratulated the two Committees that worked on the Bill for work well done in harmonising the Private Member Bill and the Executive Bill to produce an excellent outcome.
Reacting, the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, (NCC), Dr. John O. Asein, who was at the Senate to observe proceedings, described the passage of the Bill as a watershed in the development of copyright law in Nigeria, describing it as the first successful legislative intervention in the field of intellectual property under a democratic regime.
He expressed appreciation to the leadership of the Senate and the distinguished senators for the commitment demonstrated throughout the legislative process to complement the efforts of Government to overhaul the copyright system. Dr. Asein also thanked stakeholders in the copyright industries for their resilience and support for the reform process.
Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.
Netflix
The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.
“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.
The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.
Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”
Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.
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.
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