MTN Launches One TV in Nigeria, Introduces Pay-as-You-Go Streaming With Airtime Payments
- MTN has launched One TV, transforming digital entertainment access with innovative payment options and localised content
- Telecom giant targets 307 million potential subscribers across Africa by offering flexible viewing experiences
- MTN’s strategy reflects a shift towards integrating entertainment, fintech, and connectivity in Africa's evolving digital landscape
Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications company, has launched MTN One TV, a new streaming platform designed to transform how Africans access digital entertainment by allowing users to pay with airtime or mobile money, with flexible viewing options.
The launch marks MTN’s boldest move yet into Africa’s highly competitive video streaming market, nearly a decade after its earlier FrontRow streaming service failed to gain significant traction in South Africa.
Source: Getty Images
In a statement released on Monday, the telecom giant said MTN One TV will combine live television, local programming, international content, and multiple payment models tailored to different African markets.
Flexible streaming designed for African consumers
Unlike many global streaming platforms that rely heavily on monthly subscriptions and bank card payments, MTN One TV is built around affordability and accessibility.
According to the company, users will be able to choose between free-to-view content, ad-supported streaming, pay-per-view options, and subscription packages depending on their location and market conditions.
MTN also revealed that customers in selected markets will be able to pay using airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, a move expected to remove one of the biggest barriers to streaming adoption across Africa.
“The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content,” MTN said.
The telecom operator believes its deep mobile network reach and billing infrastructure give it a major advantage over traditional streaming rivals.
MTN targets Africa’s growing digital entertainment market
The new platform gives MTN immediate access to a potential audience of more than 307 million subscribers across its 16 African markets, based on the company’s reported customer base at the end of 2025.
Although MTN has not yet announced which countries will receive the service first, the rollout is expected to happen in phases, beginning with key markets such as Nigeria before expanding across the continent.
The company said viewing experiences and content partnerships will initially be tailored to local markets before being unified under the MTN One TV brand.
The launch comes at a time when Africa’s streaming landscape is rapidly evolving.
Earlier this year, Showmax shut down as its parent company shifted focus to DStv Stream, opening opportunities for telecom operators seeking to combine content, connectivity, and payments into a single digital ecosystem.
Industry analysts say telecom-led streaming platforms could gain an advantage in Africa because they already control customer billing relationships, mobile wallets, and internet access.
MTN expands beyond telecom services
The launch of MTN One TV reflects a broader strategy among African telecom companies to diversify beyond voice and data services into fintech, entertainment, and digital ecosystems.
Vodacom recently launched the Value News Network (VNN), while Safaricom has continued integrating digital services into its mobile offerings.
Selorm Adadevoh, MTN Group Chief Commercial, Strategy and Transformation Officer, described entertainment as a key driver of digital participation across Africa.
“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies,” he said.
MTN’s long history in streaming
MTN is no stranger to digital entertainment.
In 2014, the company launched FrontRow, later renamed VU, in South Africa as a Netflix-style video-on-demand service that offered movies and television shows via subscription and pay-per-view rentals.
Despite aggressive price cuts aimed at competing with Netflix and Showmax, the platform struggled to scale and was eventually discontinued in 2017.
The telecom operator later launched MusicTime, a music streaming service that gained moderate success by allowing users to manage data usage while streaming and downloading songs, according to a report by TechCabal.
MTN also partnered with South African broadcaster eMedia on the eVOD streaming platform in 2021, providing technology and distribution support.
However, MTN One TV represents the company’s first serious attempt to build a fully integrated pan-African video streaming ecosystem powered by telecom infrastructure, mobile payments, and localised content.
Source: Getty Images
The platform was developed following MTN’s 2025 partnership with video software company Synamedia to create a scalable streaming service for African audiences.
As competition intensifies in Africa’s digital entertainment market, MTN is betting that flexible payments, localised content, and telecom integration could finally give it the winning formula in streaming.
Data depletion: Nigerians slam MTN CEO
Legit.ng earlier reported that MTN Nigeria is facing criticism from consumers and industry observers after its Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, stated that truly unlimited mobile data plans do not exist globally.
The remarks have reignited concerns about data depletion and the quality of telecom services in Nigeria, according to Daily Trust.
The controversy comes amid growing complaints from subscribers who claim their data bundles are being exhausted faster than expected, leading to increased spending on internet services.
Source: Legit.ng
