Ghanaian movies can't survive on streaming platforms due to high data costs - Ola Michael

Ola Michael, a movie producer and director, has lamented the high cost of data in Ghana, which he says is affecting the streaming of Ghanaian films online.

In an interview with GhanaWeb Entertainment's Isaac Dadzie, Ola Michael said that most Ghanaians who watch Ghanaian films online are those living outside the country because data is cheaper for them.

He contrasted the situation in Ghana with that of Nigeria, where he said filmmakers are making movies for YouTube, cinema, and Netflix and enjoying a large audience base.

“If I, as a producer, want to get my film on a streaming platform, let's say on YouTube, how many Ghanaians are going to watch that film, especially if it's in 1 hour? Because people will be thinking about how much data they’re going to spend watching this movie,” he said.

He advised that filmmakers who want to use YouTube should make their films shorter, preferably less than 10 minutes, to attract more viewers.

“That is why we advise those that are doing YouTube things to break it down to a maximum of ten minutes at least so that they will be enticed to watch it.

“But if you're doing a feature like the Nigerians are doing on YouTube, it's not going to work for you unless you are lucky for Ghanaians outside to also get to know of it and watch it. So they are the ones that are helping with the streaming for us now,” Ola Michael said.

He said that the high data charges are killing the Ghanaian film industry and urged for more support and investment in the sector.

Ola Michael's statements join the wider discussion on the high cost of internet data and how it affects digital entertainment products.

In 2023, artiste manager BullGod also cited the high costs of data on the poor patronage of Ghanaian music on streaming platforms.

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