The comedian and actor AY Makun has offered his opinions on the ongoing issue surrounding Netflix’s purported decision to stop supporting original films from Nigeria.
When filmmaker Kunle Afolayan disclosed that Netflix had ceased commissioning Nigerian original content, the debate started. This raised questions regarding the streaming behemoth’s dedication to the Nigerian market.
The comedian stressed that Netflix is not leaving the Nigerian market in an interview with Nollywood on Radio.
Instead, the actor stated that he thinks the streaming behemoth is probably changing its strategy because of financial issues.
Makun claims that Netflix needs to reevaluate its business strategy because its expenditures in the Nigerian market have outpaced its revenue.
The filmmaker added that the cause of Netflix’s struggles in Nigeria is the widespread practice of subscription sharing and low subscription rates.
He argued that with a population of over 200 million people, Nigeria has a relatively small number of Netflix subscribers, “estimated to be around 300,000”.
Makun said the discrepancy suggests that many Nigerians are accessing Netflix content through shared subscriptions, rather than purchasing individual subscriptions.
“I had a meeting with Netflix recently and it was never mentioned to me that they are opting out of business in this part of the world,” he said.
“At the last meeting, we discussed my next project and how they can be a part of it. I also do not want to believe strongly that they are leaving Nigeria.
“There is no way they would leave just the way people are saying it. The truth is if you are doing business in a particular region and you are not making money but spending much more than you making, you would want to re-strategise. That is what is going on with their system and structure.
“…Most of these things do not really deal with the filmmakers alone, it has to do with us as Nigerians. For example, the subscription basis for Netflix in a country that has a population of over 200 million people is just about 300,000 so there is a leakage somewhere that needs to be corrected.
“…You would see a person with a Netflix subscription sharing with several people, so that’s the problem. It is not just about the filmmakers.”
