EbonyLife TV and Film

Channel Proposal to StarTimes

Dear StarTimes,

Introduction

You know as well as we do that Africa is on the threshold of some really great opportunities in entertainment. Our people are coming together and finding strength in the things that unite them—one of them being the comfort and enjoyment that our industry brings: an industry in which we both have a substantial interest.

EbonyLife TV and Films is dedicated to producing quality entertainment for Africans and the African Diaspora. We are considered number one in premium entertainment in Africa, are internationally acclaimed for our high quality films. We are perfectly positioned to partner with a great company like StarTimes to take digital entertainment to the next level for Africans worldwide.

Premise

We would like StarTimes to partner with EbonyLife TV to create a new channel called “EbonyLife Star”—the tag line of which would be: “Home of Drama and Series.” 

Why?

Like EbonyLife TV and Films, StarTimes is also a leader in the TV industry. Your company is committed to providing viewers with great content, and, having disrupted the traditional model of the TV industry, StarTimes now stands at a pivotal point on a number of fronts. The question is: now what?

We have the answer.

Our two companies were literally cut from the same innovative cloth—and that is why it makes sense that we merge our talents to establish a joint venture going forward in the same lucrative industry in which we both want to be leaders.

Want to hear more? Think about this:

Africans love drama! Nigerian movies are popular because they are filled with excitement, drama, and intrigue. In our shows, they find escapism from their ordinary lives. They find telenovelas, which are so popular among so many today, as well as Indian series—which shows that no matter the language, there’s no escaping the draw. Nigerians know quality—and they prefer our fare, which they’ve found to be much, much better than American soap operas. The power of telenovela brings into the fore romance, family….and, of course, the drama. The stories can go on forever it seems, hundreds of episodes for one series alone. People become drawn into the characters’ lives.

Proposal

EbonyLife will contribute from its exciting portfolio of Drama Series and Movies to the new channel, approximately 300 hours. Startimes will contribute toward the production costs of commissioned new series and dramas, approximately 100m – 200m per year towards production.

What do you get? Quality—which is what draws the crowds!

EbonyLife TV is known for its scripted content—The Governor, Sons of the Caliphate, Fifty the Series, and most recently Castle & Castle, Africa’s first legal drama series. EbonyLife Films is also known for its blockbuster movies, The Wedding Party, Fifty, and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel.

EbonyLife TV is the best at making TV series and movies in Africa. “EbonyLife Star” will be the ONLY channel in Africa focused on this niche. African drama and series is what our audiences across Africa crave.

This is the ULTIMATE partnership. Two strong brands coming together to produce dramas and series will certainly draw millions of Africans across the continent. The benefits of this partnership will yield a strong followership, support, and loyalty. 

Partnership on the New Channel

With StarTimes’ visionary approach to handling digital technology and distribution and EbonyLife’s record for creating original programming that scores big with African audiences, this is a prospective match worth considering. We have over 5,000 hours of original drama, talk, entertainment and factual content and great plans on the horizon, including the launch of our online Video-on-Demand (VoD) service, EbonyLife ON and EbonyLife ON Mobile.

Nothing describes EbonyLife TV and Films better than “unique” and “proudly African.” We embody the black experience in such a positive way that our contributions to cinema and the small screen have won rave reviews. We are the number one choice for original content among Africans and we are very proud to have achieved this milestone in so short a time.

We are also really pleased about the success of The Royal Hibiscus Hotel (RHH), which has been viewed for over 100,000 hours in only 11 weeks on the Amazon Prime. This is a good performance for the film and shows that Africans in the diaspora and others outside the continent are eager for quality, interesting content from the motherland. As such, we would like StarTimes to consider commissioning RHH: The Series. It gives you an opportunity to further tap into the success of RHH on what could soon be our channel.