The new round of bids may fall well below the $360 million that the current holder of the rights, Qatar’s BeIN Media Group, is paying Turkey’s football federation this year
Pay-TV
Latest in Pay-TV
GCC video industry
Why the Gulf’s TV and video market is going to take a hit in 2020
New research says revenues are likely to contract 13% to $1.6bn this year amid coronavirus impact
Friends TV Series
In pictures: The most binge-watched shows on Starzplay
The Big Bang Theory, The Office and Friends all prove popular for Dubai-based streaming service
digital streaming
Video: Why you shouldn’t try to please your boss: Netflix CEO
With 193m subscribers worldwide, Netflix has revolutionised the TV and film industry.
#media
50 shades of truth: Euronews CEO Michael Peters
At a time of politically slanted TV, Euronews CEO Michael Peters hopes to buck global trends by building trust and adopting a ‘McDonald’s’ approach to the headlines
Emirati TV series
Dubai’s OSN to launch new channel for TV binge marathons
OSN Binge to launch in April, to offer viewers a destination for an uninterrupted marathon-viewing experience
digital streaming
Streaming not main reason behind struggling pay TV market, says StarzPlay CEO
While pay TV has suffered in some markets, it is an emerging business in areas like sub-Saharan Africa, according to Maaz Sheikh
Anti-Piracy Coalition
UAE court jails illegal DishTV India dealer
Court of Cassation rejects appeal by illegal dealer and sentenced him to three months imprisonment and a fine of AED50,000
FNG MENA
‘No death’ for traditional TV, says Fox after streaming service launch
Television networks will ‘reinvent’ themselves and co-exist with on-demand video streaming platforms, according to FOX MENA head Sanjay Raina
KIPCO
OSN appoints Patrick Tillieux as new CEO
The new CEO takes over from Martin Stewart, who has left the company to pursue another opportunity outside the region
Amazon Prime
Changing viewing habits makes OSN pay-TV a tough sell
Competition from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other services have crashed the value of Dubai-based OSN
Dubai
OSN shareholder KIPCO hires bankers to sell 60% stake
Dubai-based OSN, which provides satellite encrypted pay television services to 24 countries in the MENA region, represents KIPCO’s entire media operating segment
Netflix
Video: The Netflix mantra: Shock, awe, amaze … and monetise?
Uninhibited by rising debt, Netflix is riding a tsunami of content from multiple regions in its push to stream to the world. By doing so it is introducing an audience of more than 125 million, growing at roughly six percent per quarter, to a literal world of content.
Al Jazeera
Qatar broadcaster cuts jobs in new restructuring round
Dozens of departments and management positions have been merged or eliminated at Al Jazeera Media Network
2018 FIFA World Cup
beIN Sports pulls TV channels from du customers in the UAE
Dubai telco apologises to customers over ‘sudden and unexpected loss of the service’
OSN
Revealed: OSN serves up Arab TV stars for Ramadan
More than 25 series featuring the biggest stars of the Arab world will be broadcast during holy month
Entertainment
MidEast’s video streaming market to grow 50% by 2020
Leading regional platform StarzPlay has twice the regional marketshare compared to global service Netflix