BBNaija’s investment is over N4.7billion – Ugbe
By Abimbola Mohammed
John Ugbe, CEO of Multichoice Nigeria, has revealed that the production cost of Big Brother Naija Season 7, the multi-million audience reality show is about 4.7 billion naira, including licensing, auditing, marketing, and remodeling cost.
At the end of this year’s show, the 2022 winner, Ijeoma Josephine Otabor (“Phyna”) was presented with a cheque of 50million naira and SUV from Innoson Motors. The presentation was made in Lagos, Nigeria.
Other prices include a one-year supply of Munch It, Pepsi, Supply of Nexus appliances, Trip to Dubai for 2, etc. Phyna, who emerged the “Level Up” season winner, was full of joy as she received the gifts.
Speaking on the investment of the biggest reality TV show in Africa, Ugbe noted that the show contributes to the economic development of Nigeria and also provides employment opportunities for Nigerians.
“The show contributed significantly to the Nigerian economy. Big Brother Naija is more than entertainment; it provides social and economic value creation, this year we employed over fourteen thousand two hundred people directly and indirectly from fashion designers to carpenters to photographers to interior decorators, vendors etc. We touched thousands of people across all industries,” he said.
“We had groups of diverse talented housemates, very young actors dancing and watching their magic throughout the season. The stages are set and audiences are waiting, and the world is your oyster housemates. This is another record breaking season, over a billion people voted, we are really proud of the support the housemates get from everyone around the world. Big Brother Naija is a show that touches lives,” Ugbe added.
On her part, Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of content and West Africa Channels, Multichoice noted: “We started with over forty thousand applications. The show runs for 72 days. The engagement generated this season has been phenomenal, from voting numbers, to fan bases, social media conversation and to the media coverage not just in Nigeria but across Africa. Over one billion votes were cast throughout the period of the show.
“Our sponsors and brand partners have proven, without a doubt, that BBNaija is one of the TV’s greatest and rated marketplaces for brand representation. We are proud to have provided a platform that continues to entertain the viewers, celebrate the talent of housemates, showcase different expressions of our culture and contribute to the creative industry in Nigeria. We have seen the show create a platform for viable talents and potential brand ambassadors.”
Ayo Akinola, Head of Business Development, Pocket, the headline sponsor of the show, noted that it was a certified investment story as it’s the second time they are sponsoring the show and it has really paid off in terms of engagement, awareness and return on investment.
“The first time of sponsoring we were very much focused on putting the brand out there and making people know what we are about, and this second time was basically also the businesses, and the show allowed us to do that easily and it was brilliant. Our goal is to redefine and continue to refine people’s relationships with transfers and sending and receiving money. We will continue to create a platform that allows people to do that easily and with Pocket App, we have achieved that. This edition of the show took us to where we wanted to go in terms of the people we wanted to showcase the business to. With the ease of use and from the numbers, it shows Nigerians love it.
“Pocket app is something we are very proud to be associated with. Unarguably, Big Brother Naija is the biggest platform we have in Africa and it has taken our business to a measurable level,” he said.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Comment
No comments found.