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DISCOP Johannesburg Edition
WWW.WORLDSCREEN.COM
THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA • NOVEMBER 2018
Selling to Africa / EbonyLife’s Mo Abudu
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CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2018/DISCOP JOHANNESBURG EDITION DEPARTMENTS WORLD VIEW By Anna Carugati.
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Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise Group Editorial Director Anna Carugati
UPFRONTS 12 New content on the market.
Editor Mansha Daswani Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski
NETWORK SCORECARD 29 Ratings for all the shows on U.S. network television. WORLD’S END In the stars.
Managing Editor Joanna Padovano Tong Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari
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Associate Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Rafael Blanco Editorial Assistant, Spanish-Language Publications Jessica Ávila Contributing Editor Elizabeth Guider Production & Design Director Victor L. Cuevas Online Director Simon Weaver Art Director Phyllis Q. Busell Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Coordinator Nathalia Lopez Business Affairs Manager Andrea Moreno Contributing Writers Steve Clarke Andy Fry Jane Marlow Joanna Stephens Jay Stuart David Wood Copy Editor Amy Canonico
20 WORLD SCREEN is published ten times per year: January, February, March, April, May, June/July, September, October, November and December. Annual subscription price: Inside the U.S.: $90.00 Outside the U.S.: $160.00 Send checks, company information and address corrections to: WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, Suite 1207 New York, NY 10010, U.S.A. For a free subscription to our newsletters, please visit www.subscriptions.ws.
SPECIAL REPORT
20 TIME TO SHINE The African media landscape is reaching new heights, creating a range of opportunities for distributors.
SPOTLIGHT
26 EBONYLIFE’S MO ABUDU The CEO talks about the gains EbonyLife has made since its creation five years ago. 8 WORLD SCREEN 11/18
Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development WORLD SCREEN is a registered trademark of WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, Suite 1207 New York, NY 10010, U.S.A. Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.worldscreen.com ©2018 WSN INC. Printed by Fry Communications No part of this publication can be used, reprinted, copied or stored in any medium without the publisher’s authorization.
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WORLD VIEW
BY ANNA CARUGATI
The Stories That Unite Us Autumn is typically the time of year when a slew of new TV shows premiere and the studios announce their holiday season films. In today’s smorgasbord, I find it helpful to read up on what’s coming, or what I just missed, to avoid the vexing and time-consuming process of, Oh yes, I heard about that, now where can I find it? I was recently leafing through a magazine that listed new fall series and films and experienced that disconcerting feeling that I would never find time to watch them all. As I was reading, that now-familiar mix of frustration and anticipation was accompanied by a flash of confusion—had the magazine printed incorrect information? Weren’t these movies they were talking about, not series? And surely in the section of upcoming feature films, they had listed TV series by mistake. Beau Willimon, of House of Cards fame, has a sci-fi drama about a mission to colonize Mars starring Sean Penn. It must be a movie, right? Wrong. The First is a series that premiered on Hulu in September. OK, well, if Jim Carrey is teaming up again with director Michel Gondry—they made Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind together—they are making another movie, right? Wrong. Carrey is in Kidding on Showtime. Well, this definitely is a movie: Escape at Dannemora, based on the prison break in upstate New York in 2015, starring Benicio Del Toro, Paul Dano and Patricia Arquette and directed by Ben Stiller. Nope, it’s a limited series for Showtime. But surely the psychological thriller Homecoming starring Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney—who co-starred in My Best Friend’s Wedding—is a movie. Wrong again. It’s a drama that bows on Amazon this month. It’s from Sam Esmail, creator of Mr. Robot. Then for sure, Mr. Robot star Rami Malek is bringing Freddie Mercury back to life in a TV show. Nope; Bohemian Rhapsody is a movie. And Claire Foy, who enchanted us in The Crown, is assuming the role of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spider’s Web for the small screen? No, it’s a feature film. It’s increasingly difficult to distinguish a movie from a TV series just by looking at the talent involved! In front of or behind the camera, they move back and forth between film and TV constantly; in fact, much more so than they used to. It wasn’t that long ago that film was considered the higher art form. Film still provides that unique experience of enjoying a story that has a beginning, middle and end, but because so many studios are focusing on franchises and blockbusters, the best character-driven stories have moved to television. How lucky we viewers are with so much to choose from, even though selecting and finding TV series is sometimes overwhelming. And choice is migrating across the
We have been witnessing
how stories from other lands and cultures can spread like wildfire.
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globe. Once multichannel pay-TV providers were only available in developed countries. Now, thanks to multitiered offerings, non-credit-card payment options and less expensive streaming services, more choice is becoming available everywhere. As we learn in the feature in this issue, the pay-TV business in Africa is growing. Some 10 million SVOD subscribers across sub-Saharan Africa are expected by 2023; in 2017 there were only 1.6 million. And, like consumers in other countries, subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa crave scripted drama. Many of the same series that are enthralling viewers in Europe, the U.S. and India are capturing the imaginations of Africans across the continent. While audiences everywhere enjoy local stories and seeing themselves reflected in TV series, we have been witnessing how stories from other lands and cultures can spread like wildfire. I moderated a panel at MIPCOM with three of the most successful showrunners/executive producers working in television: Lorenzo Mieli of The Young Pope fame and the upcoming My Brilliant Friend; Eric Newman, showrunner of Narcos, the critically acclaimed series about the war on the cocaine trade; and Álex Pina, creator and executive producer of La casa de papel, which had a somewhat lackluster airing on Antena 3 in Spain and then burst onto the international scene as Money Heist on Netflix. I find this indicative of the power of storytelling and universal themes. For as much as political leaders and parties in several nations are fueling divisiveness, viewers across countries and cultures are finding common ground in the beautifully crafted, thought-provoking dramas that speak to our shared humanity. All of us recognize ourselves in flawed characters on TV that are just trying to do their best. OK, I’m not saying we are all drug-trafficking terrorists, masterminds of elaborate bank heists or autocratic popes. But the onion-layered, complex characters and themes of power, greed, ambition and even redemption in today’s high-end dramas resonate with viewers everywhere. In this issue, we also speak to Mo Abudu, the CEO of EbonyLife Media, a powerhouse in Nigeria’s film and television industry that operates a production studio, a pay-TV channel and an OTT platform. She strongly believes that Nollywood’s storytelling is ripe to be exported around the world. More than ever before, exciting and addictive stories are just as likely to come from different countries and cultures as from our own. The only problem? There’s even more to choose from!
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UPFRONTS
ABS-CBN Corporation
The Good Son
Betrayal / The Good Son / Wildflower Starring Jericho Rosales (The Promise), Betrayal leads ABS-CBN Corporation’s slate for DISCOP Johannesburg. The company is also offering up The Good Son, its most-watched investigative family drama, and Wildflower, a high-rating revenge drama led by Maja Salvador. “The African market has great significance to us; that is why our presence is very vital at DISCOP every year,” says Laarni Yu, sales head at ABS-CBN Corporation. “We believe that these programs will appeal to African buyers because they provide excellent content with characters that are authentic, inspiring and empowering. These dramas are very relatable to the African market as they tell stories of families with unwavering faith, hope and resilience. We create stories with moral values that touch and transform lives on deeply personal yet universal levels.”
“Our dramas are very well received in Africa, and we want to continue being the leading provider of Filipino content in this market.” —Laarni Yu
ATV Lifeline / Broken Lives / Foster Mother With a second season having recently debuted in Turkey, Lifeline is one of the highlights being promoted by ATV at DISCOP Johannesburg. “There is huge interest from international markets, and we believe that the number of territories [it has sold into] will be increased very soon,” says Emir Düzel, the company’s content sales deputy manager. Also being showcased is Broken Lives, which centers on a pair of female police officers, played by Hande Doğandemir and Funda Eryiğit. “The story is about two women who struggle to cope with their unfortunate pasts,” says Düzel. “They’ll find themselves in a situation where they have to cling together to move on.” Then there is Foster Mother, which looks at the importance of family from the perspective of a child.
Broken Lives
“We would like to continue our success [in Africa] and be in the market permanently.” —Emir Düzel
Calinos Entertainment
Woman
Woman / Our Story / The Girl Named Feriha Strong female characters take center stage in the series Woman, Our Story and The Girl Named Feriha. These three dramas are among the titles that are being presented by Istanbul-based distributor Calinos Entertainment to international buyers at DISCOP Johannesburg. These programs will appeal to African buyers “because they all contain everyday life stories that the majority of African audiences can relate to,” says Ismail Dursunov, the company’s deputy general manager. “We share similarities when it comes to strong family values, family ties and different class relations in society.” Calinos Entertainment has attended DISCOP Johannesburg before and is enthusiastic about returning to the South African city. “Apart from selling TV content, we have big projects and collaborations aligned,” adds Dursunov.
“Africa is a really fascinating region; we are very thrilled to explore all its different countries and develop new business in the region.” —Ismail Dursunov 12 WORLD SCREEN 11/18
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Caracol Internacional Mom of Number 10 / The Queen of Flow / Bolivar The mother of a young football player is the central character in Mom of Number 10, one of Caracol Internacional’s titles on offer at the South African market. The company is also showcasing The Queen of Flow, about a talented young woman who pays a wrongful sentence in a New York prison, and Bolivar, which tells the story of the leader’s life before he became famous. “Being present in this market is an opportunity to position our brand and our products [for] the expanding and demanding African audience,” says Paloma García, sales executive at the company. “Caracol’s content is perfect for the African screen due to the similarities with Latin American culture. Our content has been on the continent for more than ten years, creating a bond between Caracol’s trademark, our clients and the viewers.”
The Queen of Flow
“We believe Africa is a key territory with enormous potential for our business and have attended DISCOP Joburg for more than five years.” —Paloma García
GMA Worldwide
The Way to Your Heart
The Way to Your Heart / Legally Blind / Impostora GMA Worldwide returns to DISCOP Johannesburg with the hopes of penetrating additional countries in Africa. “We have licensed more than 2,000 hours of content in this region,” says VP Roxanne J. Barcelona. “We have regular clients from Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya, and emerging opportunities in Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Botswana.” The company is offering up The Way to Your Heart, a drama focused on a mother’s love for her two daughters; Legally Blind, about an attorney who has lost her vision; and Impostora, a remake of GMA’s hit drama from 2007. “Our top-selling drama programs, while retaining common elements like family, romance and relationships, feature risqué themes like polygamy, abuse, mental illness, AIDS, etc.,” says Barcelona. “We think this is what is interesting to the African market.”
“Aside from our top-rating Englishdubbed dramas, we are preselling fresh new dramas for the African market.” —Roxanne J. Barcelona
Inter Medya
Endless Love
The Pit / Endless Love / Exathlon The Turkish drama The Pit is set against the backdrop of Çukur, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Istanbul that is ruled by the Koçova family. Endless Love, meanwhile, tells the story of a man from a middle-class family and a woman from an affluent part of the same neighborhood. It follows as their love tries to triumph over their differences. “The production quality of our titles is world-class, and the strength of their stories is quite wellaccepted worldwide,” says Can Okan, the founder and CEO of Inter Medya. “We believe another strength of the Turkish dramas in our catalog is that they are fast-moving and very exciting.” In the way of formats, a highlight is Exathlon, a competitive reality show that features the athletic battle between two teams.
“Turkish series are extremely popular everywhere because of their high production qualities, intriguing and dramatic storylines, and well-known cast members.”
—Can Okan
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Mondo TV Heidi Bienvenida / Invention Story / Robot Trains The live-action series Heidi Bienvenida a Casa and Heidi Bienvenida al Show feature as their central character a young girl who moves from her rural home to the big city. The shows target viewers 8 to 12. The animated series Invention Story, for an audience of kids 5 to 9, centers on a freethinking rabbit inventor living in Carrot Town. For a younger demo of children 3 to 5, Robot Trains is an animated series set in Train World, where there are special trains that can transform into robots. A second season of Robot Trains is on offer from Mondo TV. Sissi the Young Empress, meanwhile, is meant for an audience of 4- to 8-year-olds and features a female central character in a romantic storyline, with themes of adventure, a bit of magic and mystery. Robot Trains
NBCUniversal International Distribution New Amsterdam / The Enemy Within / The Titan Games Two new dramas, New Amsterdam and The Enemy Within, are among the highlights from NBCUniversal International Distribution for DISCOP Johannesburg. “Both are characterdriven shows with high production values and diverse casting,” says Don McGregor, executive VP, sales liaison. “They follow a procedural storyline each week; however, they also have serialized story arcs that span across the series to keep viewers coming back. This is exactly the type of programming that African buyers and audiences are looking for.” The company is also presenting the unscripted action competition show The Titan Games, featuring Dwayne Johnson, “who has a massive fan base across the continent,” McGregor says. “African audiences will love seeing everyday people competing in this high-stakes, fun and dramatic show.”
New Amsterdam
“Buyers are looking for stand-out programming that draws audiences in and compels them to watch every episode.”
—Don McGregor
Record TV
Jesus
Jesus/Moses and the Ten Commandments/The Rich and Lazarus Stories rooted in biblical tales feature prominently in the offering from Record TV. Its latest is the soap opera Jesus. Delmar Andrade, the company’s international sales director, says that the series presents Jesus in a different way than he has commonly been portrayed, bringing to light important stories that are not so well-known. “This is the first time Jesus’s story will be told with a wealth of details,” he says. Record TV also has in its catalog Moses and the Ten Commandments, which has sold around the world in countries across Latin America, Africa, Europe and the U.S., as well as The Rich and Lazarus and The Promised Land. “We hope that Jesus generates even more success than Moses and the Ten Commandments has,” says Andrade.
“Record TV’s productions have conquered Africa’s market, and the demand for our product is very strong in the region.”
—Delmar Andrade
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Universal Cinergía Dubbing
Universal Cinergía facilities
Dubbing / Subtitling / Voice-over Since 2012, Universal Cinergía Dubbing has been providing language dubbing, subtitling, closed-captioning and translation services in markets all over the world. While the company has already been dubbing content for the African market for some of its clients, “we also want to extend our dubbing services to African content companies wishing to distribute their content in Latin America,” says Liliam Hernandez, CEO. “We offer dubbing samples—free of charge—to companies wanting to export their content. Our prospective clients can use them in their sales pitches to international buyers.” Universal Cinergía manages a network of local and international studios as well as groups of actors, directors, translators and sound engineers who work in languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, English and French.
“We offer dubbing and subtitling to all territories, and we already dub content for the African market for some of our clients.” —Liliam Hernandez
Viacom18/Indiacast
The Serpent
The Young Bride / Second Hand / The Serpent Viacom18/Indiacast has made inroads in the African market and is now exploring business in new territories across the continent. “Our shows encapsulate social messages that are relevant to most cultures across Africa,” says Debkumar Dasgupta, senior VP of international business and syndication. The company’s offering includes The Serpent (Naagin), the story of a serpent who can shape-shift into human form. There is a third season of the series on offer. Further titles include The Young Bride (Balika Vadhu), Second Hand (Uttaran) and Endless Love (Beintehaa). “We strongly believe our content has enormous potential in Africa,” adds Dasgupta. “We look forward to introducing our latest fiction offerings to a larger audience.”
“Our drama series are the perfect blend of emotion, drama, love and variety.” —Debkumar Dasgupta
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The African media landscape is reaching new heights, creating a range of opportunities for distributors.
By Sara Alessi
Love at Second Swipe on Lifetime Africa. 20 WORLD SCREEN 11/18
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y all accounts, the television market in Africa is booming. Basic Lead, which organizes the DISCOP markets, hosts three events focused on the industry in the region, and that alone is an indication of the flurry of activity in the space. DISCOP Johannesburg this year is zeroing in on changes in Africa, including the emergence of a mobile-based B2C content distribution marketplace, international co-productions, and regional production and distribution partnerships among neighboring countries. “Our business in Africa continues to flourish with established relationships thriving alongside the emergence of new business opportunities,” says Robin Pollok, Endemol Shine International’s (ESI) sales director for Africa, the Middle East and Israel. “This year, we have already sold over 850 hours of finished tape hailing from a variety of countries and a broad spectrum of genres. The African TV marketplace is thriving, particularly the pay-TV market.” According to Digital TV Research, there will be some 10 million SVOD subscribers across sub-Saharan Africa by 2023, up from 1.6 million at the end of last year. Yet, revenues will reach just $775 million. South Africa is projected to have the largest subscriber base by 2023 with 3.4 million, followed by Nigeria with 2.6 million. As far as platforms go, Netflix will
B
be number one, rising to 4 million by 2023. Showmax will come in second with a projected 1.7 million. And what are these current subscribers and future customers watching? Channels and platforms are stacking their lineups with scripted dramas. Indeed, it seems that drama is in high demand across the continent, with Kingdom and Humans scheduled in weekday primetime slots on free-to-air channels, Pollok reports. Other ESI dramas that are faring well in the region include Gunpowder and The Good Karma Hospital. He says these titles are “swiftly finding partners on both linear and OTT providers.”
INTERNATIONAL FLAIR “Premium British drama has been a driving force behind sales in recent years,” Pollok adds. “Peaky Blinders and Grantchester have both returned season on season to the BBC and ITV, respectively, and the 2018 drama The Woman in White will be on African screens this November with the BBC.” Belinda Wango, Calinos Entertainment’s sales representative for Africa, has found that female- and family-oriented dramas do particularly well. “The African culture is very interested in family- and strong female characterdriven stories,” she says. “This is why our titles work very well. They represent the struggles of everyday life and the empowerment of the audience. Turkish drama content resonates, and audiences can relate well to the stories.” Popular female-focused titles include Our Story and Woman. “We have licensed one of our most sought-after titles, The Girl Named Feriha, in Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa recently while also continuing discussions for 11/18 WORLD SCREEN 21
other titles,” Wango adds. “We are very happy to be present in these countries.” Roxanne J. Barcelona, the VP of GMA Worldwide, has found that “the market prefers straightforward dramas and melodramas over romantic comedies or fantasy series.” Thus, sales for My Destiny and My Faithful Husband have been recorded in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia; Beautiful Strangers has sold into Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia; and Until We Meet Again has been acquired in Nigeria and Kenya. She adds, “Our business in Africa is steady, and it is one of our fastest-growing markets. To date, we have licensed more than 2,000 hours of content in this region.” Debkumar Dasgupta, the senior VP of international business and syndication at Viacom18/Indiacast, says the company’s dramas “encapsulate social messages that are relevant to most cultures across Africa.” Some of the titles that are doing well in syndication are The Young Bride (Balika Vadhu), Second Hand (Uttaran), The Serpent (Naagin) and Endless Love (Beintehaa). “Our African clients prefer dramas in prime time,” he adds. “Our shows are imbued with human emotions and have a universal appeal that spans geographies and cultures. Socially relevant dramas are much appreciated by local audiences.” Brazil’s Record TV has established a strong business in Africa for many years now, according to Delmar Andrade, the company’s international sales director. “We have been providing content to this territory for a long time, and in our expansion plan we have achieved more success than expected in Africa; our products are on the main TV channels of countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Nigeria
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and Kenya. The demand for our products is very strong in the region.” The Brazilian broadcaster has become particularly adept at delivering biblical stories, licensing properties such as Moses and the Ten Commandments into the continent and most recently introducing the epic series Jesus.
ENTERTAIN ME Viewers across the continent don’t just have an appetite for drama alone. Pollok of ESI reports that entertainment formats, including Pointless, Deal or No Deal and Beat Shazam, are also a hot commodity in Africa. Other top sellers include cooking formats such as My Kitchen Rules. Pollok describes it as an “immensely popular format worldwide and one that is doing well in Africa.” He adds, “The Australian version returns year after year, while the South African version on M-Net is also a ratings success. My Kitchen Rules South Africa season two has delivered consistently impressive ratings even when up against the World Cup this summer.” He believes that “putting ordinary people cooking in their domestic environment front and center makes My Kitchen Rules both relatable and aspirational, not to mention the universal appeal of good-looking plates of food.” ESI has also had success with MasterChef Australia and MasterChef Junior USA. “Our cookery brands are as popular in Africa as they are in the rest of the world,” Pollok says. Alongside titles that put a spotlight on cooking prowess, African viewers are clamoring for talent shows like So You Think You Can Dance. “We have also recently concluded a 48-title factual-entertainment package deal for a new channel that will be launching later this year,” he adds. And the appetite for TV entertainment spans the continent, as GMA’s Barcelona reports that the company has regular clients from Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya, and is also seeing growth opportunities in Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Botswana. “There are still many countries that we have not penetrated, and we hope that through DISCOP we can meet more African buyers,” she says. “South Africa is, of course, a traditional driver of pan-African sales,” ESI’s Pollok notes. “However, increasingly, we have also been in discussions with operators from single-nation markets, including Nigeria, Kenya and Botswana.” For Calinos, Eastern and Western Africa Buyers from across Africa are interested in a diverse array of dramas, including (from the top) Record TV’s Moses and the Ten Commandments, Calinos’s Our Story and GMA Worldwide’s Beautiful Strangers. have proven to be strong buyers, and now 22 WORLD SCREEN 11/18
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opportunities for the distributor are emerging in Central African countries. Meanwhile, Viacom18/Indiacast has seen activity in Southern Africa, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria and Ghana. “We have now started exploring markets in North and West Africa, including the Arabic- and Frenchspeaking territories,” Dasgupta says. Syndication represents a robust business opportunity for Viacom18/Indiacast. “We have been growing our syndication business at a very fast pace, and it is one of the strongest growth stories that we have,” says Dasgupta. “We now syndicate our content to over 25 African countries across three languages dubbed or subtitled in English or the local language.” Dasgupta adds, “We are exploring [opportunities] with a few digital platforms, but it seems the business will take time, as data consumption is low and expensive in most countries.”
NEW WATERS ESI’s Pollok notes, “We have sold content to nonlinear platforms in Africa for a few years now, and these nonlinear platforms have become a vital part of our business in the region. One major development we have seen from local platforms is an increase in requests for complete exclusivity over titles.” For
Viacom18/Indiacast is looking to enter new markets in Africa with its drama series such as Unfaithful (Silsila). example, Younger is an exclusive offering for Showmax in the territory. “The expansion of SVOD in Africa seems set to be the greatest future opportunity for content distribution in the region,” explains Pollok. “While there are an estimated 486 million smartphone users [projected for 2022] in subSaharan Africa, streaming is currently limited by data costs that remain prohibitively expensive for many consumers.” Though projected increases in SVOD subscribers and revenues “represent not only an opportunity for both the development of existing platforms and the
Endemol Shine’s My Kitchen Rules has been adapted in South Africa.
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emergence of new platforms, but also for those distributors selling their content on the continent,” he adds. As the digital market matures, Calinos continues to focus on linear sales in Africa and hopes to extend to nonlinear platforms as well. Alongside the promise of growth, with a developing market like Africa there are some financial concerns for content distributors as well.
UPHILL CLIMB “As our clients only accept English-dubbed masters, we have to manage and balance the costs of dubbing in order to be able to generate profit,” says GMA’s Barcelona. Another challenge, according to Barcelona, is being able to “continuously gain a better understanding of the market’s preference through audience measurement.” Dasgupta of Viacom18/Indiacast reports that the “fluctuation of the local currency against the U.S. dollar has impacted deal value hugely and clients are facing remittance issues in their individual countries.” “The African market is tremendously diverse and, as such, a one-size-fits-all attitude to deal-making does not work,” Pollok of ESI explains. Instead, it is key to “negotiate tailor-made packages that cater to local requirements and expectations.” Even with the inherent challenges of the African market, Dasgupta expects Viacom18/Indiacast to “increase our already strong footprint across Africa and create stronger and more meaningful partnerships with our existing clients and newer prospects.” Record TV’s Andrade adds, “This region is an extremely important part of [our] plan to disseminate and consecrate our productions around the world.”
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SPOTLIGHT
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By Mansha Daswani he has been billed by Forbes as “Africa’s most successful woman” and the continent’s “queen of talk,” but Mo Abudu has global conquest on her agenda at EbonyLife. Starting with her Moments with Mo talk show, Abudu built a multiplatform content business that encompasses a pan-African pay-TV channel, a production studio and a global OTT platform. Recognizing that the time has come for Nollywood’s powerful storytelling to be seen around the world, Abudu, as CEO of EbonyLife Media, is looking at international partnerships to bring a new vision of Africa to the global landscape. She tells World Screen about the gains EbonyLife has made since its creation five years ago.
S
WS: What are the greatest opportunities for EbonyLife in the global content landscape? ABUDU: As we celebrated our fifth anniversary on July 1, we restructured our business to focus on four key areas. We have evolved into EbonyLife Media, based on the gaps we identified in our market. There may be challenges ahead, but the opportunities are even greater. These are going to make us more relevant, now and in the future. EbonyLife Studios, our film production service for inhouse projects and third-party clients, emerged after we observed the need to service our own productions and those of other commercial organizations. We specialize in the production of events, infomercials, commercials and other video-generated content. EbonyLife TV, our linear channel, broadcasts on DStv and StarTimes in Africa, as well as on FLOW in ten Caribbean countries. With the creation of EbonyLife TV, we realized that African audiences wanted to see themselves, in their own stories, on television and at the cinema. They wanted to see an African narrative that reflected their own struggles and triumphs, the closeness of their relationships, and the progress being made in their emerging societies. We were tired of being portrayed in perpetual crisis—war, famine and corruption. Since deciding to change that narrative, we have created more than 5,000 hours of programming and currently have several projects in development. We know how important it is to continue to change the narrative. We started with television and, within a year of launching EbonyLife TV, we had launched EbonyLife Films. We have produced the biggest films in Nollywood to date. Recently, we acquired the rights to Professor Wole Soyinka’s play Death and the King’s Horseman. We see this as a global feature film release and are hard at work to bring it to the world of global cinema. In addition, we have a number of feature films in development. Our global VOD digital service EbonyLife ON enables Africans across the continent and in the diaspora to enjoy
high-quality series and movies at their convenience. This service has expanded our reach dramatically, beyond satellite TV platforms. WS: In what markets are you seeing a demand for content from the African continent? ABUDU: As a TV broadcaster and OTT operator, we have seen the demand for drama and reality continue to increase. The draw continues to be our hit drama series. Research indicates that viewers want to see stories that reflect their everyday lives, content that is relevant to them. We do this in the most stylish way possible, with our bouquet of drama, talk, reality and lifestyle programming. Viewers know quality and we have seen rising demand for our products in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Guinea, France, Australia, Ireland and Italy. WS: Tell us about your recent deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT). ABUDU: In March 2018, we finalized a production deal with Sony Pictures Television to co-develop three exciting new scripted TV projects, with SPT set to distribute internationally. The three-project deal, the first of its kind between SPT and a Nigerian production company, will include a TV series inspired by the Dahomey warriors. The action-packed series, inspired by true events that took place in the West African kingdom of Dahomey, will tell the empowering story of these all-female warriors and show the ultimate strength of women coming together, fighting to protect and honor their people. WS: What other co-production alliances are you pursuing internationally? ABUDU: We have invested hugely in the development of scripted and unscripted formats with an African twist. We see this as a great opportunity to pursue co-pro alliances internationally, for titles with an African perspective and a global outlook. The world craves freshness, newness and the alternative. We believe this is what sets us apart. We have been very successful in Nollywood and are now looking to produce features with a broader appeal that resonate with the black diaspora and beyond. WS: What are your goals for your international business in the year ahead? ABUDU: We have a treasure trove full of stories; it’s our passion, vision and purpose to take these stories to a global audience with the highest quality and the best entertainment value possible. Our dream is to continue to create premium content and to give audiences around the globe the opportunity to join our world and share our story.
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NETWORK SCORECARD Source: The Nielsen Company, September 24, 2018, to October 21, 2018 A rating point represents one percent of the estimated 119.9 million TV households. Courtesy of ABC.
Rank Program
Network
Distributor
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91
CBS CBS NBC NBC CBS ABC CBS ABC CBS NBC CBS NBC CBS NBC NBC CBS NBC NBC ABC CBS CBS CBS FOX CBS CBS CBS CBS FOX ABC ABC CBS CBS CBS ABC CBS CBS NBC ABC ABC FOX FOX ABC CBS CBS FOX ABC NBC CBS ABC ABC ABC ABC FOX FOX ABC ABC NBC NBC ABC ABC CBS NBC ABC FOX FOX FOX NBC ABC FOX FOX NBC ABC CW ABC ABC CW FOX CW CW CW CW CW CW CW CW CW CW CW CW CW CW
Warner Bros. CBS Studios Intl. Warner Bros. Twentieth Century Fox Warner Bros. Disney/Carsey-Werner CBS Studios Intl. Sony Pictures Television CBS Studios Intl. NBCUniversal CBS Studios Intl. Talpa Global CBS Studios Intl. NBCUniversal NBCUniversal CBS Studios Intl. Talpa Global NBCUniversal Disney Media Distribution Warner Bros. Warner Bros. CBS Studios Intl. Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. Warner Bros. CBS Studios Intl. NBCUniversal Twentieth Century Fox Entertainment One BBC Studios CBS Studios Intl. Sony Pictures Television CBS Studios Intl. Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. Disney Media Distribution NBCUniversal Disney Media Distribution Disney Media Distribution Twentieth Century Fox Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. Endemol Shine CBS Studios Intl. Twentieth Century Fox Sony Pictures Television NBCUniversal CBS Studios Intl. Twentieth Century Fox Disney Media Distribution BBC Studios Disney Media Distribution Warner Bros. Twentieth Century Fox Disney Media Distribution Disney Media Distribution NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Warner Bros. Sony Pictures Television CBS Studios Intl. NBCUniversal Disney Media Distribution Twentieth Century Fox ITV Studios Global Ent. Twentieth Century Fox Warner Bros. Twentieth Century Fox Twentieth Century Fox Twentieth Century Fox NBCUniversal Twentieth Century Fox Warner Bros. Banijay Rights N/A Warner Bros. Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. DCD Rights Hat Trick Intl. Entertainment One Warner Bros. Electric Entertainment Associated Television Intl. CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. Warner Bros.
The Big Bang Theory NCIS Manifest This Is Us Young Sheldon The Conners FBI The Good Doctor 60 Minutes New Amsterdam Blue Bloods The Voice Monday Bull Chicago Fire Chicago Med NCIS: New Orleans The Voice Tuesday Chicago P.D. Grey’s Anatomy God Friended Me Mom NCIS: Los Angeles 9-1-1 Survivor Murphy Brown Hawaii Five-0 Magnum P.I. Last Man Standing The Rookie Dancing with the Stars The Neighborhood S.W.A.T. SEAL Team Modern Family Madam Secretary Criminal Minds Law & Order: SVU The Kids Are Alright Station 19 Empire The Resident A Million Little Things Big Brother MacGyver The Cool Kids The Goldbergs Will & Grace Happy Together Single Parents American Housewife Dancing with the Stars: Juniors America's Funniest Home Videos Lethal Weapon Star black-ish How to Get Away with Murder Dateline The Good Place Splitting Up Together Shark Tank 48 Hours Superstore 20/20 The Simpsons Hell’s Kitchen The Gifted Blindspot Fresh Off the Boat Family Guy Bob’s Burgers I Feel Bad Speechless Riverdale Child Support The Alec Baldwin Show Arrow Rel Charmed Supergirl The Flash Black Lightning Supernatural Penn & Teller: Fool Us Whose Line Is It Anyway? Burden of Truth All American The Outpost Masters of Illusion Dynasty Crazy Ex-Girlfriend The Originals
Viewers 2+ (000)
P2–11
P12–17
M18–49
F18–49
M25–54
F25–54
M50+
F50+
16,790 15,548 14,936 14,152 13,978 12,913 12,658 12,511 12,317 11,977 11,682 11,655 11,158 11,138 11,107 11,099 11,059 10,825 10,262 10,171 10,154 9,931 9,928 9,588 9,576 9,509 9,012 8,878 8,562 8,498 8,323 8,105 7,948 7,654 7,585 7,549 7,525 7,519 7,396 7,270 7,237 7,228 7,189 7,092 6,611 6,321 5,858 5,794 5,657 5,630 5,535 5,468 5,414 5,333 5,136 5,120 4,678 4,600 4,357 4,287 4,217 4,143 3,975 3,737 3,716 3,568 3,411 3,401 3,197 3,194 3,126 2,987 2,270 2,172 2,144 2,081 2,061 1,936 1,854 1,773 1,641 1,483 1,275 959 942 935 893 814 762 478 434
0.8 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.9 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.9 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.9 0.8 0.4 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
1.0 0.7 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.6 0.5 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.9 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.6 1.1 0.7 0.5 0.6 1.0 1.1 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.8 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 1.2 0.5 0.4 1.3 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.4 1.2 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.7 0.7 0.2 0.3 1.4 0.2 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
3.1 1.7 2.7 2.4 2.3 2.3 1.5 1.7 2.1 1.7 1.0 1.8 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.9 1.9 1.1 1.1 1.4 2.0 1.3 0.7 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.9 0.7 1.0 1.3 1.2 1.0 1.7 1.1 1.1 1.8 0.9 1.3 1.5 1.1 0.9 1.2 1.1 0.6 0.7 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.8 0.6 1.2 0.8 0.8 0.5 1.1 0.4 1.9 1.0 1.2 0.5 0.7 1.8 1.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.8 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1
4.1 2.2 4.1 5.7 2.9 3.7 2.0 3.2 1.6 3.6 1.5 3.0 1.8 2.5 2.5 1.6 3.0 2.4 4.7 1.5 2.3 1.5 3.3 2.5 1.8 1.3 1.5 2.0 1.9 1.6 1.9 1.6 1.4 2.8 1.0 1.9 2.6 2.2 2.4 3.0 2.0 2.5 2.8 1.0 1.6 2.0 2.2 1.4 2.1 1.9 1.1 0.9 1.3 2.3 1.8 2.2 1.1 1.9 1.7 1.0 0.8 1.5 0.9 1.2 1.3 1.2 0.7 0.9 1.2 1.3 1.1 0.9 1.3 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2
4.7 2.5 3.9 3.1 3.4 3.3 2.2 2.2 2.9 2.3 1.6 2.5 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.3 2.2 1.8 1.9 2.3 1.8 2.5 2.6 1.8 1.6 2.1 2.8 1.9 1.0 2.1 1.8 1.9 2.6 1.1 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.3 2.1 1.5 1.5 2.2 1.3 1.9 2.1 1.7 1.5 1.7 1.6 0.8 1.1 1.7 1.3 1.4 1.1 0.9 1.6 1.2 1.1 0.7 1.4 0.7 2.2 1.4 1.6 0.8 0.9 2.1 1.8 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.9 1.0 0.6 0.7 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1
5.9 3.4 5.4 7.2 4.4 5.1 3.0 4.2 2.4 4.6 2.3 4.2 2.8 3.4 3.4 2.6 4.0 3.3 5.5 2.4 3.4 2.3 4.2 3.5 2.8 2.0 2.3 2.9 2.6 2.3 2.7 2.4 2.1 3.7 1.6 2.7 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.7 2.7 3.4 3.3 1.6 2.2 2.7 2.9 2.0 2.8 2.6 1.5 1.3 1.8 2.8 2.4 2.8 1.6 2.3 2.2 1.3 1.2 1.8 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.2 1.1 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2
9.5 10.1 7.4 4.3 8.0 5.6 8.1 5.2 8.6 4.9 8.1 5.5 6.5 5.4 5.4 7.0 5.1 5.6 2.5 6.1 5.6 6.2 4.0 4.9 4.9 6.3 5.8 5.6 4.5 3.4 4.8 4.6 5.3 3.0 4.7 3.9 2.9 3.4 2.5 2.2 3.1 2.4 2.6 4.6 3.8 2.6 2.3 3.3 2.2 2.3 2.1 3.0 3.2 1.5 1.9 1.4 2.3 1.6 1.7 1.8 2.1 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.6 2.3 1.6 1.1 1.0 1.3 1.3 0.5 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.2
10.9 12.2 10.1 10.1 9.9 9.3 9.8 10.3 8.4 9.4 10.5 8.5 9.2 8.8 8.9 8.9 8.1 8.1 7.2 8.1 7.6 7.7 6.6 6.0 8.2 7.9 6.5 5.4 6.5 8.2 5.8 6.1 5.2 4.4 6.6 5.5 5.3 5.4 5.8 3.9 5.5 5.7 3.9 5.7 4.4 3.7 3.9 4.0 3.5 3.5 4.7 3.9 3.1 2.8 3.4 3.6 4.1 2.3 2.9 3.1 3.6 2.2 3.7 0.8 2.2 1.6 2.7 2.5 0.6 0.6 2.1 2.2 0.7 1.8 1.9 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.2
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WORLD’S END
IN THE STARS Almost every national constitution forbids the establishment of an official state religion. But this secular bent doesn’t stop people from looking to the heavens for answers to life’s most troublesome questions: Will I succeed? Will I find love? Will I get into a spat with 50 Cent? Every day, papers, magazines and websites worldwide print horoscopes— projections for people born in a specific month, based on the positions of the stars and planets. While many people rely on these daily, weekly or monthly mes-
Ellen Pompeo
David Schwimmer
CURTIS “50 CENT” JACKSON
Global distinction: “Dr. Meredith Grey.” Sign: Scorpio (b. November 10, 1969) Significant date: October 23, 2018 Noteworthy activity: The actress, who plays a doctor on
Global distinction: Rapper & TV producer. Sign: Cancer (b. July 6, 1975) Significant date: October 26, 2018 Noteworthy activity: The Power player takes his feud
the hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, gives some well-intentioned but incorrect advice regarding ovarian cancer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She suggests that “all it takes is a simple ultrasound” to detect ovarian cancer and that women should ask their doctor for one when they go in for checkups. However, this type of screening hasn’t been shown to be helpful for detection nor to save lives for women without symptoms or an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Horoscope: “Make sure you know your facts before delivering opinions you have not been asked for. Or do you like looking silly?” (theglobeandmail.com)
with fellow rapper Ja Rule to the next level with an extra petty move. He reveals on Instagram that he bought 200 tickets to Ja Rule’s show for the sole purpose of leaving those seats empty. Ja Rule laters tweets, “I get under @50cent skin... I love it!!! #iconn.” Horoscope: “For greater success in your career or business, be proud, confident, generous and aboveboard in your professional dealings. Don’t be petty and always choose to take the high road.” (cafeastrology.com)
DAVID SCHWIMMER
lives, some readers skip
Global distinction: “Ross” from Friends. Sign: Scorpio (b. November 2, 1966) Significant date: October 24, 2018 Noteworthy activity: A photo from the police force in
The editors of WS recognize that these little pearls of random foresight occasionally prove pro phetic. But rather than poring over charts of the zodiac to predict world events, our staff prefers to use past horoscopes in an attempt to legitimize the science. As you can see here, had some of these media figures remembered to consult their horoscopes on significant dates, they could have avoided a few surprises.
Tara Reid
ELLEN POMPEO
sages for guidance in their over them entirely.
Jada Pinkett Smith
Blackpool, England, of a man wanted in connection with a theft carrying a crate of beer goes viral after social media users point out the striking resemblance between the alleged thief and the former Friends star. Schwimmer gets in on the action, posting a video of himself carrying beer with the statement: “Officers, I swear it wasn’t me.” Horoscope: “Use your sense of humor to lighten things up. Life is a lot less stressful that way.” (herald-review.com)
JADA PINKETT SMITH Global distinction: Gotham alum. Sign: Virgo (b. September 18, 1971) Significant date: October 22, 2018 Noteworthy activity: On an episode of Facebook Watch’s Red Table Talk, the actress, who’s married to Will Smith, recalls going on a date with Alfonso Ribeiro, who costarred with her husband on The Fresh Prince of BelAir. Ribeiro revises her recollection on Twitter: “Sorry Jada. Your memory is a little off. We went to lunch with your family when we both guest starred on A Different World the year before you became a regular.” Pinkett Smith responds to her mistake with laughing and heart emojis: “My fault Alf… I thought it was a date.” Horoscope: “Get your story straight.... Talk things out with lovers or friends and double check details to avoid confusion.” (brides.com)
TARA REID PAULA ABDUL Global distinction: American pop icon. Sign: Gemini (b. June 19, 1962) Significant date: October 20, 2018 Noteworthy activity: The 56-year-old singer/dancer/ actress/TV personality goes straight down after accidentally falling off the stage during a concert. Fortunately, the former American Idol judge does not suffer any serious injuries and is able to return to the stage to continue with the rest of her performance that night. Horoscope: “Watch your step; you could trip on something. Luckily, the only thing likely to get hurt is your pride.” (rockrivertimes.com) 30 WORLD SCREEN 11/18
Global distinction: Sharknado co-star. Sign: Scorpio (b. November 8, 1975) Significant date: October 15, 2018 Noteworthy activity: The actress is reportedly removed from a Delta Air Lines flight to New York in Los Angeles after causing a disturbance on board the plane—an allegation that she vehemently denies. While the exact details surrounding the situation remain unclear, the dispute may have had something to do with the fact that Reid was traveling with her emotional support puppy at the time. Horoscope: “You need to keep calm and act with confidence—don’t make a scene.... In the end, you’ll see that there was no real problem.” (joinfo.com)
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