Anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), is claiming a landmark victory for content creators after working with Egyptian authorities to shut down the largest piracy ring in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. Operating since at least 2015, the Shahed4U ring was based in Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. More than 25 per […]

MyCima, the second-largest piracy operation in the Middle East region, has been shut down by the Egyptian authorities following a referral from anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). Based in Alexandria, Egypt, the illegal service averaged more than 55 million visits per month prior to its shutdown and comprised more than 70 […]

Dubai-based entertainment company OSN has joined anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). OSN is one of 11 global media and entertainment companies that joined ACE in December 2022, expanding the coalition’s ability to combat illegal piracy operations around the world. ACE currently has a total of 52 members. “In line with our […]

There will be 21.52 million paying SVoD subscriptions [TV episodes and movies only] across 13 Arabic countries by 2027, up from 9.49 million in 2021, according to the Middle East and North Africa SVOD Forecasts report from analyst firm Digital TV Research. “Netflix will continue to lead the market, although Disney+ has provided a strong […]

Sheikha Al Zain Al Sabah and Elie Habib have joined Dubai-based OSN under the leadership of KIPCO’s Sheikha Dana Al Sabah. The board also includes Michael Johnson from junior partner Mawarid Holding Co as well as OSN’s newly appointed CEO Joe Kawkabani. Sheikha Dana Al Sabah, Chairperson of the Board commented that the “deep experience […]

Dubai-based OSN used the CabSat show in Dubai to relaunch its branded bundle of pay-TV channels. OSN says the relaunch includes refreshed on-screen branding and 18 exclusive curated channels with 9 new or revamped channels. In its statement, OSN says: [The new look] is designed to deliver a distinct and world-class scheduled TV experience, OSN […]

OSN, the Middle East pay-TV platform, has appointed Joe Kawkabani its new CEO. Kawkabani is already a board member and has previously served as the group chief investment officer at KIPCO, OSN’s parent company. Kawkabani takes over from Sangeeta Desai, whose term as interim CEO since August last year. Sheikha Dana, chair of OSN/Panther Media […]

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) video industry grew revenue by 11 per cent Y/Y in 2021 to reach $1.9 billion (€1.6bn), according to the GCC Video & Broadband Distribution 2021 report from Media Partners Asia (MPA). The report provides analysis of telecoms, online video, pay-TV and free TV industries across the six Gulf Cooperation Council […]

A White Paper from Comcast Technology Solutions, released ahead of Dubai’s CabSat, says that the MENA region offers “a thriving and dynamic market in which to operate for content, streaming providers, and distributors”. But the broadcast market cannot stand still, warns the study. It quotes Luis Duran, the former CCO at MBC’s Shahid and now […]

ThinkAnalytics has announced that OSN, an entertainment hub in the MENA region, has gone live with Think360 on its OSN Streaming service in more than 20 markets, providing subscribers with a personalised user experience, including an enhanced recommendations and sophisticated search engine. Think360 is a critical part of OSN’s digital transformation which included a complete […]