# Nollywood's Shift to Streaming

> Netflix and Amazon Prime Video invested heavily in Nollywood from the mid-2010s, commissioning originals and licensing hundreds of titles, before both scaled back sharply in 2024 amid naira devaluation and shifting global priorities. Nigerian filmmakers increasingly turned to YouTube's ad-revenue model, even as cinema box office, tracked by CEAN, posted record growth in 2024, leaving the industry split across three competing distribution economics.

**Category:** Music & Film · **Updated:** 2026-07-26 19:36:35 · **Canonical:** https://nigeriastuff.org/a/nollywood-streaming

## Key facts
- **Netflix entry:** Invested in Nigerian content from 2016; over $23 million committed, 250+ titles licensed or commissioned by 2024
- **Amazon Prime Video entry:** Launched in Africa 2016, local operations from 2022; signed multi-year deals with Nigerian studios (e.g. Greoh Films' Gangs of Lagos)
- **Amazon pullback:** 18 January 2024 — Prime Video halted approval of new local shows across sub-Saharan Africa, laid off staff, reallocated to Europe
- **Netflix pullback:** Late 2024 — filmmaker Kunle Afolayan reported cancelled commissions; Netflix denied exiting Nigeria on 4 December 2024
- **YouTube revenue (2024):** Nollywood-focused channels estimated at $10–15 million/month, projected toward ~$200 million/year by 2025
- **Streaming licensing revenue (2024–25):** Netflix, Prime Video and Showmax combined estimated at $30–50 million/year; individual deals $50,000–$500,000+ per film
- **Cinema box office 2024:** ₦11.5 billion, up 60% from ₦7.2 billion in 2023, per Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN)

## Sources
- Netflix denies Nigerian market exit — TechCabal (https://techcabal.com/2024/12/04/netflix-denies-nigerian-market-exit/)
- Amazon Prime is laying off staff and scaling back local content in Africa — TechCabal (https://techcabal.com/2024/01/18/amazon-prime-layoff/)
- Nigerian Movie Industry Revenues: YouTube vs Streaming Platforms — Vanguard Nigeria (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/09/nigerian-movie-industry-revenues-youtube-vs-streaming-platforms/)
- Filmmakers Hail YouTube's Growing Role in Nollywood Distribution Landscape — Arise News (https://www.arise.tv/filmmakers-hail-youtubes-growing-role-in-nollywood-distribution-landscape/)
- Nigerian Box Office Sees 60% Growth, Rakes in N11.5bn in 2024 — TheNet.ng (https://thenet.ng/nigerian-box-office-sees-60-growth-rakes-in-n11-5bn-in-2024/)

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