MBC, Rotana sign carriage agreement
November 24, 2020
By Chris Forrester
MBC Group and Rotana Media, the Arab broadcasting groups, have signed a new carriage agreement.
MBC operates an OTT platform, Shahid VIP, and a new agreement means that Rotana’s considerable movie slate, drama series and other channels are now all carried by the platform.
Described as a “long-term partnership” the deal will allow Shahid VIP to expand its Arabic content offering as it continues to deliver on its mission to entertain Mena audiences.
Rotana’s award-winning TV channels (including Rotana Cinema, Rotana Khalijia, Rotana+, Rotana Classic, Rotana Kids, Rotana Drama and Rotana Music) will all be available to stream live in HD on Shahid VIP. The service went live on November 22nd across the MENA region.
December will see Rotana add much of its back-catalogue of Arabic titles to the platform.
MBC Group chairman, Waleed Al-Ibrahim, commented: “One year ago we signed our first partnership with Rotana Media Group, which contributed immensely to the Shahid VIP success story in 2020. Taking our collaboration to the next level was a natural step as we continue to enhance the Shahid VIP value proposition”.
CEO of Rotana Studios and TV, Walid Arab Hashem, added: “It pleases us to conclude this ground-breaking deal with MBC GROUP and offer Rotana channels and content on its very successful platform Shahid VIP. We are true believers in the value of Arabic entertainment and its local, regional and international appeal, and we look forward to having a long-term relationship with MBC as a means to serve our audiences.”
Financial terms were not revealed.