Nigerian YouTube filmmakers have created a niche for themselves with their YouTube films, and these films have a stable audience. Filmmakers like Uche Montana and Omoni Oboli have also created two-part films that both attained millions of views and success, and it has us wondering: why are these filmmakers not tapping into the art of creating TV series on YouTube?
Why YouTube Filmmakers Should Consider Making TV Series
Although these YouTube filmmakers do not need to create TV series, as they have been able to reach commercial success with their films, pivoting or prioritising shows can be advantageous, and here’s how:
- Audience Loyalty
Multi-episode shows have been known to encourage viewer loyalty among filmmakers, and while many filmmakers have succeeded in capitalising on YouTube monetisation with films, series will help improve channel metrics and reach for channel owners. It will also encourage viewers to return to the channel consistently, which improves the chances of getting higher viewership.
- Recurrent Monetisation
A complaint that filmmakers in Nigeria have is the cost of production, a complaint that multi-episode shows can help fix. More episodes mean more ad-break opportunities per viewer over time, which helps compound their revenue potential.
- A Platform for Streaming Series
The success of a series on a platform like YouTube could be a stepping stone to its adaptation by mainstream streaming services. Producing successful, high-quality original series has historically proven to be an effective way to gain public attention.
The Possible Cons Of Making YouTube TV Series
YouTube filmmakers making TV series may have pros, but there are also a few cons that could deter these creators, and they are:
- Production Costs
Producing films on YouTube is expensive, but producing series requires maintaining consistent sets and cast availability, and demands higher overall budgets than one-off, localised YouTube films.
- The Danger Of Piracy
YouTube is generally more susceptible to piracy, and even more so for series, which can cause significant losses for filmmakers when their series are re-uploaded or copied by pirates.
- Algorithm
YouTube’s algorithm occasionally pushes romance and sensationalist dramas quickly, so niche series require aggressive, off-platform marketing to capture a profitable audience share.
What do we think?
YouTube filmmakers have a greater potential to create beloved YouTube TV series, given the great works that have come out of the streaming platform in the past two years. The hang-ups these filmmakers have are understandable, and they have put a damper on the possibility of creating TV series by these filmmakers. The Nigerian audience would benefit greatly from having accessible bingeable series content, and with the attention YouTube films have been receiving from Nigerians, TV series would be a great addition.
