iROKO launches new African music channel

Nollywood-focused African media group iROKO has launched iROKO Music on the Les Bouquets Canal+ platform.

The channel is iROKO’s fifth TV service, and its launch builds on the partnership struck between the Nigeria-based outfit and Canal+ Intenrational last year. The pair are working together to deliver additional services in the Francophone African market.

iROKO has launched the Afrobeats channel in partnership with ABS Broadcast, which is providing broadcast playout services for the music channel from its playout centre in London.

iROKO Music is also using ABS Broadcast’s in-house broadcast management system, ABSolute. The cloud-based scheduling system gives the channel the ability to schedule all elements of the channel, including EPGs, playlists, music reporting and on-screen graphics, according to ABS Broadcast.

Jason Njoku, CEO of iROKO said: “Afrobeats is the sound of Africa. As we have built out our TV audience across the continent, our team noticed that there were plenty of channels showing a ‘Nigerian music hour’, but nowhere, was there a dedicated channel showing Afrobeats 24/7. We live in an on-demand economy – consumers don’t want to wait for that ‘hour’, they want it now.”

François Deplanck, SVP channels and content, Canal+ International, said : “We are glad to launch IROKO Music on Les Bouquets Canal+. We reinforce our musical channels’ offer with a channel with a unique positioning and answer our subscribers’ expectations. Indeed, this new channel will please our subscribers for whom music is really important, especially Nigerian Afrobeats.”