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As our intelligence platform, African Screen Intelligence (ASI), edges towards initial beta testing, internal research capabilities become even more dynamic and immediate. Occasionally, I land on useful findings that merit publication on their own, even if only serving as a window into the kind of intelligence ASI is being developed to produce. This is one example. What follows comes from a systematic mapping of YouTube channels across Africa with at least 1 million subscribers that actively distribute original scripted drama or films — not skits, not short-form, not clips — and were active between January 2025 and March 2026. Approximately 32 channels qualified, though this capture may not include every single qualifying channel, particularly those that recently crossed the one-million-subscriber threshold. That said, 32 is a solid number. And what the numbers overall say about the economics of African film, television, and digital media distribution on YouTube is certainly instructive enough to share.
