One of Nigeria’s most popular reality series will be available to view in the UK for the first time ever on African streaming service Showmax.
For the last 15 years, millions of Nigerians have tuned in to stream Big Brother Nigeria (later known as Big Brother Najia). The reality show, based on the original Dutch series Big Brother that also launched its UK version in 2000, follows 20 housemates isolated in one house for 10 weeks to battle for a grand prize worth millions of naira.
Kicking off with a special double launch show on Saturday, 24 July and Sunday 25 July 2021, Big Brother Naija Season 6 will see the winner walk away with a grand prize of 90 million naira (£158 000) – the highest in the show’s history.
Even more exciting is that, for the first time ever, fans in the UK will be able to stream the new season on African streaming service Showmax.
Confirming this development, Candice Fangueiro, Head of Content at Showmax, said: “Big Brother Naija has always attracted a large following outside Nigeria and Africa as a whole. This year we decided to make the hugely popular show available to fans in the UK – whether they’re part of the Nigerian diaspora or are among the many fans of this addictive reality series format.”
In addition to the 24-hour live stream, other BBNaija-related shows will be airing exclusively on Showmax, including the Head of House challenge and daily highlights, which will also be available to subscribers in the UK.
Those in the UK who have already been following the show will remember PC Khafi Kareem, the Metropolitan Police officer who appeared in the fourth season, Big Brother Naija: Pepper Dem. Kareem recently married her BBNaija housemate, Gedoni Ekpata, who she met on the show in 2019.
Season 6 will again be hosted by Season 1 contestant Ebuka Obi-Unchendu, who has hosted the reality show since 2017.
Known for making stars out of its contestants, and for serving up drama 24/7, Big Brother Naija is one of Africa’s biggest reality shows, drawing big audiences not only in Nigeria but on the continent as a whole.
During its fifth season in 2020, Big Brother Naija Lockdown shattered viewing records to become Showmax’s top live-streamed show in Nigeria, which accounted for almost 50% of the viewing hours, with South Africa and Kenya accounting for 30% and 15% respectively. Other countries like Ghana, Botswana, Namibia and Uganda also witnessed notable viewing traffic.
Rapper and singer-songwriter Laycon made his way into the hearts of fans across the continent to win the Lockdown edition, and in February 2021, landed his own reality show, I Am LAYCON, Showmax’s first-ever Nigerian Original. The reality show, which featured exclusive music tracks from Laycon, broke first-day Showmax streaming records in Nigeria.
Other than I Am LAYCON, Showmax has also launched six other Originals in 2021 to date, which include Crime and Justice, Kenya’s first Showmax Original and Showmax’s first co-production with CANAL+, and South Africa’s critically acclaimed small-town psychological thriller DAM, with more Original titles still to come. These include Devilsdorp,the first Showmax Original true crime docu-series, which follows the Electus per Deus (Chosen by God) cult behind the 2012-2016 Krugersdorp Killings in South Africa, which is due to launch on 29 July 2021.
Showmax subscriptions start at $4.49 a month for UK viewers.
About Showmax
Showmax is a streaming video on demand service. What sets Showmax apart is a unique combination of hit African content, first and exclusive international series, the best kids’ shows, and live sport from SuperSport*. For a single monthly fee, get unlimited access. Start and stop when you want. No ads. Cancel anytime.
Stream Showmax using apps for smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers, media players and gaming consoles. Manage data consumption using the bandwidth capping feature. No internet? No problem – download shows to smartphones and tablets to watch later offline.
Showmax was born in 2015. The service is available throughout sub-Saharan Africa and to selected diaspora markets worldwide.
Go to showmax.com for more.
*Content offering differs per market. Live sport is not available outside of Africa.
