The streaming company said on Tuesday that audiobook users in supported markets will now have access to more than 650 narrated long-form articles in English.

The articles come from publications including Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, Vogue, Variety, Vanity Fair, Billboard and WIRED.

Spotify said the narrated articles are produced by its in-house audiobooks team and each one runs for less than two hours. Premium subscribers can listen through their monthly audiobook allowance, while free users can buy individual articles for $1.99.

The company is expanding the range of content on its platform as competition grows across audio streaming, podcasts and AI-generated music services.

Competitors in the space include YouTube and Netflix, while AI music startups such as Udio and Suno have also entered the market.

Spotify co-chief executive Alex Norström recently said the company now accounts for about 20% of the US audiobooks market.

The new feature is designed to give listeners shorter audio content that can lead them towards longer audiobook listening over time.

“With Articles, we’re introducing long-form journalism in audio as a natural extension of the music, podcasts, and audiobooks people already come to Spotify for, focused on topics we know they love,” said Colleen Prendergast, Licensing Lead at Spotify Audiobooks.

She added: “By bringing shorter form content into the mix, we’re meeting audiences where they are to help build healthy listening habits, ultimately growing engagement with books over time.”

Spotify launched its audiobooks business just over two years ago and says it has since expanded into 22 markets. The company also said audiobook listening hours have risen 60% year on year as it continues adding new features to the service.

This digital explosion in Nigeria is triggered in periods like Easter. What used to be a calm religious period has become a peak window for streaming, mobile engagement and digital spending.

Lately, Easter has gone beyond being observed in churches to being consumed across screens.

Pews to platforms

There is still strong church attendance, which has not changed. What has changed is what happens before and after.

Phones are now part of the experience.

Nigeria has over 151 million internet subscribers, almost entirely driven by mobile access. This means Easter is no longer a shared schedule but a personalised, on-demand experience.

The growth of the “digital pulpit”

One of the most obvious changes this year is what I would call the digital pulpit.

Worship is no more tied to location, it moves with the user.

Podcasts, livestreams and recorded sermons are now done alongside traditional services. In many cases, they extend them. A message heard on Sunday is replayed on Monday morning traffic.

The data supports it:

• Faith-based podcast listening is steeply increasing
• More than 90% of streams happen on mobile devices

This is structured engagement not casual listening. Voices like Emmanuel Iren and Femi Lazarus are building large digital audiences. Their content blends theology with production quality, clear audio, clipped messages, and distribution across platforms.

The growth stresses that spiritual influence is longer limited to physical reach because digital distribution now defines it.

What Nigerians are watching: streaming takes over

Easter viewing has changed completely.

It used to be scheduled television, a few biblical films, and fixed times. Now it is on-demand.

• Church services stream live on YouTube
• Films are watched on mobile screens
• Content is replayed, clipped, and shared

At the same time, Nollywood is adjusting.

New titles like Avante (released April 3) are entering a congested digital space, while Behind the Scenes still tops as the highest-grossing Nollywood title into 2026.

Looking at distribution, platforms such as Africa Magic and YouTube are competing for attention, especially for indigenous content. Yoruba and Igbo language productions have seen around 87% growth in viewership and listening over the past year.

Easter is now a competition for attention, not just a moment of reflection.

The gospel streaming explosion

Music is still major during Easter, but the format has changed. Streaming platforms now carry most of the weight.

Data from Spotify shows that gospel and praise streams have grown by over 5,000% since 2021, ascertaining structural growth.

This week, playlists are doing the work once handled by choirs and CDs.

Artists like:

• Nathaniel Bassey
• Moses Bliss
• Dunsin Oyekan

are topping streams.

Dunsin Oyekan’s “Naija Worship” playlist takeover in early April reflects a wider shift. Curation has become as important as creation.

Worship is now on-demand, replayable, and algorithm-driven.

Reading, but differently

Reading has not disappeared, it has just changed shape.

Long books have given way to:

• Daily devotionals
• Short scripture posts
• Mobile-first reading

Apps like YouVersion Bible App are highly used here.

WhatsApp broadcasts and social media captions now carry a large share of spiritual content. It is quick, shareable and constant.

Reflection has been compressed into digital moments.

Gaming: the competitor

There is another aspect to Easter that isn’t usually unnoticed, and that’s gaming.

Holidays create downtime. Downtime drives play.

Titles like:

• Call of Duty: Mobile
• EA Sports FC Mobile

compete directly with films, sermons and music for attention.

Attention is limited.

Even during religious periods, platforms are competing for the same hours.

Social media: where Easter is performed

Easter now lives online.

• Instagram carries fashion and lifestyle
• TikTok spreads choir clips and sermon highlights
• WhatsApp distributes devotionals

What used to be private is now shared.

Easter is no longer just experienced, it is performed.

The economics: follow the data

Behind all this activity is money.

Nigeria’s telecom sector has changed. Data, not voice, now drives revenue growth.

Monthly internet spending has surged, with Nigerians spending an estimated ₦721 billion on data in a single month in 2025.

The beneficiaries are:

• MTN Nigeria
• Airtel Nigeria
• Streaming platforms
• Content creators

There is also a behavioural change.

People are now gifting:

• Data bundles
• Subscriptions
• Digital access

instead of physical items.

Easter consumption can now be measured in gigabytes.

A change driven by pressure

The high prices have made travel and large gatherings more expensive. Many people are staying in, and when they stay in, they go online.

Digital becomes the substitute.

It is cheaper, flexible and fits the moment.

The contradiction

There is a tension at the centre of all this.

Faith encourages stillness.
Technology encourages engagement.

The same platforms that deliver sermons and worship are designed to keep users scrolling, watching and listening.

That tension is not going away.

The change is permanent

Easter itself has not changed, the meaning is the same. But the way Nigerians experience it is what has changed.

Looking at podcasts, playlists, livestreams and even data bundles, we see what Easter is.

It is mobile.
It is personalised.
It is monetised.

And most of all, it is measured in data, in streams, and in time spent on screen.

The pilot, called Instagram for TV, is launching on Amazon Fire TV devices in the United States, going beyond phones and tablets.

The new app is built almost entirely around Reels. Once signed in, viewers are met with personalised streams of videos arranged into channels such as music, comedy, sports, travel and trending moments.

Clips play automatically, one after the other, removing the need to scroll endlessly. You can still skip, like a Reel, check comments or re-share content, all from the TV interface.

This is necessary because television is no longer limited to long shows and films. We are seeing a fight for attention on the biggest screen in the house, and Instagram wants a seat at that table.

YouTube already dominates TV viewing, while TikTok is widely reported to be working on a similar product. Instagram’s answer is to make couch-watching feel closer to flicking through channels than swiping a phone.

Personalisation sits at the centre of the experience. The TV app pulls from the same signals as the mobile version, showing creators and topics you already follow or engage with.

Reels are grouped into themed collections, making it easier to explore interests without searching for individual accounts. A search tool is also built in, allowing users to find creators, browse profiles and dive into specific topics.

Households are not locked into a single profile. Instagram for TV supports up to five accounts on one device, so different viewers can switch between their own recommendations. There is also the option to create a separate account purely for TV viewing, keeping it distinct from a personal mobile feed.

Meta has been careful to draw a line between this launch and its earlier, abandoned experiment. Instagram for TV is not a return of IGTV, the long-form video app that was shut down in 2022. This is a focused bet on short videos, designed specifically for television habits rather than stretched from mobile.

The idea itself has been brewing for months. Speaking in October, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri openly acknowledged that the company was late to the space. “We’re exploring TV,” Mosseri said at Bloomberg’s Screentime event.

“TV is an increasingly important surface, it’s been very important for YouTube […] it’s been very important for TikTok. So we’d like to figure out how to make sure that we show up in a compelling way on all the relevant devices.”

Amazon, which is hosting the first release on Fire TV, sees the partnership as part of a drive to turn televisions into all-purpose content hubs. “Our mission is to get you to the world’s best content fast, and we’re thrilled to welcome Instagram to Fire TV,” said Aidan Marcuss, vice president of Fire TV.

“We’re committed to keep pushing the boundaries of entertainment on customers’ biggest screens—the Instagram team has built an awesome experience, and we’re excited to be the first place to offer it. We can’t wait to see what customers think.”

For now, availability is limited to select Fire TV sticks and Fire TV televisions in the US. Meta says the rollout will expand to more devices and countries as it learns from the test. Features such as using a phone as a remote and smoother ways to jump between channels are also being considered.

Short videos will no longer be confined to small screens, and Instagram is repositioning itself for a social media that competes directly with traditional TV viewing.

The tax charge, linked to cross-border payments made between 2022 and 2025, led to a net income of $2.5 billion and diluted earnings per share of $5.87, below analysts’ expectations of $3 billion and $6.97. 

The company reported an operating margin of 28%, noting it would have exceeded its 31.5% guidance without the unexpected charge.

Chief Financial Officer Spence Neumann explained that the tax issue is not unique to Netflix, saying it affects “other global streaming and technology companies operating in Brazil.” The company added that the development does not mean a long-term threat to its financial outlook.

Despite the setback, Netflix forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $11.96 billion, slightly above Wall Street’s $11.90 billion projection, and projected earnings per share of $5.45, just ahead of analysts’ estimates. “We’re finishing the year with good momentum and have an exciting Q4 slate,” Netflix said in its letter to shareholders.

The company’s shares, which had risen 39% this year before the report, fell 5.6% to $1,171.24 in after-hours trading on Tuesday. Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, said, “All things considered, this was another robust quarter, despite a blip due to an unforeseen expense.”

Netflix continues to diversify beyond streaming, investing heavily in advertising, gaming, and new technologies. The company said it recorded its best ad sales quarter in history, driven by its ad-supported plan launched in late 2022. 

Although it withheld figures, analysts believe advertising could become a growth driver by 2026 as subscriber growth steadies.

Netflix’s gaming vision is also in focus. With over 80 titles in development or live, including tie-ins to popular series like Stranger Things and The Queen’s Gambit, the company is testing cloud gaming in select regions to allow users to play directly on TVs and PCs without downloads. Analysts, however, caution that gaming will take time to deliver meaningful revenue.

Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters addressed industry consolidation and acquisition speculation during an analyst call. Sarandos said the company remains selective: “Nothing is a must-have for us to meet our goals that we have for the business.” 

Peters added that ongoing mergers in the media sector don’t necessarily alter Netflix’s competitive position, stating, “Watching some of our competitors potentially get bigger via (mergers and acquisitions) does not change in and of itself, at least our view, the competitive landscape.”

Netflix plans to close the year with several major releases, including the final season of Stranger Things, new international hits like Berlin (a Money Heist spinoff), and two live NFL games on Christmas Day.

Although its path this quarter was impacted by a financial stumble, Netflix appears to be leaning into its strengths such as content, technology, and advertising, to maintain growth in the streaming market.

At its latest tech and product event, the company launched a conversational search experience powered by ChatGPT, and it’s starting to go live for iOS users this week as an opt-in beta.

Some subscribers in Australia and New Zealand got early access, according to Bloomberg. Now, you can type in casual phrases like “I want something funny and upbeat” or more specific moods like “scary, but not too scary… and maybe a little bit funny, but not haha funny.” In short, Netflix wants us to talk to our TV screens like we would to a friend.

This puts Netflix in the same arena as Amazon’s Fire TV, which already allows voice searches for vague prompts like “something exciting with a twist.” Tubi had a similar ChatGPT-based feature for a while but quietly dropped it, likely due to poor engagement. 

Netflix has also overhauled its interface, the most commendable change in over ten years. Beyond aesthetics, the redesign is focused on practicality. Menus are cleaner, information is clearer, and decisions should be easier. 

The goal is to stop jumping through hoops just to figure out what a show is about. Or, as Netflix puts it, to reduce “eye gymnastics.”

“We think it’s time to take a giant leap forward,” said Netflix’s chief product officer, Eunice Kim. “The new interface is simpler, more intuitive, and better represents the breadth of entertainment available.”

She added, “The current TV experience is built for shows and movies. This is designed for the future.”

Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone said Netflix wants its interface to finally reflect the platform’s evolving line-up, which now includes video games, sports, and live events.

In a subtle nod to TikTok’s influence, Netflix is also introducing vertical video previews for mobile users, allowing for faster browsing, easier sharing, and immediate access to full episodes or trailers. The aim is to capture attention before the scroll fatigue kicks in.

More practically, shortcuts like the My Netflix tab, home to your reminders and continue watching list, will now appear at the top of the screen, making them more accessible.

Behind the scenes, there’s another major shift. With Netflix continuing to bet on live content, it’s facing growing technical challenges.

Last year’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match pulled in around 65 million viewers and tested the platform’s limits, with many users complaining about buffering and glitches.

The company has since upgraded its streaming systems. When Netflix aired two NFL games weeks later, the service held up without major issues. Now, with WWE’s RAW and new weekly talk shows like Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney, Netflix is doubling down on live content. 

But scaling live events globally demands stronger infrastructure, especially as the company eyes higher sports deals.

Eunice Kim noted, “This is designed for the future.”

Profit grew by 25%, with earnings hitting $6.61 per share. Wall Street expected less. Netflix delivered more.

What’s fuelling the engine? Price hikes, for one. In January, Netflix raised subscription fees in key markets including the U.S., UK, and Argentina. France is next. And for those trying to outsmart the system through password sharing, the platform responded with an $8.99 charge per extra member.

But there’s more. Netflix has quietly changed its strategy. It no longer shares how many subscribers it gains or loses. That metric, once treated like gospel, has been tossed aside. 

Now the focus is squarely on money—revenue, profit, margins. All signs point to a company that’s matured and wants the world to know it.

Operating income came in at $3.3 billion, a solid 27% increase, smashing expectations. The operating margin hit 31.7%, more than three percentage points above its own target. That’s not just strong; it’s aggressive efficiency.

Co-CEO Greg Peters didn’t sugar-coat anything when speaking to analysts. “We’re paying close attention to consumer sentiment and where the broader economy is moving. Based on what we’re seeing, there is nothing significant to note.” His tone was measured but confident—Netflix knows where it’s going.

We also got a rare glimpse into the advertising push. Netflix has launched its own ad tech platform in the U.S., and plans to take it global. “We believe our ad tech platform is foundational to our long term ads strategy,” the company said in its report. 

The goal? Better targeting, fresh ad formats, and more value for advertisers. And yes, they expect ad revenue to double in 2025.

Live content is another power play. After grabbing attention with last year’s Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing event, Netflix is going all in. There’s a rematch between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor on the cards. WWE’s Monday Night Raw is already part of the streaming menu. The company has gone beyond being a content library to a live stage now.

In Nigeria, the ripple effect has been real. Last July, Netflix hiked its Premium Plan by 40%—from ₦5,000 to ₦7,000. That came just three months after the Standard Plan jumped from ₦4,000 to ₦5,500. Users grumbled. Netflix didn’t blink. These increases form part of its wider goal: make more money from existing users.

Let’s not forget the massive subscriber gain Netflix saw at the end of 2024—18.9 million new members. But with slower growth forecast for 2025, the company is tightening its grip on profitability, not popularity.

Through the partnership, MTN aims to enhance digital content accessibility and cater to the evolving preferences of African audiences.

“We see a unique opportunity to transform video consumption in Africa with high-quality, accessible, and relevant content,” said Selorm Adadevoh, group chief commercial officer at MTN Group.

“This partnership enables us to leverage cutting-edge technology and deep customer insights to enhance entertainment experiences and drive digital inclusion.”

With the new streaming platform, MTN enters the streaming market in competition with streaming giants like Netflix, Showmax, Multichoice, and Prime Video.

By leveraging Synamedia’s advanced cloud-based technologies, the service will deliver linear television and video-on-demand content.

It is designed to support various monetisation models, including subscriptions, ad-supported content, and free streaming channels with targeted advertising.

The streaming service will offer locally adapted content based on a curated content strategy.

Each market will benefit from content curated to reflect local cultures, languages, and viewing habits, ensuring that viewers across the continent resonate with its offerings.

“Thanks to MTN’s leadership and innovation, smartphone owners across Africa will be able to enjoy innovative linear TV and on-demand video,” Paul Segre, Synamedia, CEO, said.

“By taking advantage of the breadth of our integrated, cloud-based portfolio to quickly deploy new services at scale, MTN will be able to create a groundbreaking set of offerings for customers and viewers that will drive new revenues.”

While digital downloads declined and ad-supported streaming faltered, total recorded music revenue hit a record-breaking $17.7 billion, up 3% from the previous year. 

The driver, as revealed in a new report by the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA), was a mix of streaming power, an unstoppable vinyl resurgence, and changing listener habits that impacted the industry’s revenue streams.

Streaming: A 100-Million-Subscriber Juggernaut

Streaming wasn’t just the biggest piece of the music industry, it was the music industry. 84% of all revenue came from streaming, showing how deeply embedded digital listening has become. 

Paid subscriptions crossed the historic 100 million mark for the first time, leading to $11.7 billion in revenue, a 5% increase over 2023. This accounted for nearly two-thirds of the industry’s total earnings.

However, not all streaming categories thrived. Ad-supported streaming, including platforms like YouTube’s free tier and Spotify’s ad-supported service, declined by 2% to $1.8 billion. Consumers were willing to pay for music, but they weren’t as willing to sit through ads.

Vinyl’s so-called “revival” has now lasted longer than its original golden era, marking its 18th consecutive year of growth. 

In 2024, vinyl sales surged another 7%, reaching $1.4 billion. The format now makes up nearly three-quarters of all physical music revenues, and for the third year in a row, vinyl albums outsold CDs in sheer units—44 million versus 33 million.

Meanwhile, CDs managed to eke out a 1% revenue increase, bringing in $541 million, but they remain a shadow of their former dominance.

A decade ago, digital downloads accounted for 43% of recorded music revenue. Today? Just 2%. In 2024, revenue from digital downloads collapsed another 18%, dropping to $336 million. Single-track sales fell 19%, while digital album downloads slid nearly 18.6%.

The era of ownership is over. Streaming didn’t just disrupt—it decimated.

Even with digital downloads crumbling and ad-supported streaming taking a hit, the music industry is healthier than ever. Total physical and digital revenues grew by 3.3%, proving that consumers are still willing to pay for music—just not in the ways they used to.

The real story? Listeners are driving the industry’s growth. They’re ditching ad-supported services, moving toward paid subscriptions, and embracing vinyl as a statement of nostalgia and authenticity. If 2024 showed us anything, it’s that the music business isn’t just surviving, but thriving in unexpected ways.

And for the first time in history, 100 million people are willing to pay for the soundtrack of their lives.

We bring you some exciting updates about the new lineup coming to Showmax this October. From critically acclaimed series to Emmy-winning performances, there’s something for everyone this month,

HACKS S3 (Binge from 11 October):

Winner of this year’s Emmy for Best Comedy, Hacks S3 picks up with Deborah Vance riding high off the success of her standup special while Ava pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles.

As Deborah Vance, Jean Smart has won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy for all three seasons, with HBO’s comedy about comedians also taking home Best Writing this year, for the second time, bringing its Emmy count to nine wins overall. As Ava, Hanna Einbeinder has been nominated every season.

S3 is at #8 on Rotten Tomatoes’ Best TV Shows of 2024 (So Far) list, with a 98% critics’ rating. Look out for Emmy nominated cameos from Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future’s Doc Brown) and Kaitlin Olson (Dee Reynolds in It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia), as well as appearances from the likes of Oscar winners Helen Hunt and Whoopi Goldberg.

Hacks has already been renewed for a fourth season, expected in 2025.

THE PENGUIN S1 | Mondays until 11 November

Following the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, AKA the Penguin, makes a play to seize the reins of Gotham’s crime world.

Directed by Emmy nominee Craig Zobel (Mare of Easttown), The Penguin co-stars an unrecognisable Colin Farrell as The Penguin, with Critics Choice Super Award winner Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs, Made for Love, Fargo) as Sofia Falcone.

Executive produced by The Batman director Matt Reeves, The Penguin is at #2 on IMDb’s most popular TV chart, with an 8.8/10 rating – the highest of the top 8. The HBO show also has a 94% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Guardian giving it five-stars and saying, “Colin Farrell deserves all the awards… The Irish actor is a revelation in a series that’s so twisty it leaves you breathless.”

INDUSTRY S3 | First On Showmax | Mondays until 14 October

HBO has renewed Industry for a fourth season, after S3 tracked nearly 40% ahead of S2, with an average of 1.6m viewers per episode – a figure that’s still growing.

An insider’s view of high finance, Industry follows a group of young bankers as they forge their identities within the pressure cooker environment and sex- and drug-fueled blitz of international bank Pierpoint & Co’s London office.

New cast members this season include Emmy nominees Kit Harington (Jon Snow in Game of Thrones) and Sarah Goldberg (Sally Reed in Barry) as the CEO of a green tech energy company and a portfolio manager respectively.

Season 3 has been hailed by TIME as “the must watch show of the summer”; by GQ as “the best show on TV”; by The New York Times as “appointment viewing”; by Vanity Fair as “captivating, sexy, and breathlessly entertaining”; and by TheWrap as “bigger, better, and more ambitious than ever.”

JULIA S2 | Thursdays from 17 October at 21:30

Based on the true story of trailblazing TV chef Julia Child, Julia enters its second and final season with Julia returning from France to discover that her success has changed everything, and the kitchen just got a whole lot bigger.

Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley) returns in her BAFTA-nominated title role alongside Emmy winner David Hyde Pierce (Frasier’s Dr Niles Crane) as her husband.

Emmy winner Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) joins the cast this season, with Emmy nominee Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) among the guest appearances.

Julia is created by Emmy nominee Daniel Goldfarb (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel), who was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for the show, which also picked up a nomination for Best Television Series: Drama at the Satellite Awards.

The series has an 8.3/10 score on IMDb, and on Rotten Tomatoes, Season 2 has a rare 100% critics’ rating, with the critics’ consensus calling it “a delectable trifle that viewers will savour.”

TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY | Binge now

Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster picked up her first Emmy this year for her performance as Detective Liz Danvers in True Detective: Night Country.

When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Danvers and her fellow detective Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.

Four seasons in, True Detective remains one of IMDb’s Top 50 highest-rated series of all time, but Night Country is the most-watched, best-reviewed, and most Emmy-nominated series of the anthology yet. HBO has already ordered a fifth season.

Binge all four seasons on Showmax.

FARGO S5 | Binge now

Lamorne Morris (Winston in New Girl) won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series at this year’s Emmys, as North Dakota Deputy Witt Farr.

Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) stars as Dot, a Midwestern housewife who finds herself in hot water with the authorities and plunged back into a life she thought she had left behind, with Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as the sheriff who has been searching for her for a long time. Both actors are up for Emmys for their lead roles.

Season 5 has a 93% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus says, “A back-to-basics caper populated by the likes of a mesmerising Juno Temple and a thick slice of Hamm, Fargo’s fifth season is a superb return to peak form.”

Binge all five seasons on Showmax.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT | Binge now

At the International Emmys, BBC One’s The Sixth Commandment is up for Best TV Movie / Mini-Series and Best Actor (Timothy Spall) – both categories the true-crime drama won at the BAFTAs. The four-part mini-series also took home Best Limited Series at this year’s Royal Television Society Awards.

Spall plays Peter Farquhar, an inspirational teacher whose meeting with a charismatic student (Éanna Hardwicke in a BAFTA-nominated and Royal Television Society-winning performance), sets the stage for one of the most complex and confounding criminal cases in recent memory.

Anne Reid was nominated for a Leading Actress BAFTA as Ann Moore-Martin, Farquhar’s deeply religious neighbour, and fellow murder victim.

The Sixth Commandment has a 90% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Irish Independent calling it, “Not just a great true-crime drama – one of the best of the year in any genre.”

Winners will be announced in New York City on Monday, 25 November 2024.

THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ | Wednesdays until 2 October

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the bestselling novel by Heather Morris, inspired by the real-life love story of Jewish Holocaust survivors Lali and Gita Sokolov.

Arriving in Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1942, Lali (Jonah Hauer-King) meets Gita (Anna Próchniak) while tattooing her prisoner number on her arm. Under the constant guard of volatile Nazi SS officers, Lali and Gita fall in love and become determined to keep each other alive.

Sixty years later, the recently widowed Lali (Oscar nominee Harvey Keitel), now in his 80s, meets novice writer Heather Morris (Emmy nominee Melanie Lynskey) and finds the courage to share his story about falling in love in the most horrific of places.

Double Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve were nominated for two Emmys for their score, while Radio Times hailed the moving series as “a masterpiece.”

A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW | Mondays until 21 October

An adaptation of Amor Towles’ best-selling novel, A Gentleman In Moscow follows Count Alexander Rostov, played by Emmy winner Ewan McGregor who, in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, finds that his gilded past has placed him on the wrong side of history.

Spared immediate execution, he is banished by a Soviet tribunal to an attic room in a grand Moscow hotel and threatened with death if he ever sets foot outside again.

As the years pass and some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history unfold outside the hotel’s doors, Rostov’s reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

As he builds a new life within the walls of the hotel, he discovers the true value of friendship, family and love.

Recently nominated for a Venice TV Award for Best TV Series, A Gentleman In Moscow has a 92% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Empire hailing it as ”heart-warming, old-fashioned storytelling — anchored by Ewan McGregor’s finest performance in years.”

EXTENDED FAMILY | Mondays from 14 October

Following an amicable divorce, Jim and Julia decide to continue to raise their kids at the family home while taking turns to stay with them. Navigating the waters of divorce and child-sharing gets more complicated for Jim when Trey, the owner of the Boston Celtics, enters the picture and wins Julia’s heart.

Emmy winner Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Teen Choice nominee Donald Faison (Scrubs), and Critics Choice nominee Abigail Spencer (Rectify) co-star.

Wall Street Journal calls Extended Family “genuinely funny” and a “subversive split from sitcom tropes.”

Extended Family is created by Emmy-nominated and Teen Choice-winning Glee and Heels actor Mike O’Malley, who created Survivor’s Remorse, and wrote on Heels and Shameless.

BELGRAVIA: THE NEXT CHAPTER | Binge from Monday, 14 October

The Victorian period drama Belgravia: The Next Chapter picks up in 1871, three decades after the events of the 2020 limited series by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey, The Gilded Age).

Belgravia: The Next Chapter tells the love story of Frederick Trenchard (Benjamin Wainwright), the third Lord Trenchard, and Clara Dunn (Harriet Slater from Pennyworth), a newcomer to London society.

ALL AMERICAN S6 | Binge from Friday, 18 October

In All American, two worlds collide when a star high school football player from South LA is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High.

Inspired by the life of pro footballer Spencer Paysinger, All American was nominated as Outstanding Drama Series at both the Black Reel and Image Awards.

As Spencer, Daniel Ezra earned an Image Award nomination, while Karimah Westbrook was nominated for a Black Reel Award as his mother, Grace. Also look out for Critics Choice winner Taye Diggs (the Best Man movies).

All American reaches its 100th episode this season (in episode 9, directed by Ezra). The show’s already launched a spinoff, All American: Homecoming, and been renewed for a seventh season.

EVERYTHING ON SHOWMAX IN OCTOBER:

Showmax has another bumper lineup this October, including:

• The Big Brother Naija S9 finale
• Showmax Original music doccie Brasse Vannie Kaap, fresh from a standing ovation at Silwerskerm
• Blockbuster Halloween options like Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Five Nights At Freddy’s, The Nun II, SAW X, and The Exorcist: The Believer
• Award-winning Showmax Original sci-fi The Fix, fresh from opening MIPAfrica and selling to the US
• Hit action movie Monkey Man, winner of the 2024 SXSW Audience Award
• Seven more 2024 SAFTA nominees, including Lioness S2
• The BAFTA-nominated The Hitman: Ricky Hatton, winner of a Venice TV Award for Best Documentary and a Broadcast Sports Award for Sports Documentary of the Year

nPerf Score sighed by TECHECONOMY correspondent takes into account the measured speeds, the latency and the QoE tests (streaming and browsing).

“For this analysis of Internet connections in Nigeria 41,335 tests carried out by Nigerians with the free nPerf Speed Test app, available on Android and iOS, have been taken into account”, the researchers said.

MTN: The market leader

In its comprehensive analysis spanning from January 1st to December 31st, 2023, MTN (14 Mb/s) has been identified as providing the fastest mobile download speeds in Nigeria.

Download speed: Indicates the amount of data your connection can receive in one second from the nPerf server. The highest the measured value, the best is the speed of your connection.

Good Speed: Speeds ranging from 10 Mb/s to 25 Mb/s are sufficient for HD streaming, video chats, and cloud uploads.

International Comparison: Nigeria’s average mobile download speed (11 Mb/s) has surpassed the one in countries such as Guinea Bissau (10 Mb/s), Cameroon (8 Mb/s) or Guinea Conakry (6 Mb/s) in 2023.

The latency describes how responsive your connection is. Lower latency translates to more immediate interaction with content. Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms).

Fair Latency: Above 101 ms, users may experience challenges with real-time online interactions.

Streaming test: MTN (72%) provided the best streaming mobile video experience in Nigeria.

The goal of the streaming test is to measure the quality of video viewing on the most popular streaming platform around the world: YouTube. Good Streaming: Scores between 50% and 75% are adequate for YouTube streaming.

The nPerf test evaluates YouTube streaming quality by conducting assessments at three different resolutions: 360p (Standard Definition), 720p (High Definition), and 1080p (Full High Definition).

The overall rating is derived from an average of these three tests, ensuring a comprehensive measure of streaming performance across varying levels of video quality.

Browsing test: MTN (39%, equivalent to an average page load time of 6.1 seconds) emerged as the leading provider for web browsing in the country.

Airtel: The major competitor

Airtel has offered robust download speeds of 11 Mb/s and upload speeds of 4 Mb/s.

Its latency stands at 133 ms, and the network performs well in web browsing and YouTube streaming, with success rates of 36% and 70% respectively.

Airtel’s strong performance indicators demonstrate its commitment to providing reliable and fast Internet services.

Glo: The potential network

Glo has download speeds of 5 Mb/s and upload speeds of 2 Mb/s. It has a latency of 138 ms, which is competitive in the market.

“However, Glo’s web browsing and YouTube streaming rates of 28% and 61%, respectively, indicate areas for improvement”, the report indicates.

Glo remains a crucial player in the Nigerian telecommunications market, with growth potential and improved service delivery.

However, the report maintained silence on 9mobile.

Conclusion

In Nigeria, MTN and Airtel lead the telecommunications sector, showing strong performance across the board. Glo, although lagging behind, play an important role in providing vital telecommunications services to the Nigerian population.

For these operators, continued investments in network infrastructure, technology upgrades and customer-centric services will be key to improving their market position. Competition not only drives improvement in telecommunications services but also fosters innovation, leading to better connectivity and digital services for consumers in Nigeria.

What you should know about nPerf Study

• This study, conducted by nPerf, a French company with over a decade of experience in measuring Internet connections, is based on user-generated data from the nPerf mobile app.
• The app, available on  iOS and Android, utilizes a global network of dedicated servers to accurately measure Internet connection speeds.
• The nPerf study is based on thousands of tests carried out exclusively by the operators’ end-customers, making it one of the largest “crowdsourced” studies in the country.
• These tests reflect the real experience of the general public in Nigeria on the various Internet networks.
• You can also take a look at the 3G/4G/5G mobile coverage maps in Nigeria, made thanks to the measurements of Nigerian users of the nPerf app, here