¶ … Comcast to Carry EbonyLife TV Channel Financing

Ownership and Management

Ownership

Management

MVPD Distribution

Economic Value to Comcast

This is a proposal for Comcast to carry the EbonyLife TV channel. Acquiring this channel for syndication will increase the variety and richness of the Comcasts offerings, with a channel that is Africa's first global black entertainment and lifestyle network (EbonyLife TV, 2017). For this proposal to be viable it is important to assess the funding of the channel, its' ownership, current distribution and the potential economic value it could add to Comcast's current line-up. Each of these issues is considered individually.

Channel Financing

EbonyLife TV was set up by African female entrepreneur, Mo Abudu, the channel is relativity young, having been set up in 2013 (EbonyLife TV, 2017). The channel requires a significant level of funding to meet its launch commitment to producing more than 700 hours of original programming per annum (Busayo, 2012). The initial financing achieved this commitment, with the channel now producing more than 1,000 hours a year (EbonyLife TV, 2017).

To meet the start-up funding requirements the initial capital was made up of both equity and debt, with the major of finance supplied by Mo Abudu. This position has since changed, with the firm obtaining pay off debt due to the strong revenues as resulting from syndication and the more recent launch of the VOD services through the internet, accessible on the web and though an app with subscription of $4.99 a month or $39.99 per annum (African Business Central, 2015). This inflow of revenues, which have been used to eliminated EbonyLife TV's debt, are not declared in public accounts as the channel is a subsidiary of Media and Entertainment City Africa (MEC Africa) (Busayo, 2012), which in turn is a subsidiary of WPP (2015) a global entertainment and stability and resources available to EbonyLIfe TV.
3. Ownership and Management

3.1 Ownership

Although EbonyLife TV operates as a independent business unit, the ownership is complex, EbonyLife is a subsidiary of Media and Entertainment City Africa (MEC Africa) (Busayo, 2012). In turn MEC is a subsidiary of WPP (12015) which is a global leader within communications and entertainment with a total of more than 160 subsidiary companies. Comcast has already had dealing with other subsidiary companies in this group, including the Berlin Cameron, who were partnering with BAV Consulting in 2015 (WPP, 2015).

3.2 Management

The current CEO and chairman, who is also the founder, is Mosunmola Abudu, known as Mo Abudu. Mo Abudu is also the majority shareholder and was the entrepreneur who developed the channel (EbonyLife TV, 2017). Mo is not only television executive, she is also a talk show hostess, producer, and undertakes the role of human resource management, indicating she is a highly hands-on owner and CEO (EbonyLife TV, 2017), and has been described by Forbes as "Africa's Most Successful Woman" (Nsehe, 2015). A television programme, called "Moments with Mo" has become one of the most successfully syndicated talk show is broadcast on African regional television, with Variety referring to…