As Nollywood continues to evolve and digital domination is on the rise in the industry loads of filmmakers, and producers have found a lucrative and expansive platform in YouTube. As the world’s second-largest film industry, which has long been a cultural cornerstone, leveraging digital streaming to reach global audiences, drive engagement, and generate revenue, is a welcome development especially for the filmmakers looking to make a difference.
Embracing YouTube provides an unparalleled global reach, allowing Nollywood content to be seen by millions worldwide. It also offers a direct-to-consumer model that eliminates the need for traditional distributors and cinemas. This model not only reduces costs but also allows filmmakers to maintain control over their content and release schedules. In a market plagued by piracy, YouTube offers a safer, more secure way to distribute their content.
When it comes to monetization on the platform, YouTube is primarily driven by ad revenue. When ads are displayed on videos, creators earn money based on the number of views and ad clicks. Channels with high viewership, can generate significant income.
In this feature, we spotlight the top 10 Nollywood movies channels on YouTube that are leading the charge, racking up impressive numbers of views and subscribers.
Here you go:
10. Mercy Johnson Okojie TV
Subscribers: 386,000
Videos: 39
Total Views: 26,858,612
Started in October of 2016, Nollywood A lister, Mercy kicked off her channel, where her terms are her terms. With movies such as ‘Ejiro’s Wish’, Double Door and A Matter of Choice earning a total of 9.1million views in the past 4 months, Mercy can do as she wishes, which includes casting her kids in her movies. I also doubt she will be number 10 for long!
9. B’ Concept Network
Subscribers: 390,000
Videos: 89
Total Views: 29,551,812
The brainchild of Blessing Egbe, actress turn writer, producer and director. Created in May of 2011, B’Concept Network channel features movies from the producers past as well as newer productions including the recently released final chapter of the ‘Lekki Wives Reunion’
8. Omoni Oboli TV
Subscribers: 459,000
Videos: 293 videos
Total Views: 81,013,763
Nollywood Box Office Queen Omoni, took to YouTube barely 9 months ago and viola, she’s working on taking over. Eliminating the need for traditional distributors and cinemas and having full control is a driving force for producers like Omoni, having started 9 months ago and already has over 290 movies on the platform.
7. Chinney Love Eze TV
Subscribers: 453,000
Videos: 30
Total Views: 80,332,272
I don’t know much of this entry. However, ChinneyLoveEze Tv was established in 2013 and is owned by, Chinney Love Eze. Her movies focus on family-oriented stories with a lot of lessons, and stories that buttresses on Relationship, Marriage and Love. With the number of videos and timing, one can see that she takes her time to release her movies, however, I cannot vouch for the movies so choose wisely.
6. Uduak Isong TV
Subscribers: 542,000
Videos: 104
Total Views: 91,461,173
Uduak Isong, is known for her romantic comedies and heartfelt dramas. She was one of the pioneer producers on Youtube since 2007, dropping self help videos on cooking, script writing and some comedy before moving to dramedies such as Kokoma and Selina.
5. Bimbo Ademoye TV
Subscribers: 668,000
Videos: 89
Total Views: 60,712,954
Youtube darling and actress Bimbo Ademoye, kicked off her YouTube journey almost 2 years ago with her skits and then moved to her web series ‘Teropi Secxxion’ and Sibe. After 60million views, there is no stopping her with various movies under her belt.
4. Funke Akindele Network
Subscribers: 1,006,000
Videos: 2,185
Total Views: 284,561,648
Another OG on YouTube and Nigerian sweetheart Funke Akindele’s ‘FAANTV’ kicked off in 2015. The channel has focused on Jenifa’s Diary the series and till date, outside of promoting her box office movies and other activities, the channel has stayed through its set up and has amass a whole lot of views in the process.
3. Uche Nancy TV
Subscribers: 1,650,000
Videos: 1,676
Total Views: 386,018,943
Uche Nancy is a Nollywood Costumier turned film maker, who has been active on the platform since 2015. Some of her movies include ‘The Surrogate’, ‘My Baby Boy’ and ‘A Man’s Nightmare’ and as the figures show, she has gained a total of 386,018,943 views.
2. Uchenna Mbunabo TV
Subscribers: 1,780,000
Videos: 114
Total Views: 360,990,605
Uchenna Mbunabo is a Producer, Casting Director and Writer with over 200 movies to his credit. I had never heard of him till this article, but his IMDB states that he is known for Celebrity Marriage (2017), The Honeymoon Trip (2018) and Show Me Love (2021). His channel has been active since 2013, and he has 114 videos to his credit.
1. Ruth Kadir 247
Subscribers: 2,200,000
Video: 92
Total Views: 293,580,251
Silently making her mark and making her coins on our number 1 spot, actress, producer and writer Ruth Kadir. She has been active in the industry for a bit but started gaining recognition from 2010 and then she joined YouTube in 2014, and the world has been her oyster. She has 92 movies to her credit and has starred in most of them, wow! At the time of writing this article, her subscribers grew by 100,000. Don’t know if it is the quality of the production, the acts or the script, whatever it is, this triple threat is cashing out and taking no prisoners.
Some honourable mentions, BossLady Flix; Freddrick Leonard TV; Chinenye Nnebe Movies. They might not be on this list of top 10, but they are top and amongst filmmakers and producers who are contributing to the Nollywood content repository, the sky is not their limit, especially for a platform like YouTube.
Nollywood’s foray into YouTube has proven to be a game-changer for the industry. The top 10 channels highlighted here are leading the way, making their coins and showcasing what Nigeria has to offer on the big screen to a global audience. As more filmmakers embrace the digital platform, the future of Nollywood on YouTube looks promising, with endless possibilities for growth and innovation.
