Imagine a platform where Black creators thrive, their stories take center stage, and audiences know they’re seeing themselves authentically represented. Uzo Ometu, founder of BlackOakTV, is making that vision a reality. In this conversation, Uzo shares his journey from YouTube executive to streaming entrepreneur, his mission to amplify Black voices, and why the future of scripted content might just be on YouTube.
Uzo, tell us about BlackOakTV and what inspired you to create it.
Thanks, Jeff! BlackOakTV is a streaming platform dedicated to showcasing stories for and by Black creators. Our goal is simple: to be the home of the best and most authentic Black content in the world.
The idea for BlackOakTV came during my time at YouTube. While working as a content partnerships manager, I saw data points reflecting two challenges: Black millennials over-indexed on YouTube because traditional media wasn’t serving them, and Black creators were struggling to grow and monetize at the same rate as their peers.
I realized there was a gap in the market—a space where we could focus entirely on elevating Black voices and delivering the kind of content Black audiences were craving.
You had a successful career at YouTube. What motivated you to take the leap into entrepreneurship?
A piece of me has always been entrepreneurial. I grew up selling things, creating content during the blogging era, and finding ways to build something of my own.
When I moved to Silicon Valley, the energy of innovation and opportunity was infectious. I saw people launching new ventures and realized I had the access and network many Black founders don’t. That realization pushed me to take the leap—not just for myself, but to pave the way for others in our community.
Where is BlackOakTV now, and what’s the ultimate vision for the platform?
Over the past five years, we’ve been building the platform and refining our approach. Right now, we’re definitely in a period of transition, but we’re focusing on community-building, which is challenging but essential. As a niche streamer, partnerships are key. We’re working with other platforms to distribute content while continuing to find our path forward.
Long-term, whether it’s through BlackOakTV or otherwise, I want there to be a cultural hub—a place like BET was in its heyday. A home for scripted and unscripted stories that resonate with Black audiences and celebrate our culture.
How can people watch BlackOak TV?
You can find us on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, and our website, blackoak.tv. We’ve also expanded to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, sharing short-form scenes and skits to reach broader audiences. Wherever you consume content, search for BlackOakTV—you’ll find us!
You work directly with creators. What does that partnership look like?
We partner with creators in a variety of ways. Most often, we license their projects—whether it’s a short film they want to turn into a series or a popular skit that fans are begging for more of.
We typically fund and license the content while allowing creators to retain ownership of their IP. Creators take on roles as directors, writers, and producers, and we support them with resources, funding, and connections to bring their vision to life.
What type of content are you looking for?
We’ve focused on scripted content so far—mainly comedies, dramas, thrillers, and horror—but we’re open to experimenting with unscripted formats like panel shows or interviews.
The key factors we consider are: the quality of the content, and does it align with something our audience has resonated with in the past? In addition to those elements, we’re looking for content that’s fresh, culturally relevant, and built on a strong creative vision.
For creators interested in pitching to you, what should they know about budgets and timelines?
Our budgets generally fall under $100,000 per hour of content, with series ranging from 60 to 90 minutes total runtime. Episodes are usually short to mid-form, around 8–15 minutes each.
As for timelines, it varies. On average, we expect a nine-month turnaround from deal signing to delivery, but we’ve seen projects come together as quickly as three months—or take over a year. The creative process is hard to control, but we always build buffer time into our programming schedule to stay on track.
What do you see as the future of the industry in the next two years?
YouTube will become even more dominant as a platform for discovery and content distribution. It’s already eating into traditional TV time and outpacing many streaming platforms for unscripted and short-form content.
I believe we’ll see more scripted content debut on YouTube, particularly from those in Hollywood looking to rebuild their careers by connecting directly with audiences. It’s the perfect space to test ideas, build audiences, and even release full projects.
