The Broadcasters Convention – West Africa 2026 will spotlight AI-driven content discovery and personalized user experiences on video-on-demand platforms as one of its featured discussions, organiser Broadcast Media Africa (BMA) has announced.
Now in its next annual edition, the convention will run 22-23 September at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana — a move west along the coast from Lagos, which hosted the 2025 edition. It will bring together broadcasters, streaming service providers, technology companies, content owners and media executives from across the region to examine how AI is changing audience engagement and the future of digital content delivery.
The featured session, “The Role of AI in Content Discovery and User Experience on VOD Platforms,” will focus on how streaming platforms are using AI to shift from search-driven navigation of vast catalogues toward personalized journeys built from viewing patterns, search behavior, engagement history and contextual signals. Viewers, BMA argues, now expect platforms to anticipate their interests, deliver accurate recommendations and provide seamless navigation across multiple devices and services.
“The future of streaming success will increasingly depend on how intelligently platforms connect audiences with content,” said Benjamin Pius, chief executive of Broadcast Media Africa and convener of the convention. “Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming content discovery from a simple search function into a highly personalized viewing experience that strengthens audience engagement, improves customer satisfaction and creates new commercial opportunities.”
The 2026 event lands against a backdrop BMA itself has documented as an industry in transition. Its own AI and Transformation of Media – Africa Readiness Survey, released in April, found that while 94% of media leaders said they were familiar with AI, only 11% of organizations had a formal AI strategy in place, and 75% reported that national regulatory frameworks governing AI in media were unclear or absent. Three-quarters of respondents said they planned to increase AI spending within 24 months.
Pius framed the convention as a space for industry leaders “to exchange insights, share practical experiences and explore the technologies driving the next generation of broadcasting and digital media innovation across West Africa and the continent.”
