Ericsson and telecoms provider Airtel Nigeria have announced a subscription video on-demand content service, NuVu, giving subscribers in Nigeria access to around 3,000 local and international TV and film titles for a monthly fee. They will be able to download content directly to their smartphones or tablets at no additional data cost during off-peak network times, and access the content offline for up to 30 days after downloading.
The companies will jointly launch NuVu in the first quarter of 2016 to more than 30 million Airtel subscribers in Nigeria.
The platform, which has been developed by Ericsson, will be fully integrated into the operator’s customer relationship management and payment systems. A core feature of the service is the built-in ability to distribute content to consumers during off-peak periods. This minimises data costs for both operator and consumer, addressing the cost challenge that has so far been an obstacle for video on-demand uptake in Africa.
NuVu’s content offering will span a variety of genres including Hollywood and Nollywood movies, TV series, kids, music, gospel and education. Ericsson is working with a number of international distributors to acquire TV and film content for the new service.
The service will launch initially as an Android app for smartphones, and Ericsson will continue to roll out the service on other platforms and operating systems.
Thorsten Sauer, head of broadcast and media services, Ericsson, said: “The launch of NuVu is a significant landmark for Ericsson and is uniquely positioned to help our operator customers to address a significant untapped market for video content.
“Africa has some of the highest mobile adoption rates globally, with ever-increasing levels of investment and infrastructure. However, downloading is currently preferred to streaming due to connectivity issues. We believe there is a huge opportunity to open a window to a world of content through mobile devices that may not otherwise be easily accessible.
“As one of the largest operators across Africa and the third-largest mobile operator in the world, Airtel is the perfect partner to help us launch NuVu. We are very proud to launch NuVu in Africa and we look forward to rolling out this service to other markets over the coming year.”
