North Africa

Digital TV Research: MENA pay TV impacted by BeIN dispute

Pay TV revenues have declined in the Middle East and North Africa over the past two years thanks in to piracy, competition from OTT providers, falling revenue per user, and the Saudi-led ban on BeIN Media. This according to Digital TV Research’s latest ‘Middle East and North Africa Pay TV Forecasts’ report, which said that […]

BBC Earth launches across MENA, CBeebies debuts in Turkey

Factual channel BBC Earth is due to launch across the Middle East and North Africa region through the beIN direct-to-home satellite service on April 5. The BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, announced the deal and said that BBC Earth will extend its distribution in Turkey by launching via operator Digiturk on the same day. At […]

Netflix agrees first MENA operator deal with OSN

Netflix has agreed its first partnership in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with local operator OSN. OSN customers will be able to access Netflix’s library of content via OSN’s new set-top box, which is due to launch towards the end of the second quarter. They will also have the option to pay […]

Eutelsat expands 7/8° West HD channel line-up

Eutelsat has grown the number of free-to-air HD channels it broadcasts in the 7/8° West video neighbourhood, which covers the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), by 44% year-on-year. Announcing the stats to coincide with the CABSAT Dubai trade show, Eutelsat said that as of this month it is now broadcasting more than 110 free-to-air […]

Digital TV Research: MENA pay TV ARPU in decline

Pay TV revenues are set to grow in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) between 2017 and 2023 but at a lower rate than subscription numbers, according to Digital TV Research. The Middle East and North Africa Pay TV Forecasts report said the figures indicate that average revenues per user (ARPU) must be falling […]

beIN Media agrees new three-year security deal with Irdeto

Pay TV network beIN Media has agreed a new three-year deal with digital security specialists Irdeto. beIN will be use Irdeto’s conditional access solution and security services to deliver live sports and entertainment content to customers across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. “As a growing brand providing premium content across the MENA […]

MBC Group invests in online travel company Wego

MBC Group has invested in Middle East and North African online travel marketplace, Wego. The Middle East broadcast group said that it has invested a “significant amount” to accelerate Wego’s growth across the region, and that it will heavily promote Wego’s mobile apps and website across MBC’s platforms. “I believe that applying MBC’s brand amplification […]

Over-the-top revenues to quadruple in MENA region

Over-the-top video revenues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are set to more than quadruple between 2016 and 2022, according to new research. Digital TV Research predicts that OTT TV episodes and movies will generate revenues of US$1.75 billion by 2022, up from US$428 million in 2016, as subscription video-on-demand’s dominance over the […]

Internet ‘transforming traditional TV viewing’ in MENA

The boom in smartphone and internet penetration is transforming traditional TV viewing patterns in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), according to Frost & Sullivan. The business consulting firm’s research described a “vast, fertile market for over-the-top (OTT) video services” that has sprung up in the MENA region and said that the presence of […]

Iflix expands into MENA

South-East Asian SVOD provider Iflix has expanded into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with launches in eight territories. The service is now available in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt and Sudan, broadening Iflix’s footprint to a total of 18 countries. The firm has also established a new regional headquarters for […]