Accra, Ghana//-MTN Ghana today launched its digital entertainment channel, MTN One TV, aiming at transforming the country’s creative industry, expand global reach of local productions, and create sustainable revenue opportunities for filmmakers, broadcasters, and digital content creators.
The initiative, according to senior officials of MTN Ghana, also aims at addressing challenges confronting Ghana’s creative sector, particularly limited distribution channels, inadequate financing, piracy and the difficulty many content producers face in generating meaningful income from their work.
The platform brings together Ghanaian films, television productions, live television channels, and international entertainment, offering audiences flexible viewing options while giving content owners opportunities to distribute and monetise their productions.
The launch also formed part of an inaugural industry conference themed ‘Empowering Ghana’s Creative Industry Through Collaboration and Digital Innovation’.
It attracted government officials, filmmakers, producers, actors, broadcasters, media executives, technology professionals and other key stakeholders.
The Chief Digital Officer of MTN Ghana, Ibrahim Misto, explained at the launch that the introduction of One TV represented a significant step towards building a commercially sustainable digital entertainment ecosystem capable of connecting Ghanaian creativity to larger markets.
According to him, Ghana possesses enormous creative potential, with talented filmmakers, actors, producers, writers, musicians and digital content creators producing compelling stories that reflect the country’s identity, history and cultural heritage.
However, he observed that the absence of adequate distribution opportunities and strategic partnerships continued to limit the commercial success of many productions.
He noted that producing quality content is no longer sufficient in an increasingly competitive digital environment, as creators also require access to audiences, technology and reliable revenue opportunities. “This is where MTN One TV comes in,” he stated.
Mr Misto added that the platform is designed to bridge the gap between content creation and consumption by connecting producers, broadcasters, advertisers, technology partners and audiences within a single digital entertainment ecosystem.
He noted that partnerships with content owners would help improve the visibility of Ghanaian productions, broaden their distribution and create opportunities for emerging talent to gain recognition.
He emphasised that the economic impact of the initiative could extend across the creative value chain, supporting writers, directors, actors, editors, technicians and production crews whose livelihoods depended on the industry’s growth.
The Chief Digital Officer stressed that MTN’s ambition went beyond attracting viewers to creating an environment in which Ghanaian creators could earn sustainable income, expand their businesses and compete effectively in the global entertainment market.
He further highlighted the importance of protecting Ghana’s cultural identity through digital storytelling. “Our stories carry our history, languages, traditions and values,” he said.
Mr Misto maintained that providing Ghanaian productions with stronger digital visibility would not only promote local talent but also preserve indigenous languages, traditions and cultural values for future generations.
He noted that the initiative coincided with MTN Ghana’s 30th anniversary celebrations under the theme, “30 Years of Progress, Powered by You.”
The Senior Manager for Digital Services and Verticals at MTN Ghana, Dr Bless Sefenu, reinforced the company’s commitment to building an inclusive entertainment platform that would respond directly to the needs of Ghanaian content producers.
He said Africa’s rich storytelling heritage presented enormous opportunities for digital innovation, commercial expansion and international recognition.
Tracing the evolution of storytelling from traditional fireside gatherings, folklore, music, dance and talking drums to radio, television and modern streaming services, he observed that technological advancement had transformed the delivery of stories without diminishing their cultural significance.
Dr Sefenu stressed that Africa had never lacked compelling stories or talented storytellers, but the challenge remained how to distribute African content effectively and generate greater economic value from it.
He said the digital revolution had created an opportunity for African creators to take ownership of their narratives, reach wider audiences and build sustainable businesses around their creative works.
According to him, MTN One TV was intended to strengthen the connection between quality content and audiences while providing creators with greater visibility, wider distribution and additional earning opportunities.
He cautioned, however, that attracting large audiences would be meaningless if the people producing the content continued to struggle financially.
A thriving creative industry, he explained, required more than viewership figures; it demanded sustainable revenue, consistent investment in quality productions and deliberate support for talent development. “That is why we want to build MTN One TV with you, and not simply for you,” he declared.
Dr Sefenu said MTN had deliberately positioned its inaugural One TV industry conference as a platform for open dialogue to ensure that filmmakers, producers and other stakeholders played an active role in shaping the initiative.
He encouraged participants to raise difficult questions, identify industry challenges and propose practical solutions capable of strengthening the platform and the wider creative ecosystem.
He also urged stakeholders to take advantage of the networking opportunities to establish partnerships that could translate into long-term commercial relationships.
The Deputy Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Mohammed Adams Sukparu, challenged MTN Ghana to demonstrate its commitment to the creative industry by investing in the production of original Ghanaian films and television programmes.
Speaking on behalf of the sector minister, Samuel Nartey George, he said the launch of One TV is a welcome development but insisted that digital distribution must translate into measurable economic benefits for Ghanaian creators.
He noted that although the internet had revolutionised the entertainment industry and opened global markets to local productions, many content owners continued to face serious financial and structural challenges.
He identified piracy, inadequate financing, the collapse of traditional CD and VCD distribution markets and dependence on international digital platforms as major obstacles to sustainable growth.
According to him, the increasing consumption of digital entertainment should create corresponding financial opportunities for the people responsible for producing the content.
He therefore urged MTN to move beyond licensing existing productions and explore direct investment in new Ghanaian films, television programmes and other creative projects.
Such investments, he explained, would stimulate local production, generate employment, support emerging talent and strengthen the country’s creative economy.
The Deputy Minister disclosed that the government had established a GH¢20 million Film Development Fund as seed funding to support the growth of Ghana’s film industry.
He stressed that public funding alone could not meet the industry’s investment needs and called for stronger private-sector participation.
He maintained that companies generating commercial value from creative content had a responsibility to contribute meaningfully to the development of the ecosystem producing it.
He further called for deliberate efforts to promote Ghanaian languages and indigenous productions to prevent local storytelling from being overshadowed by foreign entertainment.
On his part, the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Yussif Issaka Jajah, said Ghana’s storytelling tradition has produced remarkable creative works over the years, but the economic benefits have not always adequately reached the individuals responsible for their production.
He cited celebrated Ghanaian productions, including Osofo Dadzie, Obra, Inspector Bediako and Love Brewed in the African Pot, as examples of the country’s rich cultural and entertainment heritage.
Industry watchers said the launch of MTN One TV represents a significant expansion of MTN Ghana’s digital business ambitions and introduces another potential distribution channel for an industry seeking greater investment, visibility and financial sustainability.
