---
title: "Why iROKOtv shut down"
description: "iROKOtv, the Nigerian video-on-demand streaming pioneer founded in 2011, was shut down as founder Jason Njoku revealed in June 2025 that the company had spent over $100 million trying to build a sustainable subscription streaming business in Nigeria. Njoku said the subscription model could not compete with global players such as Netflix, Amazon and Showmax, though the company's ROK Studios production arm proved profitable."
canonical_url: "https://liners.com/graveyard/irokotv"
markdown_url: "https://liners.com/graveyard/irokotv.md"
type: "graveyard"
language: "en"
image: "/graveyard/irokotv/certificate.png"
published_at: "2026-07-31T17:41:07.836Z"
updated_at: "2026-07-31T17:41:07.836Z"
---

# Why iROKOtv shut down

iROKOtv, the Nigerian video-on-demand streaming pioneer founded in 2011, was shut down as founder Jason Njoku revealed in June 2025 that the company had spent over $100 million trying to build a sustainable subscription streaming business in Nigeria. Njoku said the subscription model could not compete with global players such as Netflix, Amazon and Showmax, though the company's ROK Studios production arm proved profitable.

## Breadcrumbs

- [Graveyard](/graveyard)
- [iROKOtv](/graveyard/irokotv)

## Summary

Here lies iROKOtv. It streamed Nollywood to the world and chased the title of Africa's own Netflix for over a decade. More than $100 million later, the subscription never scaled against global players. The studio made money; the stream ran dry.

iROKOtv, the Nigerian video-on-demand streaming pioneer founded in 2011, was shut down as founder Jason Njoku revealed in June 2025 that the company had spent over $100 million trying to build a sustainable subscription streaming business in Nigeria. Njoku said the subscription model could not compete with global players such as Netflix, Amazon and Showmax, though the company's ROK Studios production arm proved profitable.

## Product history

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Fate | ShutDown |
| Primary cause | BusinessModel |
| Stage at shutdown | Series E |
| Lifespan in days | 5265 |

## Autopsy report

## What the product attempted

A free and paid video-on-demand streaming platform for Nigerian and Nollywood films, aiming to become the 'Netflix of Africa'.

## What worked

Raised over $35 million in venture capital over a decade and built ROK Studios, a production and distribution division that became the company's most profitable segment.

## Early warning signs

The company had already exited the Nigerian market and stopped processing Naira payments roughly two years before the 2025 announcement, operating what Njoku described as 'full survival mode.'

## What happened

Facing intense competition from global streaming platforms and a collapsing local market for premium paid content, iROKOtv exited Nigeria in 2023 and by June 2025 Njoku publicly confirmed the shutdown, disclosing the company had invested over $100 million total in the market without achieving sustainable profitability.

## Sources

- [We spent $100m trying to win, says Jason Njoku on IrokoTV shutdown](https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/we-spent-100m-trying-to-win-says-jason-njoku-on-irokotv-shutdown/?ref=startupgraveyard.africa): TheCable Lifestyle
- [Jason Njoku and the Ghost of iROKOtv](https://noirpress.org/jason-njoku-and-the-ghost-of-irokotv/): Noirpress
- [We were in full survival mode - Jason Njoku on IrokoTV shutdown](https://thenewsguru.com/news/we-were-in-full-survival-mode-jason-njoku-on-irokotv-shutdown/): TheNewsGuru

## Related pages

- [iROKOtv alternatives](/irokotv/alternatives)
- [Liners Graveyard](/graveyard)

## Access and citation

- [Canonical HTML page](https://liners.com/graveyard/irokotv)
- [Markdown route index](/sitemap.md)
- [Agent access guide](/llms.txt)