iROKO to partner with StarTimes – will become major player in African film and television content

iROKOtv, an Africa-based online video-on-demand and movie platform, has partnered with pay TV platform StarTimes to launch two new linear TV channels in Africa.

The new channels are iROKO Play and iROKO Plus which will initially be available in 14 countries on the African continent.

iROKOtv, a brand of iROKO Partners, is Africa’s largest, legitimate distributor of African film and music entertainment with key partnerships with global technology companies including Facebook. Over the past four years, it has played a critical role in bringing the African movie industry to the global audience.

Both channels will also air behind the scenes interviews and magazine shows alongside the movie content.

“Launching iROKO Play and iROKO Plus on StarTimes is an exciting milestone for iROKO. We are known primarily for leading over the top content delivery across Africa through iROKOtv.com, but with digital migration spreading rapidly throughout the continent, now is the right time for us to diversify our distribution model and expand into the linear TV market,” said iROKO founder and CEO Jason Njoku.

Michael Dearham, vice-president of StarTimes said: “The deal with iROKO is a significant advance in our quest to become the home of premier African film and television content.”