Vivendi hopes Ivorian gangsters will help in battle for viewers
Canal+ has lost 1.3-million subscribers in France since 2013 but has added twice as many in Africa, now its second-largest market
On a muddy side street in Abidjan, Alex Ogou directs his cast of young locals in a TV drama about gangsters in Ivory Coast that French media giant Vivendi hopes will help revive its fortunes. Invisibles is the first original series produced in Africa by Vivendi’s pay-TV company Canal+ and is part of a drive to attract viewers in Africa in the face of growing Chinese competition and as subscribers at home cancel contracts. Canal+ has lost 1.3-million individual subscribers in mainland France since 2013 due to stiff competition for rights to sports events, series from upstart rivals and the rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. At the same time, Canal+ added twice as many subscribers in Africa, now its second-largest market. Rights to European and African soccer have long been a drawcard in Africa, and Canal+ has also invested heavily in locally produced content. But unlike the tried-and-tested telenovelas and tales of witchcraft that account for an outsized portion o...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.