Distribution generally speaks of how the finished product and services move from the manufacturers or creators to the end user. Without distribution, there is no way the end user would access that finished goods and services. Thus, distribution is integral to commerce and business.

Applying this concept of distribution to the creative industries, we can confidently say, without distribution, the finished works of movies, series, documentaries cannot get to the end users, the audiences for which the creative content was made. Therefore, when discussing distribution, we need to identify the channels of distribution, the pathways or linkages that creative works get to their audiences. There are direct and indirect channels. Direct channels are made up of self-publishing channels like YouTube, and direct licensing to streaming platforms like Netflix by the producers of the production. The indirect channels involve of distributors and content aggregators, brokering the deal on behalf producers.

As a result of the disappointing, inadequate and unsustainability of the indirect channels, the direct channels have grown tremendously in the past 12-24 months. Producers are now taking the *bull by then horn* and taking responsibility for monetising their content. The greatest beneficiary of this emerging scenario is YouTube. Many producers have now decided to open their own YouTube channels to engage directly with their target audience, thus, “cutting-off” the “middlemen”, who hitherto have been the ones distributing and aggregating for YouTube. Invariably, YouTube has become the new “aggregator/distributor”, leveraging on its technology and financial model to attract producers and creators directly. This has become a solid threat to other platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc., because YouTube does not need to set aside a content budget to license these billions of hours of content available via its platform, unlike the Netflix & co. Therefore, whilst Netflix & the likes are busy turning down content, largely because of budget constraints, and “poor quality standard” excuses, YouTube is busy “acquiring” the same content for free, only paying for them based on the money it makes from advertisers. This is the biggest threat to other streaming platforms, hence, many of them are seriously considering altering their traditional business model, SVOD. Also, YouTube’s dominance is driving the entrants of new AVOD players, and this further squeezes available advertisers’ budget. These really are interesting times, but the key is SCALE. The platforms with SCALE are the ones that can win both worlds of SVOD and AVOD, or even HYBRID.

Despite these developments in the distribution space, black creative works are still largely undervalued, and this is stifling the growth of the Afro-creative industry. The practitioners generally under value black content, which reflects in the efforts and investments deployed to the distribution and monetization black content. Furthermore, the creators themselves do not see or are consciously blinded to the need to put in place an effective distribution strategy long before commencement of their productions. We will discuss this in details later.

Distribution, monetization and valuation of black content are largely negatively impacted by the following factors:

a) Production Quality: which should make distribution easier and “sweeter”, because the production is well-researched, and born of an excellently developed script. The successful distribution of a production starts with the script development, which includes detailed research and excellent screenplay. There is no short-cut to an excellent production without detailed research, excellent script development and an awesome screenplay. This stage of production defines the success or failure of that production. I am not talking about the traditional “Nollywoood” or even, “Afrowood”. I even heard those traditional “Nollywoood” and “Afrowood” productions do not have a well thought-out or developed scripts; that the productions are based on spontaneous or adaptive/creative acting. Well, that could work for the local markets, but cannot win globally. I am even sure that the local markets are currently rejecting these types of production, because the Internet has exposed the local markets to better and well produced movies and series.

b) Limited Collaborations: One major factor that has contributed to the success of African musicians is collaboration. They collaborate amongst themselves within Africa, and with other black talents abroad, most especially, collaborations between African artists and big American artists. These collaborations always open up the markets for the songs they have collaborated on. These collaborations break boundaries and cultures, and tap into the markets that an individual artist would not have been able to reached. This is currently lacking amongst movie makers in Africa and the diaspora. Collaborations makes distribution easier, because the finished collaborated works can easily get distributed across those territories represented in the production. The first Black Panther movie did very well in South Korea because the country featured for a few minutes in the movies.

c) Limited Cinema Capacity: With about 1800 cinema screens in Africa, with South Africa accounting for more than half of those screens, serving more than 1.3 billion people, it’s> obvious these numbers create a huge limitation to black cinema releases. Like I always say, “its easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle for black movies to get maximum exposure via SA cinema screens”, not to imagine the rest of the continent. This limited cinema capacity is a huge blow on cinema distribution for Afrocentric movies in Africa. In a year, the number of black movies that individually generate more than five ($5) million dollars from cinema sales across Africa are not up to five (5.

d) Limited Windowing Opportunities: After a most likely poor showing at the cinemas in Africa, there are limited windows available for the movie to explore. The producer, most likely, would either “dump” the production on Netflix or Amazon, or even YouTube. That is the end!! Whereas, for a Hollywood movie, five (5) years post production, that movie is still exploring various monetization windows. If the movie gets acquired exclusively by an SVOD platform or its released as an original, it could even make much more money it would have made at the cinemas.

e) Leading to Limited Scaling Opportunities: As a result of the factors described above, the possibility of black productions scaling up globally is almost nil. Afrocentric productions still struggle to break the colonial imposed borders, not to mention breaking into the global stage. Of course, with a few exceptions that have crossed those borders, majority are still confined to their production geographic audience. When black productions start breaking into all the territories of Africa and the diaspora markets, then we will start seeing massive scaling. A few black productions have achieved some fits in this regard, but numbers are extremely small, like I stated earlier, they are not even up to five (5) in a year, when you look at Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.

f) Resulting in Limited Capital Inflow : Finally, these eventually cumulates into limited capital inflow into the black creative space. Any investor that wants to invest in any black production will have to consider all the points I have raised in the article, and then either declines or cuts the investment he had intended, which in itself could negatively impact on the production quality. Its like a vicious circle that needs to be broken.

In conclusion, however, we are excited with the developments in the black creative industry in the past 5 years. This is because there have been massive improvements across board within the industry. Thanks to the activities of streaming platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, BET, and other black owned/led platforms like Iroko TV, Afroland, Afrotainment TV, and local African platforms like MNET/DSTV/Showmax, Azam TV in Tanzania, etc. There has been a giant leap in production quality, increasing acceptability across borders, and some improvements in distribution.

However, there is still a lot to be done to further transform the industry into the likes of Hollywood, Bollywood, or even the Turkish, Korean, Filipino, and Spanish creative industries. All hands must be on deck. We must look at our distribution again, re-evaluate our cinema distribution model, pay attention to our production quality/value, and consciously/deliberately collaborate across borders. With all these in place, we will definitely achieve mass appeal and then. global scale that will definitely attract the much needed continuous investments.