Ebonylife TV

Ebonylife TV

Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2013 (2013)
Founders	Mo Abudu
Headquarters	Lagos , Nigeria
Key people	Mo Abudu
Products	television programs, Netflix series

Ebonylife TV is an entertainment TV channel owned by Mosunmola Abudu popularly called Mo Abudu, It was launched on DSTV in July 2013 after which the station was later added to DSTV in September 2014.^[1] After partnering and satisfying the executive arrangement Ebonylife TV had with DSTV for over five years, Ebonylife TV ended its arrangement with DSTV and proceeded in August 2018 to start broadcasting on StarTimes network,^[2] the partnership with startimes was to foster and improve homegrown content to viewers and subscribers in Africa and to also allow Nigerians and viewers generally enjoy the service at a more affordable rate.^[3]

Works and achievements

In 2021, Ebonylife TV announced the launch of Ebonylife Creative Academy, which is aimed at improving the quality of local film production, with a partnership with the Lagos State Government, Ebonylife creative academy provides short and professional courses on film making, media content and other related courses.^[4] Ebonylife TV and media became the first African media house to sign a deal with Netflix and this has made Netflix get the right to the new movies produced by Ebonylife TV such as Castle and Castle amongst others.^[5]

In March 2018, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) announced that they had concluded a three-year deal with EbonyLife TV that would include co-production of The Dahomey Warriors, a series about the Amazons who took on French colonialists in a 19th-century West African kingdom.^[6] In January 2020, AMC Networks (USA) announced its partnership with EbonyLife to produce Nigeria 2099, an afrofuturistic crime-drama created by EbonyLife.^[7] In February 2020, a new partnership between EbonyLife TV and Netflix was announced.

The streaming giant acquired EbonyLife's drama series: Castle & Castle, Fifty, Sons of the Caliphate, 'On the Real, along with a reality show, The Dating Game and feature film, The Royal Hibiscus Hotel.^[8] Ebonylife TV added to their achievements by securing rights together with Will Packer Productions and Universal Pictures to produce a movie on Hushpuppi, who was arrested recently for fraudulent activities.^[9] On November 29, 2021, it is announced that subsidiary EbonyLife Media had received a development deal with BBC Studios.^[10]

Ebonylife films

Ebonylife films has produced a couple of notable and well-grossing films and TV series in Nigeria, the films produced by Ebonylife has appeared to do very well as it has always grossed very well. Ebonylife debut film, Fifty in 2015 was Nigeria's highest-grossing film in 2015 and 2016.^[11] The Wedding Party, another of Ebonylife Film project became the highest-grossing title of all time in the Nigerian film industry (Nollywood) in 2018.^[12]

Film

• Fifty
• The Wedding Party
• The Wedding Party 2
• The Royal Hibiscus Hotel
• Chief Daddy
• Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke
• Your Excellency
• Oloture
• Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman

Selected television

• Castle and Castle
• The Governor
• Powder Dry
• Fifty the Series
• Sons of the Caliphate
• Blood Sisters (2022 series)
• Òlòtūré: The Journey

References

1. "EbonyLife TV channel to go off DSTV". Vanguard News. 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
2. "EbonyLife TV pulls plug on DSTV, to begin life as streaming service". Businessday NG. 2020-08-01. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
3. "EbonyLife TV ends exclusivity with DSTV, expands globally". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2018-07-01. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
4. "Inside the Newly-Launched EbonyLife Creative Academy and Studios". BellaNaija. 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
5. Smallman, Etan (2021-09-23). "Mo Abudu Isn't Waiting for Permission". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
6. Giles, Chris. "Nollywood, Sony Pictures join forces for TV series on all-female African army". CNN. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
7. Okechukwu, Daniel (2020-01-17). "Mo Abudu's Ebonylife is developing an Afro-futuristic Crime-Drama for AMC Networks". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014). Retrieved 2021-10-07.
8. Okechukwu, Daniel (2020-02-10). "Ebonylife's Legal Drama 'Castle & Castle' is coming to Netflix". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014). Retrieved 2021-10-07.
9. Victoria, Edeme. "Mo Abudu's EbonyLife TV, Universal Pictures get adaptation rights for movie on Hushpuppi". PUNCH NIGERIA.
10. Ramachandran, Naman (2021-11-29). "BBC Studios Sets Development Deal With Mo Abudu's EbonyLife Media". Variety. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
11. "Nigerian movie breaks box office record, makes N20m in holiday weekend". Pulse Nigeria. 2015-12-30. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
12. "The Wedding Party 2 Sequel becomes highest grossing Nollywood movie of all time". Pulse Nigeria. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2021-10-07.