Starzplay: 70% increase in viewership during Ramadan
May 23, 2023
Ramadan entertainment continues to be in high demand in MENA and has driven growth in viewership during the Holy Month, according to a viewership analysis by Starzplay, an SVoD service in the region.
The platform witnessed a significant increase in viewership across the GCC markets with nearly a 70 per cent increase in unique users compared to Ramadan 2022. UAE witnessed the maximum increase in viewership, a 62 per cent increase in unique users in 2023 vis-à-vis Ramadan in 2022 while the rest of the GCC recorded nearly a 60 per cent increase in unique users.
Over the years, in the MENA region, Ramadan has typically seen increased TV consumption and a visible shift in viewership towards Arabic content. This year too, the top performing shows in the region included Serou Al Batea, Al Moasses Osman, Kashf Mestaagel, Bab Al Hara and Harb. Drama continued to be the top performing genre while comedy satires and cookery shows remained a popular choice for viewers.
Tony Saab, Senior Vice President of Content and Strategic Partnerships at Starzplay commented: “Ramadan is a month of family gatherings and celebrations with friends and families and a time where viewers consume a greater amount of entertainment content. Over the last few years Starzplayhas witnessed a significant increase in streaming during the Holy Month and this year was no different. Our platform recorded nearly a 70 per cent uplift in consumption vis-à-vis last year which is a clear indication of the increase in demand of video streaming consumption across the MENA region. The Ramadan viewership figures evidently indicate the appetite for Arabic language content in the region and therefore an opportunity for streaming services like ours to deliver even more original Arabic content.”
During the Holy Month, Starzplay also saw a 50 per cent increase in new sign-ups compared to Ramadan 2022. Young consumers are driving subscription growth, says Starzplay.