Molotov rolls out in Africa
January 13, 2021
From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris
French OTT platform Molotov has started rolling out in Africa, with an initial launch in Ivory Coast, where it claims to have already generated “tens of thousands” of subscribers.
The service debuted in France four years ago, and now distributes some 180 on-demand, free and linear pay-TV channels – as well as catch-up services. It has attracted 13.2 million users.
Africa marks the start of Molotov’s international expansion. Regional versions, with 15 local channels at launch along with replay services, will be deployed in Senegal this month, Cameroon in February, Burkina Faso in March and Tunisia in April. Guinea and DRC will follow ahead of a major roll-out into all African French-speaking countries. New channels will be added before the spring and the AVoD platform Mango, that launched in France last November, will complement the offering.
Molotov has developed specific low speeds apps to serve the African continent, and signed a partnership with company Digital Virgo for monetisation and payments solutions.
Elsewhere in Europe, South America and Asia, talks are ongoing with potential partners as Molotov targets the EMEA region.