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The days of the West completely dominating the global entertainment industry could soon be over, as Netflix and other streaming services have made it possible for content from countries all over the world to get the same attention.

Money Heist and Squid Game are two prime examples of this, with both series up there with the most viewed offerings on Netflix. Nigerian entertainment needs a similar breakthrough on the global scene, and it could be the perfect time for this to happen.

Squid Game Has Been a Revelation for Korean Entertainment

The Squid Game story is one that should fill Nigerian production companies with a lot of hope. Initially, Netflix took a chance on it but didn’t have much hope that it would be a success. Then, it went on to break all records and become the most watched series on the platform ever. Season one became the first to reach number one spot in 92 regions and has clocked up more than 2.8 billion viewing hours.

Thanks to the immense success of Squid Game, more people than ever have gone in search of Korean content on streaming services. One reason for this is that it has made people realise that they can find excellent writing and engaging stories from countries other than their own. Another factor in the surge in viewership of Korean content is that viewers want to see their favourite actors from Squid Game in other offerings.

Easier Than Ever in Modern Entertainment

In the days before the internet and the globalisation of media, the Squid Game phenomenon wouldn’t have been possible. Now, though, Netflix and other streaming platforms have worldwide reach, and are able to show the same shows to people in countless different countries.

Along with the easy access of the shows, social media has helped push the hype. Part of the major viral success of Squid Game and Money Heist was the fact that they were talked about so much online, and people couldn’t get away from reading about them. It’s easy now for promoters to create high levels of intrigue and encourage people to find out about these shows for themselves.

Modern series can also leverage the power of other areas of entertainment to help them reach a wider audience, with many of today’s offerings finding that the online casino industry can be a huge boost. Some of the best online casino games are themed titles based on content from other media, with Terminator 2 and The Goonies being two of the most popular examples.

With these games played in many different countries, a themed offering based on a series helps that series garner a lot more attention. The online casino industry is growing in Nigeria currently, so it would be the prime time to release a slot game based on a Nigerian series that could be marketed around the world.

Nigerian television producers need to analyse the formula that made shows like Squid Game so successful. By replicating it, they may be able to come up with a hit that sweeps the world in a similar way.