Formalised transnationalism in the informal Nigerian video film industry: streaming, audience re-imaginations and production reconfigurations

ABSTRACTThis article examines the implications of the transnational dynamics of streaming for the Nigerian video film industry (Nollywood) considering its historical predominance of informality in cross-border circulation. Right from its emergence in 1992 as a straight-to-video film industry, Nollywood has been significantly transnational in distribution albeit through the complex web of transnational piracy and other informal networks. This mode of informal transnationalism orchestrated wide visibility for the industry, but it brought minimal revenues for producers who were desirous of much formalised distribution system to connect to transnational capital and audiences. Since 2010, streaming has become progressively integrated into Nollywood’s distribution eco-system and is introducing much formalised transnational consumption practices. Adopting the critical transnationalism approach (Higbee & Lim, 2010; Shaw, 2018), this paper draws from semi-structured interviews with 35 stakeholders in Nollywood and critical analysis of trade press. It argues that streaming has opened formal pathways to transnational capital and audiences hitherto unseen in Nollywood and is orchestrating audience fragmentations and reconfigurations of production practices in the industry. The paper extends existing debates on critical analysis of how specific forms of transnationalism impacts the quotidian practices in a media industry as well as the cultural implications.KEYWORDS: StreamingtransnationalismNollywoodinformalitymedia productionmedia distribution Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. For detailed analysis of the history of Nollywood, please see Haynes (Citation2016) and Miller (Citation2016).2. Available at https://afrikanheroes.com/2020/09/13/why-is-irokotv-leaving-africas-billion-dollar-industry-so-early-and-what-does-the-future-hold-for-other-video-on-demand-startups/3. Though Netflix does not release data on subscribers’ viewing behaviour for Nollywood films, filmmakers believe that non-Africans watch their films on Netflix. Some producers and actors cited examples of how they or their colleagues were recognised by non-Africans while on trips abroad, as evidence to back this up.4. Available at https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/movies/kunle-afolayans-anikulapo-ranks-no1-globally-on-netflix/tqz293g5. Between 2016 and 2023, Netflix has licensed 283 Nollywood titles while iROKOtv with over 5000 Nollywood films continues to release around 312 titles annually. For more, please see Simon (Citation2021) and The Netflix Report at https://technext24.com/2023/04/19/netflix-contributes-23-6m-to-nollywood/6. Data from @Strongblacklead, an Instagram page endorsed by Netflix.Additional informationNotes on contributorsGodwin SimonGodwin Iretomiwa Simon is a Lecturer in the School of Communication and Researcher at the Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He researches media industries, streaming media, and emergent platform economies with a focus on the Global South.