media update’s Adam Wakefield spoke to Fox Networks Group's (FNG) newly appointed general manager, Evert van der Veer, about the group’s work in Africa and the importance of creating local content.
What excites you the most about the African television market that FNG plays in?What is not appealing about a global company reaching more than 1.8 billion people every day, in more than 50 local languages?
FNG delivers standout creative output on our core brands, being FOX, National Geographic and FOX Sports, and we drive innovation for customers across multiple platforms.
I’m especially energised to work on the FOX Sports IP we have created through the WAFU. Our inaugural tournament in Ghana in 2017 was a great success. Africa Boxing also has major potential to grow into an even bigger entity.
Fox Sports, in partnership with the WBA, crowned 12 pan-African champions in 2017. We are getting ready to announce partnerships with major commercial partners.
National Geographic is a FOX brand that is very close to my heart, as my father featured in the March 1973 issue of the magazine, during his tenure as a doctor in Congo.
How can those responsible for local productions in African countries ensure they create local, culturally relevant content?The understanding that locals can tell their story much better than any other seasoned writer/storyteller is important.
As a group, we made a commitment to source, develop and produce original content, and our first regional scripted commission, Deep State, premiered – to great success – in various markets and is being sold by FNG's content division to a number of markets around the world.
In 2016, FNG Africa launched a production business, and its express purpose is to originate and produce content out of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
One of its key ambitions is to export a narrative that repositions SSA in the minds of global audiences. FNG Original Productions operates as a quasi-independent production house with clients across media, which will include pay, free and SVOD.
In March, we launched our first ever local production,
Spirit, featuring psychic medium Cindy Kruger. We have more productions in the pipeline, which we will announce in due course.
How has social media changed television production over the last 10 years, particularly in African markets?The cultural impact that social media has cannot be reduced to one geographical location as the influence is worldwide.
However, make no doubt that there is a huge influence on content, and we are bound to see different trends in the future, which will further enhance television production in the future.
If you want to see the power of social media – one only needs to look at National Geographic. We have 423 million followers on several social media platforms [as of mid-May], including:
- Facebook: 193.1 million
- Twitter: 41.4 million
- Instagram: 134. million
- YouTube: 10.5 million
- Google: 22.4 million, and
- Weibo: 12.7 million.
For a brand like National Geographic to be the number one non-celebrity brand on Instagram tells an inspiring story of the power of social media to elevate brands to the next level.
Thanks to technology, our non-linear offerings, Fox + and Nat Geo +, are now available, so people can consume the content on demand.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing executives in the African television market?Research and a deep dive into audiences that are so vastly different is an exciting challenge. Figuring out and tailor making plans for the various segments of the African continent is also a major challenge, as is understanding consumer patterns and behaviours, which will lead to better targeting.
The fundamentals are immersion, immersion and more immersion – it is not a continent that that can be figured out remotely. It is also key to invest back into the market, tell local stories and ensure that our business adds value that leads to growth in the African media landscape.
For more information, visit
www.foxafrica.com.
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