Popular Nigerian Series ‘Smart Money Woman’ Shifts To YouTube For Season 2

Chinalurumogu EzeOctober 30, 20241 Mins read25

The highly acclaimed Nigerian series Smart Money Woman is set to premiere its second season on YouTube after a potential deal with Netflix reportedly didn’t work out, marking a surprising turn for the show’s distribution. The series, which chronicles the lives of four young women navigating finance, love, and careers in Lagos, initially found success on Netflix after airing on Africa Magic in 2020 before gaining international attention on Netflix.

Shock NG pointed out that the switch to YouTube signals a significant change in the balance of power. Unlike Netflix’s subscription model, YouTube relies on ad-based revenue, where long-form content such as movies generally performs better than episodic series. YouTube’s monetisation and algorithm also prioritise regular, high-engagement uploads, presenting unique challenges for a series format.

Despite these hurdles, expectations remain high for the show’s YouTube launch. The first season, recently uploaded to the platform, has amassed 500,000 views. It goes to say that the viewership for Season 2 would be higher.

Directed by Bunmi Ajakaiye and Wande Thomas, Smart Money Woman is adapted from Arese Ugwu’s best-selling book. The series follows Zuri (played by Osas Ighodaro) and her bestfriends—Tami (Ini Dima-Okojie), Adesuwa (Kemi Lala Akindoju), and Lara (Toni Tones)—as they tackle personal and financial struggles, from family and relationship conflicts to entrepreneurial ventures and the challenges of modern Lagos life.

Season 2 will premiere on the Azuwa Studios YouTube channel on October 31, with two new episodes released weekly on Thursdays. The release schedule includes Episodes 1 and 2 on October 31, Episodes 3 and 4 on November 7, Episodes 5 and 6 on November 14, Episodes 7 and 8 on November 21, and the season’s two-part finale on November 28.