The Nigerian government, through the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has responded to a petition demanding the ban or regulation of the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality show. Activist lawyer Maduabuchi Idam filed a petition urging the NBC to ban or strictly regulate BBNaija within 30 days. He argued the show promotes obscene, indecent, and profane content, citing its influence on Nigerian youths and the negative impact on public morality. The petition points out that the show airs explicit scenes not just on TV but also on social media by the host company. Idam stressed that BBNaija offers no educational or artistic value but serves private economic interests and violates Nigeria’s communication laws. The program has brazenly exhibited real-time obscene actions on national TV and social media, which is deeply concerning for societal values and public decency – Idam In response, the NBC acknowledged receiving several petitions from concerned citizens, including Idam’s, and promised to investigate the matter. The commission assured the public that it will take appropriate regulatory measures to ensure broadcast content complies with Nigeria’s broadcasting code. The NBC urged Nigerians to report offensive content online to help with enforcement.
Disney’s ESPN secures NFL Network, RedZone in a sports deal
Disney’s ESPN is set to take over the NFL Network and RedZone, bringing American football’s top media platforms under one roof. The National Football League (NFL) confirmed on Tuesday that it will sell most of its media businesses to ESPN. With this deal, the NFL will own 10% of ESPN, while Disney strengthens its position as a leader in live sports content. The agreement is expected to close next year. Once it does, ESPN will control both the NFL Network, which broadcasts league games and news and RedZone, the popular highlight channel. Disney also gained the rights to show more league games. ESPN is preparing to launch a new monthly streaming platform for $30, giving subscribers live sports, highlights, and access to its standard TV channels. For those already paying for ESPN on cable, the streaming version will come at no extra charge. There’s also a bundle on the way: get ESPN, Hulu, and Disney+ together for $36 a month, with an initial discount set at $30 for the first year. Disney already owns 80% of ESPN, with 20% held by Hearst Communications. Bringing in the NFL Network and RedZone is one of the company’s biggest steps into live sports in years. Big media companies and sports leagues are building tighter partnerships. Just last week, Fox bought a third of Penske Entertainment, which owns the IndyCar Series. ESPN also recently invested in a pro lacrosse league. The NFL, teaming with ESPN means their games and content reach more fans across new platforms as traditional cable TV loses ground to streaming. NFL games remain the most-watched U.S. programs, drawing an average of over 17 million viewers per game last season. Disney leaves no doubt that the company wants to hold on to live sports viewers and meet the demands of fans looking to stream their favourite games with this deal.
Netflix unveils first AI-generated scene in popular thriller El Eternauta
Netflix has started using artificial intelligence to create special effects in its shows, making production faster and cheaper. In its Q2 2025 earnings call, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that the Argentine sci-fi series El Eternauta featured the first-ever final footage made with generative AI. A key scene showing a building collapsing in Buenos Aires was created using AI tools developed by Netflix and the show’s team. Sarandos said this effect was finished ten times faster than with traditional visual effects and saved a lot of money. Sarandos explained that AI helps filmmakers improve their work, not just cut costs. “These are real people doing real work with better tools,” he said. AI is already used for planning shots, pre-visualization, and advanced effects like de-aging actors or enhancing scenes, work once limited to big-budget productions. Netflix’s other co-CEO, Greg Peters, added that the company is applying AI across its platform, beyond just production. This includes personalizing recommendations, improving searches, and preparing to launch AI-powered interactive ads later this year. The announcement came with strong financial news for Netflix, which reported $11.08 billion in revenue for the quarter, a 16% increase from last year. Viewers streamed over 95 billion hours of content in the first half of 2025, with one-third of this time spent watching non-English shows, showing Netflix’s global reach. While using AI in film raises worries about job losses among creative professionals, Netflix insists AI is a tool to empower creators.
Superman soars at Nigerian box office with N133.7 million opening weekend
The new Superman movie has launched to great success in Nigerian cinemas, earning N133.7 million in ticket sales during its first weekend. Superman, the latest reboot of the classic DC Comics hero, took the Nigerian box office by storm with a strong debut of N133.7 million over its opening weekend. This marks one of the biggest film releases in Nigeria so far in 2025, surpassing the previous leader Captain America: Brave New World, which earned N108.1 million during its opening weekend. This achievement is notable because many cinemas, especially in Lagos, which generate nearly half of Nigeria’s box office income, were closed until late Saturday due to local elections. Despite this, Superman attracted a large audience and proved that blockbuster films continue to thrive in the Nigerian market. Directed and written by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in the new DC Universe phase and stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. The story takes place three years after Superman’s public debut, focusing on his struggle to balance life as a reporter while combating a smear campaign led by the villain Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult. The plot draws inspiration from the acclaimed comic series All-Star Superman. The film premiered worldwide on July 7 and debuted in Nigerian theaters on July 11. It has grossed over $220 million globally with a $225 million production budget. This reboot represents a creative new start for DC Studios under James Gunn’s leadership, abandoning earlier versions in favor of a fresh storyline called “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” Nigeria’s strong box office response shows the country’s growing importance in global entertainment, despite challenges like infrastructure gaps and occasional disruptions such as election-day cinema closures.
Iyalode set to break N300 million mark at Nigerian box office
Toyin Abraham’s new film, Iyalode, is on the verge of crossing N300 million in box office sales, making it one of the highest-grossing Nollywood epics of 2025. Since its premiere on June 6, Iyalode has pulled in N292.8 million in just five weeks. This strong performance puts it ahead of many other big titles this year and shows the growing power of Nollywood in the entertainment world. The film, directed by Adebayo Tijani and co-produced by Abraham and Kolawole Ajeyemi, tells the story of Asabi Onile, a fierce warrior queen who stands up to tradition and fights for her place in the fictional village of Kulende. Toyin Abraham leads the cast, with support from Nollywood stars like Bukky Wright, Kehinde Bankole, Ibrahim Chatta, Peju Ogunmola, and Aisha Lawal. Iyalode made a huge splash on opening weekend, earning N103.7 million, a rare achievement for a local film. In its second week, it brought in another N61.6 million, quickly passing the N200 million mark. The film’s success puts it ahead of recent Nollywood hits like Lakatabu, The Beast of Two Worlds, and Iyabo Ojo’s blockbuster, which all earned between N200 million and N250 million. At the premiere, Abraham revealed that making Iyalode cost over N1 billion, a record-breaking budget for Nollywood. She thanked FilmOne Entertainment for helping bring the movie to a national audience. Other movies, both local and international, have not matched Iyalode’s numbers. For example, Her Excellency opened with N34.2 million, while Superman grossed N21.7 million. Ballerina, in its fifth week, has reached N237.6 million. Despite strong competition, Iyalode remains the top film of the season. Its big budget, powerful story, and strong box office run show how Nollywood is growing and aiming for bigger things.
NDPC slams Multichoice Nigeria with record fine over data privacy breach
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined Multichoice Nigeria N766.2 million for breaking the country’s data protection law. Multichoice, the company behind DStv and GOtv, was found guilty of violating the privacy rights of its subscribers and even people who are not customers. The NDPC said Multichoice also sent Nigerians’ personal data outside the country without proper approval, which is against the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act). The NDPC began investigating Multichoice in the second quarter of 2024 after reports of privacy violations. According to the Commission, Multichoice’s handling of data was “intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate.” The Commission called this a serious attack on the right to privacy protected by Nigeria’s Constitution. The NDPC explained that it had asked Multichoice to fix the issues, but the company’s efforts were not good enough. Because of this, the Commission ordered Multichoice to pay the N766.2 million fine. This is the biggest fine the NDPC has issued since the NDP Act became law in 2023. Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, said the Commission prefers to help companies correct their mistakes instead of just giving fines. “Usually, when we investigate and find a breach, if they are ready to comply with the law, what is the point of making noise? It’s only when an organization is unwilling to comply with the law that we are forced to impose sanctions,” he said. The NDPC also announced that it will investigate all Multichoice outlets in Nigeria to ensure they are following data protection rules. Any outlet found breaking the law could face penalties. This fine comes at a tough time for Multichoice Nigeria. The company has lost 1.4 million subscribers in the last two years, partly because of rising prices for DStv and GOtv. Multichoice recently cut the price of its DStv decoder and offered subscription upgrades to attract more customers. This case shows that Nigeria is getting serious about protecting people’s data. The NDPC says it will keep working to make sure companies respect privacy rights and follow the law.