Regardless of the rising adoption of streaming platforms, cinemas stay probably the most most well-liked selection for Nigerians to observe motion pictures, in response to the Nigerian Field Workplace report by Filmone Group. 66% of 500 cinema-goers surveyed within the report choose cinemas over streaming platforms, suggesting theatrical releases nonetheless maintain robust enchantment and stay a vital a part of the Nigerian movie business.
Streaming big Netflix is the second most most well-liked selection at 27%, whereas YouTube which has seen a surge in Nollywood motion pictures got here third at 4%. Showmax and and Amazon Prime Video bought 2% every. In December 2024, Netflix denied it was exiting Nigeria after media speculations. Amazon Prime, one other streaming platform, exited Nigeria in January 2024—one yr after investing in a number of Nigerian productions.
Regardless of the robust enchantment of cinemas, infrastructural gaps exist. In keeping with the report, Nigeria has 102 cinemas, accounting for 92.9% of Anglophone West Africa field workplace. Lagos dominates with 36 cinemas, reflecting the buyer spending in Nigeria’s financial capital.
2024 exhibits progress within the cinema ecosystem with the emergence of 24 new cinemas with Silverbird Cinemas opening the primary cinema in Kaduna. The report discovered that cinema admissions in Nigeria elevated by 2% in 2024.
“This resurgence underscores the enduring enchantment of the massive display expertise in Nigeria, whilst ticket costs soared by 95% in nominal phrases between 2021 and 2023,” the report mentioned.
Filmhouse Cinemas maintained the best market share in West Africa for the seventh consecutive yr with 28% grossing ₦3.2 billion in field workplace income. Silverbird Cinemas and Genesis Cinemas earned ₦2.2 billion every, with Silverbird holding a 19% market share and Genesis Cinemas capturing 18%. EbonyLife Cinemas had the highest-grossing cinema location within the nation contributing 7% and making over ₦838 million in ticket gross sales, with greater than 138,000 individuals shopping for tickets to observe motion pictures at EbonyLife cinema.
Filmhouse Group stays hopeful, saying ‘The alternatives for extra cinema infrastructure, abound, particularly as regardless of the macroeconomic headwinds hitting disposable earnings negatively, the subsector has remained resilient.’’