Chude Jideonwo to launch niche streaming platform in August

Chude Jideonwo, a media personality, says he would be launching a niche streaming platform focused on strengthening mental, emotional and spiritual health in Africa.

In a statement on Wednesday, Jideonwo said the platform, withchude.com, is an independent public interest media focused on factual podcasts, documentaries, series, and films from across Francophone and Anglophone Africa.

Jideonwo, who is a creative-in-residence at the London School of Economics, said the platform will feature prestigious content including the hit shows #WithChude and #Chudexplains.

He said new shows like Japa!, and a collection of popular and critically acclaimed films and specials will also be featured.

The media personality said withchude.com is the only independent video-first platform in Africa that is powered by paid subscriptions and memberships.

He said the platform will not be influenced by government, sponsors and advertisers, adding that “it is time to rely primarily on the audience, so we can tell the stories others can’t”.

He said the platform has already made connections with audiences in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and the African diaspora in Germany, UK, Canada, and US.

“This is what we have spent the past three years working on. This is where the vision has been leading,” he said.

“It has been inspired over the past decade by my ‘mama’ with the Oprah Winfrey Network, but more practically it has been informed by the success that platforms like TheDailyWire+, Gaia.com and Angel.com have had finding a niche that changes lives or transforms the culture and building a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform around that, primarily driven by paid subscribers.

“Sponsors were always telling us they are afraid that we are too deep, and too risky to advertise. Some platforms tell us they worry about ‘political risk’ for some of the stories we tell, and we should choose ‘softer’ themes.

“We don’t get any government patronage. Instead, I have put my faith completely in YOU, the viewer. You have become our lifeline. My lifeline.

“It really is time for truly independent, public interest media from Africa — that’s free from the influence of government, major streamers, advertisers, sponsors and even social media platforms who censor sensitive subjects depending on their biases.

“To build a streaming business is not for the faint-hearted, and in this market streamers struggle. But we already disproved that Nigerians don’t pay for content, because they pay in the thousands for withchude.com — they pay if they trust in and believe in a person or an idea.

“They trust us. They trust the Chude storytelling brand, and they connect with meaningful content. That’s the entry point — one piece of high-quality content at a time.”

He added that the platform is currently in beta testing for selected viewers worldwide and would be fully launched on August 1, 2024.