The Africa Channel Continues Explosive Growth with Launches in 103 New Markets

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Africa Channel (TAC), the longest-running independent, minority-owned media company focused on presenting pan-African content to US audiences, announces that in 2021 the channel has experienced explosive growth with launches in 103 new markets. With programming, which includes scripted and unscripted series, films, documentaries, news, and information programs, TAC's latest partnership with Cox Communication (Cox) brings the channel to viewers in 100% of Cox's markets, including Las Vegas, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Diego, Cleveland and Norfolk/Hampton Rds VA.

The Africa Channel continues to increase viewership with the Cox partnership following the expanded distribution to millions more Charter subscribers throughout the company's 41-state footprint and Comcast Xfinity TV customers, where the channel is now available in 60 new markets.

New commitments supporting increased diversity from Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPD) and top brands mirror the demographic shift in America, with ethnic diversity increasing by 11% on average and as high as 70% in some regions as highlighted in the 2020 Census Report. Fulfilling the entertainment and content needs of this audience represents a huge opportunity. With less than 1% Black-owned media stations, MVPD's and brands recognize that supporting minority-owned networks like TAC enables them to engage with this underserved but influential audience.

"This is a particularly exciting time for us at The African Channel which, despite prevailing trends in the industry where audiences appear to be cutting the cord in favor of OTT and digital streaming options, has seen impressive growth in interest, viewership, and distribution in our traditional broadcast offering," said Narendra Reddy, Executive Vice President and General Manager of The Africa Channel. "We attribute this success to our belief, now supported by a growing number of studies which show that diverse, multicultural and niche audiences who mainstream media have often ignored will gravitate towards platforms, traditional or otherwise, when the content is  customized to their unique viewing needs."

Launched in 2005, The Africa Channel showcases outstanding English language television series, feature films, documentaries, and news about Africa and its influence on the world. Its mission is to build bridges between cultures while reinforcing positive narratives of Africa through diverse content and programming. The channel expands the scope of general Black entertainment while specifically serving Black immigrant families, who represent over 20% of the Black population in the US, with culturally relevant programming.

Viewers will be able to catch TAC's popular originals and premiere programming from leading distributors, including:

• Expresso Daily Morning Show – Beamed live from its stunning Cape Town studios on the west coast of Africa, the Expresso morning show serves up a fresh blend of international culture and lifestyle daily. Airs Mon-Fri 7-8:30am & 10-11:30am Eastern.
• Popular Game and Dating Shows
• My Design Rules: Three competing design duos battle it out in the name of great design. Airs Mon-Fri 8:30am & 11:30am Eastern. 
• Date My Family: Singles find love by going on dates with their potential partner's family. Can you trust your family to help you find love? Mon-Thu 8-9pm & 1-2am Eastern
• Best of BBC Africa programs - Timely, authentic, relevant, and provocative programs that further connect Africa to the world while bearing the BBC's exceptional quality. Titles include Focus on Africa Daily News Show: the biggest stories from all over Africa and around the world; Sport Africa: A sports show that's all about people including high-profile African sports stars and the talent of tomorrow, plus a weekly Armchair Expert fans' quiz; Smart Money: Inspirational business stories and practical advice from Africa's most enterprising business entrepreneurs. Mon-Fri 6-8pm & 11pm-1am Eastern
• Movie Showcase: Hundreds of hours of movies from Nollywood and across Africa introduce American viewers to the broadest range of talent that the continent and diaspora have to offer  
• Black History Month premiering all-new series celebrating stories that encourage viewers to connect to their heritage and highlight the rich and distinct connections between Black cultures in Africa and the USA, including:
• The History of Africa - Complementing our stories of the Black experience in America are the achievements of Black Africans in this 20-part series. Zeinab Badawi travels across Africa, interviewing historians, archaeologists, and citizens who paint a vivid picture of their continent's past and how that history informs the present.
• African Royale - Premiering in February, this fresh new original series stars Abimbola Fernandez, a young Nigerian-American and heiress to a billion-dollar fortune. In African Royale, we follow Abimbola as she navigates the nuanced and contemporary cultural connections new generations of Black singles are discovering today throughout the diaspora, and in this case, Los Angeles, Paris, and Lagos, Nigeria.
• American Civil Rights Documentaries - Our programming includes a curated collection of stories that uniquely define an American people with a powerful heritage; a history of fighters who have worked towards equality and a better life for future generations.

"The Africa Channel provides a unique opportunity for traditional Multichannel Video Programming Distributors to retain their subscribers and a seamless solution for brands and advertisers to engage with the African diaspora more directly and authentically with culturally relevant programing, while allowing for true inclusion of broader Black audiences." said Narendra Reddy, Executive Vice President and General Manager of The Africa Channel.

Through the programming and partnership with Cox Communications, The Africa Channel aims to educate and connect all Black Americans to their heritage and serve a fast-growing Black immigrant population. The majority of TAC's content has never been seen in North America. Now, with the network's distribution with Cox Communications, millions of new viewers will be able to access this vast catalog of culturally relevant content.

The Africa Channel is now available to Cox Communications customers. For more information about how to subscribe and local channel listings visit www.cox.com

Please visit www.theafricachannel.com for more information and follow TAC on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About The Africa Channel www.theafricachannel.com 

The Africa Channel and its production arm, TAC Studios, showcase the African continent's most outstanding English-language television series, specials, documentaries, feature films, music, biographies, and cultural and historical content. The channel's mission is to open a daily window into modern African life, and in the process, help demystify Africa for viewers globally. The Africa Channel, with offices in Los Angeles and Johannesburg, South Africa, is available in North America and the Caribbean on cable systems such as Comcast, Charter's Spectrum brand, Rogers Ignite, and Bell Fibe (Canada), and the Caribbean Cable Cooperative. 

TAC is represented in its negotiations with US distributors by HotHouse Media, a business development and sales representation firm specializing in product licensing for independent media companies.

SOURCE The Africa Channel