MultiChoice’s Business Transcends Entertainment—CEO

MultiChoice Nigeria’s business has evolved beyond entertainment, with the company positioning itself as a broader participant in Nigeria’s creative economy, local talent, content production, technology and infrastructure, according to its Chief Executive Officer, Kemi Omotosho. Omotosho said that after more than three decades in Nigeria, MultiChoice had evolved from primarily bringing entertainment into Nigerian homes to becoming part of a wider ecosystem involving producers, actors, production crews, dealers, installers and small businesses.

“When people turn on DStv or GOtv, they see the finished product. What they don’t always see is the entire Nigerian ecosystem behind that screen

“We are not just distributing content; we are investing in the people, businesses and infrastructure that help Nigeria’s creative economy grow,” she said.

Her comments come as MultiChoice operates under a new ownership structure following its integration into CANAL+, the global media and entertainment group headquartered in France and operating across 70 countries, in September 2025. Omotosho said the new structure gives MultiChoice Nigeria access to greater scale, technology, content and international expertise while retaining its local focus.

“I would describe MultiChoice Nigeria as a deeply Nigerian business with the strength of a global group behind it,” she said.

According to her, the company’s products, content and commercial strategies remain shaped by Nigerian realities, while its local operation retains significant flexibility over products, pricing, distribution, content and customer experience.

“Nigeria is not a market where you can simply take something that works elsewhere and assume it will work here,” she said.

That local orientation is reflected in platforms such as Big Brother Naija and the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, which showcase Nigerian and African stories, talent and culture to audiences across the continent.

The MultiChoice Talent Factory is also developing young filmmakers and production professionals, providing skills to help them build careers and businesses.

Omotosho said local investment was “fundamental” to MultiChoice’s future in Nigeria, adding that the company wanted to produce content Nigerians would be proud to watch while ensuring that Nigerian stories could travel across Africa and the world.

“Nigeria has the talent to be a global creative powerhouse, and we want MultiChoice to play an important role in making that happen,” she said.

She also linked the company’s fight against piracy to protecting the wider creative economy, arguing that piracy affects not only MultiChoice but producers, actors and the many workers whose livelihoods depend on content retaining commercial value.

According to her, MultiChoice is working with the Nigerian Copyright Commission and the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy to curb piracy and educate the public about its wider consequences.

Omotosho said MultiChoice’s long presence in Nigeria remained an advantage as competition intensified across the entertainment industry, citing its established brands, strong local content, extensive distribution network and relationships with producers, creatives and partners.

But she acknowledged that longevity alone was insufficient.

“We still have to earn our customers every day by delivering great content, value, affordability and a strong customer experience,” she said.

For Omotosho, MultiChoice’s next phase is about combining the scale of its global ownership with the local knowledge and creative investment that have defined its Nigerian presence.

The ambition, she said, is to remain deeply connected to Nigeria while using the reach of its global group to take Nigerian talent, stories and creative products to wider audiences.