- EbonyLife Cinemas CEO Dismisses Allegations of Unfair Film Scheduling
- Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde weighed in on the matter acknowledging that concerns about unfair practices in the industry have become more frequent
- Mo Abudu noted that audience demand does not always match expectations
Nigerian media personality and business mogul, Mojiola Abudu, popularly known as Mo Abudu, has dismissed social media claims that some Nollywood actors are collaborating with cinema owners to reduce the screening time of certain films, Eko Hot Blog reports.
Speaking on ARISE TV, Abudu emphasised that cinema operations are guided by audience demand and business considerations rather than personal preferences or favouritism.
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Veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde weighed in on the matter, acknowledging that concerns about unfair practices in the industry have become more frequent.
“I have heard these things; people have been saying this. Actors themselves have come out to say this has happened to them. And there are some fans too who corroborate these stories, confirming that some people convinced them to watch one movie apart from the movie they came to see,” Omotola said.
Responding to the allegations, Mo Abudu stressed that such practices would not make commercial sense. “If cinemas restrict screenings or discourage audiences from watching particular films, they would run at a loss,” she said.
Citing her own company, EbonyLife Cinemas, Abudu explained that her priority is to fill seats to maximise return on investment. “I can’t speak for all the cinemas, but I can certainly speak for EbonyLife Cinemas. It’s not true. We run a professional business. Our return on investment depends very heavily on making sure that we have people sitting in every single cinema,” she said.
She further clarified that screening schedules are adjusted based on film performance, balancing creative goals with operational costs, including electricity and staff salaries.
“It is in our interest to ensure that every cinema is full. We have five cinemas in EbonyLife. We do about 30 screenings a day , that’s about 900 screenings in a month. There is plenty of space,” Abudu added.
Addressing complaints regarding peak-hour slots, she noted that audience demand does not always match expectations. “Even if you say people prefer peak hours, and they get 50% of that, that’s still about 450 screenings in a month,” she said.
“When your film is in our cinema, and it has no audience, and I am running air conditioning and paying staff, and you only have two or three people in a 100-seater cinema, by next week we are going to have a conversation. That time slot can no longer really work,” she added.
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