Broadcasting
‘We’ll Deliver More Value to Advertisers Through Content’ MultiChoice CEO
Mr. John Ugbe, Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria, has declared that the company is committed to the production and broadcast of content that align with the consumption and technology preferences of its subscribers.
L-R: John Ugbe, CEO MultiChoice Nigeria and BON Chairman; Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee, CEO DStv Media Sales; Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, APCON Registrar; Kholeka Maringa, Head of Sales Africa, DStv Media Sales and Femi Adelusi, MIPAN President during the DMS-MIPAN Workshop tagged “Stronger together; Content & Platform” held on Wednesday 9th March, 2022
Ugbe made the declaration in Lagos on Wednesday at the annual DStv Media Sales (DMS) Workshop, held in collaboration with the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja.
He explained that the company can only retain the loyalty of its subscribers through continuous broadcast of content that meets their taste, adding that this will help strengthen the connection with customers and provide a platform for advertising.
“One of the key words that we consider central to today’s workshop is the word attention. And the only way we can attract and keep attention is by placing the right content on our platform.
“And to deliver this content depends on a lot of things such as technology, creativity around the content and the devices.
“The aim is to continue to grow the platform to a bigger platform and to attract a lot of attention. That attention will help us create a deeper connection with the audience and generate advertising revenue,” Ugbe said.
He noted that MultiChoice has been able to produce compelling content that has enjoyed huge viewership and provided a strong platform for advertisers to grow their businesses.
For example, he said, Abeg, headline sponsor of the sixth edition of the BBNaija, grew its users from 20,000 to 1.8 million after it got exposed to the show’s over 40 million viewers within three months.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of DStv Media Sales, Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee, explained that DStv Media Sales is the media buying subsidiary of MultiChoice. She noted that the company delivers it services to over 20 million households in Sub-Saharan Africa.
She added that the company prioritizes investment in technology to keep ahead of trends in content consumption and to deliver innovative solutions for businesses’ advertising needs.
In his address, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Registrar/ Chief Executive Officer of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), said the Senate Committee on Information has endorsed the recently introduced Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP).
He explained that amid the controversy surrounding AISOP, the framework was birthed by the need for a reform in the advertising industry through a standard framework to guide the interactions between advertisers and advertising agencies.
“The Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP) is a business framework that seeks to improve mutual respect, eliminate unfair advantage, unethical practices and unequitable interactions among relevant stakeholders in the industry.
“We have approached the National Assembly and we have the approval of the Senate Committee on Information to proceed with this (AISOP),”
He assured stakeholders present at the workshop that AISOP is not targeted at any group, but designed to improve industry practice standards.
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.
NIPR
The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.
He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.
Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.
The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.
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
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