NCTC Strikes Carriage Deal for AFRO Channel

Upstart multicultural network AFRO will be available to NCTC members as part of a multi-year agreement between AFRO parent Afrotainment and the NCTC.

The deal allows the NCTC’s 750 small and mid-sized independent cable and broadband operators to op-in to a carriage agreement for AFRO, which launched this past February along with TV One’s Cleo TV as part of Comcast’s memorandum of understanding  revolving around its 2011 acquisition of NBCUniversal.

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AFRO is a polycultural black network broadcasting top-rated Nollywood and black movies, dramas, sitcoms, music, talk, and late night comedy shows, according to network officials.

"We are thrilled to bring AFRO’s live content and growing on demand catalog of 300+ hours of original programming to millions of NCTC customers. This agreement marks an important milestone in our continued growth strategy to increase our nationwide distribution footprint, and we look forward to a great partnership with the NCTC," said Yves Bollanga, Founder and CEO of Afrotainment in a statement.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.