Reality TV is such a huge global industry. It all started at beginning of the 1990s. Reality TV is a genre of television programming portraying one or more people who are not professional actors; including their reactions to given stimuli and or goals. Reality TV is a big industry. There is a huge demand for reality TV content. For instance, in the US, more than 50 percent of adults watch over 1 hour of it per week. Even in Zimbabwe, many people do watch reality TV. One of the interesting questions is how money is made from reality TV. Reality TV is a great business idea for Zimbabwe but let us first break down the business model.
Interesting Indicators Of Financial Prospects In Reality TV
Globally, on average, reality TV stars earn over US$80 000 annually. The top-earning reality TV stars earn on average, over US$200 000 annually. Depending, on the reality TV show, the cost of production can be less than US$100 000. However, the total costs of producing just one reality TV show episode can be as high as US$500 000 or more. Do bear in mind that most reality TV shows do not require much money to produce. In fact, one of the reasons why reality TV is often lucrative is low production costs. That is then coupled with significant potential for huge returns on investment. All this shows that lots of money is made from reality TV. How?
An Appreciation For Reality TV Exists In Zimbabwe
Most of you spend lots of time daily on social media. I am mainly referring to Facebook and YouTube. That is where content creators are propagating their video-based content. At times they are skits and at times it is actual drama series. Many Zimbabweans love that. Many content creators in Zimbabwe are making money from that. That should show you how reality TV would be a big hit in Zimbabwe. After all, Zimbabweans generally have an appetite for real-life stories or experiences.
Earlier today someone on Twitter made an interesting tweet. It was about a Zara perfume called Red Temptation. They shared a photo taken from Instagram about some outlet in Zimbabwe selling it for US$80. Next to it, they included a photo of the same perfume from a certain ecommerce platform. On that platform, it costs 20 pounds. The insane profit margin is a discussion for another day. However, my response was:
‘Some amazing content e.g. documentaries could emerge from Zimbabwe about exposing such things. It is sad how many people are being fleeced in so many ways in Zimbabwe. The profit margins are ridiculously insane!!!’
I said that to show just how limitless reality TV ideas for Zimbabwe are. Some have tried it and indications of potential have been apparent. That actually brings us to our first revenue stream.
Monetization From Social Media Platforms
This is a multi-layered aspect which entails several other revenue streams. The top 2 are Google AdSense and brand deals or sponsorships. Essentially when dealing with social media it means airing by yourself. I will not detail much on Google AdSense. Just check out the article, How to make money with Google AdSense from Zimbabwe. When you are watching the usual content you see on social media. You will notice ads that are woven into the content.
That is an example of brand deals or sponsorships. At times it might not be direct. As in, an item being advertised may just be included in making the content e.g. a particular juice or restaurant. These are all ways that can bring in money from reality TV. The idea is to create a YouTube channel and Facebook page for reality TV. Then you start airing it via those platforms. You can exclusively just make money from social media.
NB: In Zimbabwe, this should be your first focus. It is much easier because there are fewer barriers to entry.
Content Syndication
This is definitely a major revenue stream for most notable reality TV shows. Content syndication in this context refers to a reality TV show being sold to several platforms that can air it. In a way, it is like selling screening rights to several platforms. When you produce a reality TV show you must aim to get it syndicated. That of course will depend on your production quality. For instance, let us suppose you want it to be aired on DSTV or Netflix. There are definitely production quality standards you would have to adhere to.
Anyways, syndication can be a huge revenue generator. Platforms may even bid for screening rights if your reality TV show is that good. Content syndication also feeds off several other revenue streams. For instance, let us suppose you manage to get your reality TV show on DSTV, Netflix, and the like. The money you will get will from several sources e.g. streaming rights, ad revenue, subscriptions, sponsorships, and so on. If you can score syndication deals with major platforms or networks you will earn big.
All in all, syndication and social media monetization are the way to go for reality TV. Those two avenues span out into or from several revenue streams. In Zimbabwe, the same approaches can be used. The world we live in now offers room for reality TV to make it big globally. Many people the world over are keenly interested in Zimbabwe. That is a dynamic to ride on. Another important aspect is tailoring Zimbabwean reality TV for global audiences. There was a recently produced Zimbabwean production. I repeatedly implored them to work on having English subtitles. My calls (calls many other people made) fell on deaf ears. However, if a Zimbabwean reality TV show is to make it on social media or other streaming platforms, English subtitles are a must. Let us see more and more reality TV shows coming out of Zimbabwe.
