OSN to launch OTT service
May 15, 2014
By Colin Mann
Middle East pay-TV operator OSN is to launch a video-on-demand service in an attempt to combat online piracy and pre-empt any potential launch by Netflix and other similar OTT players.
The operator will begin offering a separate service to its current TV packages, which will include a library of online content for a monthly fee.
The service called ‘Go by OSN’ will offer tens of thousands of hours of movies and shows, some of which will be available after the content has been broadcast on television. OSN already offers an online catch up version of its latest broadcast content – OSN Play – which is free for TV subscribers.
Go by OSN won’t offer the latest broadcast content, but will offer unlimited TV series and film franchises all on demand. It will be available on smartphones, tablets and PCs and offer Arabic and English-language content.
OSN’s current monthly TV subscription costs between about AED110 (€22) and AED400 per month, with OSN Play included for free. It is understood the Go service will cost around AED29 per month, a comparable level to streaming platform ICFlix and Telly, which December 2013 acquired Sha-Sha Entertainment in a bid to bring Hollywood and Arabic movies and TV shows to 22 countries in the Arab world.