Multichoice has announced a staggering N90 million as the grand prize for the winner of season six of the Big Brother Nigeria (BBNaija) reality TV show.
The grand prize makes this season’s winnings the biggest since its debut back in 2006 and the highest prize for a reality TV show on the continent. It is also N5 million more than the 2020 grand prize.
The South Africa-based group operates the DStv, a major pay-TV service in Sub-Saharan Africa, and GOtv, a minor service operating in over 9 countries on the continent. As of last year, MultiChoice had a total subscriber base of 20.1 million viewers throughout Africa while its entertainment platforms – DStv, GOtv, Showmax and DStv Now – are available to people across 50 countries.
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The entertainment giant through its Nigeria subsidiary has been the exclusive organiser of the reality competition television series, based on the global television franchise.
The Big Brother franchise, named after George Orwell’s “Big Brother”, was first aired in the Netherlands in 1999 with a record 4 million out of 15 million Dutch people watching the final episode on December 30, 1999. As of September 2019, there had been 448 seasons of Big Brother in over 54 franchise countries and regions.
In Africa, the franchise started with Big Brother Africa, based in South Africa with the participants coming from different African countries. Along the line, Big Brother spread slowly, across Africa, with Angola-Mozambique, South Africa, Nigeria, and more recently Cameroon having their respective Big Brother reality TV shows.
The first season of Big Brother Nigeria first aired on M-Net and DStv Channel 37 in 2006 while the second instalment did not hold until 11 years later, rebranded as Big Brother Naija. It has been held consecutively since 2017.
In keeping with the show’s penchant for surprises and twists, MultiChoice has also announced a first-of-its-kind #BBNEarlyAccess, which will give customers on its DStv and GOtv platforms the opportunity to be among the first to be auditioned for BBNaija season 6.
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According to a statement on its official Twitter handle, the organisers, MultiChoice said it is offering customers on its DStv and GOtv platforms the opportunity to be among the first to be auditioned for the sixth season.
Get an early access to audition for BBNaija!🤯
✓Renew your DStv subscription (Between March 24 & March 31)
✓Email your name and smartcard number to africamagicevents@ng.multichoice.com, to receive a unique website link!Reconnect now!https://t.co/pea3iPwPF7#BBNEarlyAccess pic.twitter.com/TezLUnuF3G
— DStv Nigeria (@DStvNg) March 24, 2021
Aspiring participants, who are 21 years or older and of Nigerian nationality with a valid Nigerian passport, will get an early audition when they pay on either DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Confam, Yanga package or on GOtv Max or Jolli package between Wednesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 31, 2021.
Following which they are to send an email to AfricaMagicEvents@ng.multichoice.com with their name and smartcard or IUC number to receive a unique website link to fill out the registration form and complete the audition process. The #BBNEarlyAccess online auditions will also require interested participants to make a two-minute video stating why they should be picked to be a Housemate this season.
