MTN Ghana has launched MTN One TV, a digital entertainment platform designed to widen the reach of Ghanaian films and television productions while creating new income streams for content creators.
The platform brings together local productions, live television channels, international programmes and flexible viewing options, connecting creators, broadcasters, advertisers and audiences.
The launch, held alongside an inaugural industry conference themed “Empowering Ghana’s Creative Industry Through Collaboration and Digital Innovation,” attracted government officials, filmmakers, producers, actors, media owners and content creators.
MTN Ghana, the country’s leading telecommunications company, is marking 30 years of operations and has evolved from a voice and data provider into a platform business supporting enterprises and start-ups.
The Chief Digital Officer, Ibrahim Misto, said the platform would help Ghanaian stories gain the visibility and audiences they deserve.
He said the country has abundant creative talent but needs stronger platforms and partnerships to turn that talent into sustainable income.
Mr Misto said MTN would work with producers and content owners to make local productions easier to discover and give emerging talent greater exposure.
He said this would benefit writers, directors, actors, editors and production crews who depend on the industry, while also helping to preserve Ghana’s languages, traditions and values.
The Senior Manager for Digital Services, Dr Bless Sefenu, said MTN intended to build One TV with creators rather than simply for them.
He said audience growth alone would not sustain the industry, which also needed reliable revenue, investment in quality production and talent development.
Govt wants local productions funded
The Deputy Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Mohammed Adams Sukparu, urged MTN to ensure the platform delivers sustainable incomes, jobs and investment opportunities for creators.
He said the industry continues to face challenges, including piracy, the collapse of the CD and VCD markets, and reliance on global platforms whose terms creators have little control over.
He called on MTN to commission new Ghanaian productions as well as license existing ones, offer affordable data and content bundles, and give Ghanaian languages a strong presence on the platform.
He said companies that profit from creative content should reinvest in the people who produce it, noting that the government has established a GH¢20 million Film Development Fund.
He added that the success of the platform should be measured not only by viewership but also by creators’ earnings, jobs created and investment attracted.
Mr Sukparu also said the government would take stronger action against piracy and promote the ethical use of artificial intelligence in ways that protect artists’ voices, images and intellectual property.
Making culture pay
The Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Yussif Issaka Jajah, said Ghana has long produced stories that attract audiences, but the financial returns have not always reached the people behind them.
He said the revised cultural policy aims to make culture economically viable, with intellectual property protection, local content development and training among its priorities.
He described One TV as a digital home for Ghanaian content that could connect local creators to wider markets.
