MTN Ghana has launched MTN One TV, a digital entertainment platform that the telecom company says will give Ghanaian filmmakers, producers and other creators a new way to reach audiences and earn money from their work.
According to a report by Graphic Online, the platform was unveiled in Accra at an event themed "Empowering Ghana's Creative Industry Through Collaboration and Digital Innovation". The launch drew filmmakers, producers, actors, broadcasters, media owners and advertisers, and included a panel discussion on the future of the creative industry.
MTN describes the service as bringing together Ghanaian storytelling, live TV channels, international programming and flexible viewing options in one place. Graphic Online reports that it is also meant to serve as a digital distribution channel for Ghanaian films, TV programmes and other locally produced content.
The Ghana launch is part of a wider rollout across MTN's markets. Business Day reported in June that MTN One TV first went live in South Africa and Zambia, with other countries to follow based on local needs and partnerships. In those markets, the outlet said, viewing options include free content, advertising-funded viewing, pay-as-you-watch access and subscriptions, with payment possible through airtime or mobile money depending on availability.
The Graphic Online report did not set out Ghana-specific pricing, the full content line-up or the exact revenue-sharing model for creators. Talk Talk will update this story as those details are published.
MTN Ghana's Chief Digital Officer, Ibrahim Misto, described the platform as part of the company's shift from a telecom operator to a platform business that connects whole ecosystems, according to Graphic Online. "MTN One TV opens an invitation to the industry to collaborate," he said.
He also argued that stronger digital visibility for local content would help preserve Ghana's history, languages, traditions and values.
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, in a speech delivered on her behalf by Deputy Minister Yussif Issaka Jajah, called the launch a step towards making Ghanaian culture commercially viable. Under the revised cultural policy, she said, culture should be "not just beautiful, but bankable". She added that the government is working on intellectual property protection, local content quotas and training.
Deputy Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Mohammed Adams Sukparu said the government would support the sector through digital infrastructure, skills development and a GH¢20 million seed-funded development initiative. He also spoke about preparing creatives to use artificial intelligence without compromising their rights.
Sukparu set a clear test for the platform. According to Graphic Online, he said its success should be measured by whether it turns digital attention into sustainable livelihoods, and he challenged MTN to back new local productions and emerging talent rather than only distributing existing content.
MTN's move comes at a time of change in African streaming. Business Day noted that the service launched a few months after Showmax, which had been one of Africa's biggest video-on-demand platforms, was shut down. Global streamers such as Netflix and Prime Video remain active on the continent, but their investment in African originals has been uneven.
MTN previously relied mostly on partnerships with third-party platforms, earning revenue from the data customers used to stream them. With One TV, the company is taking a more direct role in content distribution, using its large mobile customer base and its mobile money network for payments.
Ghana's film and TV industry has long struggled with distribution. Producers have spoken about piracy, limited cinema screens and difficulty getting fair deals from broadcasters. A platform backed by the country's largest mobile network could, in theory, help solve some of those problems by putting local content directly in front of millions of phone users.
The launch comes in the same week that actress Jackie Appiah urged Ghana's film industry to build more jobs behind the camera, and as initiatives such as Entertainment Week Ghana push for more investment in the creative economy. Whether MTN One TV becomes a real source of income for local creators will depend on its pricing, its revenue terms and how many Ghanaians choose to watch.
