The rise of African cinema has attracted global attention, paving the way for innovative platforms like Circuits. As a transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) platform, Circuits brings a unique offering to the industry, focusing on showcasing fresh, unreleased African content to a worldwide audience.
What is Circuits?
Circuits is more than just another streaming platform; it is a virtual cinema designed to provide a home for high-quality African content. Unlike subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms that require users to pay recurring fees, the platform operates on a pay-per-view model, ensuring users only pay for what they choose to watch.
Pricing varies based on market conditions, with fees ranging from $2 to $4.99 per feature film title. This flexibility makes it particularly attractive to audiences worldwide who want a curated African cinematic experience without commitment to monthly subscriptions.
A Unique Model of Distribution
One of Circuits’ defining features is its 12-week exhibition window. This timeframe mirrors the duration films typically spend in cinemas, offering a bridge between traditional theatrical releases and digital streaming.
By limiting exhibition time, the platform ensures exclusivity while enabling producers to seek additional licensing opportunities after the initial run. This approach not only supports filmmakers financially but also preserves the value of their work for future deals.
Additionally, Circuits accommodates both unreleased films and recently screened cinema titles, ensuring the content remains fresh and compelling. This dual focus caters to a broader audience, including those who may have missed films during their theatrical release.
Global Reach and Technical Excellence
The platform is designed for a worldwide audience, ensuring accessibility and high streaming quality through a robust global network of servers. This infrastructure supports millions of concurrent streams, guaranteeing a seamless experience for users regardless of location.
Furthermore, Circuits prioritizes content security, employing advanced Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions and working with top-tier security firms to combat piracy.
Financial Opportunities for Producers
Circuits offers a balanced financial model that combines an upfront minimum guarantee with additional earnings based on performance. This structure mitigates risks for producers while encouraging active promotion of their content. Notably, the platform also supports multilingual reach by dubbing and subtitling films, expanding their audience base and revenue potential.
While the best-case scenario allows producers to recoup costs and earn significant profits, the platform acknowledges the possibility of low audience interest. In such cases, the producer is still assured of the minimum guarantee, a feature that underscores Circuits’ commitment to de-risking content creation.
Collaboration and Market Expansion
Marketing is a shared responsibility between Circuits and producers, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in driving audience engagement. Producers who actively promote their films are given priority during content selection, reinforcing the platform’s focus on partnerships.
Although currently centred on Nollywood, Circuits has ambitious plans to include content from other African markets, positioning itself as a pan-African platform. By premiering 5-10 films monthly, Circuits ensures a steady stream of diverse offerings, capturing the richness of African storytelling.
Future Prospects
With its innovative approach, Circuits has the potential to transform the African content landscape. By providing producers with performance reports validated by external auditors, the platform fosters transparency and trust.
Additionally, the opportunity for creators to license their content globally ensures continued revenue generation and recognition.
Circuits is a game-changer for African fillmakers and producers. By blending elements of traditional cinema and modern streaming, the platform offers a unique space for African stories to thrive globally.
