2020 Deals
STARZPLAY brings back the historical drama The Spanish Princess, exclusively for MENA subscribers
20 October 2020
STARZPLAY, the leading subscription video on demand (SVOD) service in the MENA region, is bringing the next and final instalment of the historical drama The Spanish Princess, exclusively for MENA subscribers.
NIPPON TV UNVEILS FIRST EVER ANIME DEPARTMENT AND PROMOTES KAKO KUWAHARA TO EVP AND HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
20 October 2020
The first global title to be launched as a part of this new department is the award-winning TSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy-
OSN caters to growing demand for home entertainment in Bahrain through partnership deal with Atyaf Home Entertainment
20 October 2020
Bahrain’s subscribers can now access OSN’s premium variety of content exclusively with Atyaf Home Entertainment
Netflix Is Launching A Collection of 34 Lebanese Films
20 October 2020
Made in Lebanon’ will spotlight Lebanese stories and storytellers
OSN Original Production ‘Yalla Neta’sha, Come Dine With Me’ – a brand new Arabic TV series launches exclusively on OSN
19 October 2020
OSN, the region’s leading entertainment network, today has officially launched the first episode of its highly anticipated OSN Original production, ‘Yalla Neta’sha’.
SERIES MANIA 2021 LAUNCHES ITS “CALL FOR SERIES” AND “CALL FOR PROJECTS”
19 October 2020
In addition to live event in Lille, Series Mania Digital set for further expansion
THE SEVENTH EDITION OF THE SINGAPORE MEDIA FESTIVAL (SMF) RETURNS IN A HYBRID FORMAT THIS YEAR
19 October 2020
The seventh edition of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF) returns in a hybrid format this year, presenting a refreshed lineup that will propel Asian stories to a global audience.
Salto Ready to Go Live in France
19 October 2020
The French OTT service Salto, a collaboration between France Télévisions, M6 and TF1, is gearing up to go live on October 20.
“Heliopolis” represents Algeria in the 2021 Oscar nominations
19 October 2020
“Heliopolis”, by Jaafar Kacem, in order to represent Algeria in Oscar nominations For Best Foreign Film of 2021.
DStv Now rebranded to DStv as Multichoice makes major changes to its Streaming service
19 October 2020
MultiChoice has rebranded its DStv Now streaming product to DStv, making a first step towards the full launch of its standalone streaming service in the near future.
Netflix to release new documentary ‘Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb’ on October 28
19 October 2020
Netflix has announced on Thursday the October 28 global release of its new docu-feature, “Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb”, which features features the discovery of a “one-of-a-kind” tomb beneath the sand at Egypt’s Saqqara archaeological site.
OSN strengthens OSN Originals offering with brand new series No Man’s Land in partnership with Fremantle
19 October 2020
OSN is partnering with Fremantle to bring its first scripted OSN Original series to OSN Series First and OSN streaming app with the fast paced, eight-part action thriller series, ‘No Man’s Land’.
Warner Bros. TV Group Chairman Peter Roth to Step Down in 2021
19 October 2020
After more than two decades leading Warner Bros.’ television operations, chairman Peter Roth has decided to leave his perch at the storied TV studio
Netflix announces a new $500,000 COVID-19 emergency relief fund In collaboration with the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture
15 October 2020
Netflix has announced the establishment of a Film and Television emergency fund in collaboration with the Arab Fund for Arts & Culture (AFAC) to help the hardest hit workers in the creative community.
Beirut's Bride TV Series: Are Dhafer L'Abidine and Carmen Bsaibes the Arab Version of “Harry and Meghan”?
15 October 2020
Popular Lebanese romance TV series “Beirut's Bride” comes back to Arab TV screens after the huge success of its first season that aired last year.
Digiturk Acquires Bonacini’s Italy and Specials from Gusto Worldwide Media
14 October 2020
Gusto Worldwide Media is pleased to announce that Bonacini’s Italy (30 x 30) and two Bonacini holiday specials have been acquired by Digiturk, Turkey’s leading digital platform.
OSN launches new value package for subscribers in Egypt
13 October 2020
OSN announced today the launch of its new low cost consumer package, Yalla OSN, exclusive to customers in Egypt for only EGY 697 for a Free-To-Air Satellite receiver plus three month subscription.
Ro'ya TV announces their first Docudrama series "Tahqeeq Amni"
12 October 2020
Tahqeeq Amni is a Jordanian television covering true crime stories that took place in Jordan, produced by Roya TV and written by Omar Arafa.
Turkish version of NIPPON TV’s hit series Abandoned set to air on Fox Turkey
11 October 2020
Nippon TV, Medyapim and MF Yapim have announced six deals to date: Mother, Woman -My Life for My Children-, Mr. Hiiragi’s Homeroom (The Teacher), and Abandoned, with, My Son and OASIS -a love story- set to be produced shortly.
Multichoice Studios extends its network with mena.tv
11 October 2020
Multichoice Studios is happy to announce a deal with mena.tv for the purpose of extending our global network and reaching hundreds of potential buyers in the Middle East.
Uday Shankar to step down as Disney India chairman, APAC president
11 October 2020
Shankar will remain with Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer & International Segment through end of 2020 to help identify his successor and ensure smooth transition
NELLY KARIM MAKES HER EMIRATI CINEMA DEBUT WITH NEW FILM 'TUESDAY 12'
11 October 2020
Egyptian star Nelly Karim stars in her first Emirati flick, ‘Tuesday 12’, a coming-of-age film that explores young women’s determination in the face of hindering societal and parental restrictions.
French Lumiere Festival kicks off: We don’t believe in the death of cinema
11 October 2020
Lumiere creates a window for films that were not shown at the Festival de Cannes due to Corona (Getty)
Dubai Comedy Festival returns with the participation of some of the brightest stars in the world of comedy
11 October 2020
The Dubai Comedy Festival has revealed its official fun-filled program, which will be held in several regions of Dubai between 21 and 24 October.
Two Algerian feature films among the 20 best films in Africa
11 October 2020
The British newspaper "The Guardian" ranked, in a recent issue, the two Algerian films "The Battle of Algiers" and "Chronicle of the Years of Ember" among the twenty best feature films in the history of cinema in Africa.
Calinos Brings ‘Forbidden Fruit’ To MENA
11 October 2020
Calinos Entertainment continues to expand the success of drama series Forbidden Fruit across international markets.
MAD Solutions and Ergo, Media Ventures Offer Distribution Awards at the El Gouna Film Festival
11 October 2020
MAD Solutions and Ergo, Media Ventures announced that they will offer a joint award to one of the winning film projects of the CineGouna SpringBoard,
Ooredoo brings Disney+ Originals with OSN to mobile, Ooredoo ONE customers
11 October 2020
Ooredoo Qatar said that its mobile and Ooredoo ONE customers will be able to access Disney+ Originals, HBO series and other output at no extra charge through a partnership with the OSN streaming app service
Mohammed bin Rashid receives the team of the Emirati "Marshall Ink" company, which is preparing to launch the satellite "Ghalib"
11 October 2020
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, affirmed that "private companies operating in the UAE in the field of space industries have qualitative contributions and achievements that contribute to strengthening the country's position as the leading and most advanced center in the space sector in the region."
Gaza Mon Amour makes its Arab World Premiere at Cairo International Film Festival
11 October 2020
Gaza Mon Amour movie by twin brothersTarzan and Arab Nasser will make its Arab world premiere in the International Competition of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) (December 2-10).
Mediapro delivers French football rights shock
11 October 2020
Mediapro’s president Jaume Roures has indicated that he will lower the value of the TV rights contract with the French Professional Football Association (LPF).
WARNERMEDIA NAMES JEAN-PAUL COLACO HEAD OF ADVERTISING SALES
11 October 2020
The hire follows a 15-month search for the appropriate candidate. Colaco will have oversight of the company's Ad Sales leadership team, focusing on the monetization of crucial linear ad inventory
Egypt’s Ahmed Malek’s 1st International film in the Official Competition of the El Gouna Film Festival
11 October 2020
Australian feature “The Furnace” will take part in the Official Competition of the 4th El Gouna Film Festival.
Dubai's The Theatre to screen two critically acclaimed documentaries in October
11 October 2020
Two critically acclaimed documentaries will be screened at The Theatre at Mall of the Emirates this month.
BETA FILM REVEALS KIDS’ SCRIPTED SALES IN AFRICA, EUROPE AND CANADA
11 October 2020
Scripted kids' shows and features The Club Of Ugly Children, Jackie And Oopjen and 100% Coco In New York have sold to broadcasters in Europe, Africa and Canada, following a slew of initial sales from German-based distributor Beta Film's slate ahead of MIPJunior.
ECCHO RIGHTS TO REPRESENT SELECT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION INTERNATIONAL LOCAL LANGUAGE DRAMA TITLES
11 October 2020
Global distributor Eccho Rights has agreed an exclusive representation deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT)
MIPCOM 2020: GLOBO PRESENTS NEW SERIES WITH INNOVATIVE NARRATIVES
11 October 2020
Globo will participate in the MIPCOM 2020 and will bring, among the products in its catalog, new Globoplay original series.
Zain signs exclusive partnership agreement with OSN
08 October 2020
Enriching Zain KSA's experience through globally acclaimed content
MBC Group inks content deal with Facebook MENA
08 October 2020
Dubai-based media conglomerate MBC Group has signed an exclusive content deal with Facebook MENA to develop content for the social media service’s VOD platform Facebook Watch.
Bloomberg to launch QuickTake as OTT network
08 October 2020
Business giant Bloomberg Media will launch its OTT streaming network QuickTake on November 8.
Trace taps Molotov Solutions for new international OTT platform
06 October 2020
Music and entertainment-focused media outfit Trace has hired Molotov Solutions to develop and operate the new version of its OTT platform, TracePlay.
ITV launches Planet V ad platform
06 October 2020
Planet V, the programmatic advertising platform from ITV, has officially launched.
Saudi Red Sea Film Festival open for new challenge
06 October 2020
The Red Sea International Film Festival, in collaboration with Alliance Française and film and TV school La Fémis, has announced that applications for its 48-hour film challenge are open.
Sudan guest of honor for Luxor African Film Festival in 2021
06 October 2020
The 10th edition of the Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF), set to be held from March 12-18 in 2021 has selected Sudan as its guest of honor.
Netflix reveals glimpse into George Clooney’s upcoming film ‘The Midnight Sky’
06 October 2020
Netflix has unveiled pictures from “The Midnight Sky”, an upcoming science-fiction film starring, produced and directed by Hollywood actor/director George Clooney.
Netflix releases trailer for Egyptian series ‘Paranormal’, set to air in early November
06 October 2020
Netflix, the world’s leading online streaming service, has unveiled the first teaser trailer for its highly-anticipated series ‘Paranormal’, scheduled to release on November 5.
‘Baghdad Central’ star Waleed Zuaiter launches prodco to bridge US and Mid-East
05 October 2020
Baghdad Central star Waleed Zuaiter has launched a Middle-East, US and UK-based production company to explore underrepresented and misrepresented voices around the world.
Egypt’s successful series 100 Wesh to be transferred to a movie
05 October 2020
The highly successful Egyptian series “100 Wesh” will be transferred to a movie.
NENT adapts Two Sisters for TV
05 October 2020
Bestselling Swedish novel trilogy Two Sisters is being adapted for television via a deal signed with Nordic Entertainment (NENT) Group.
AUDIOVISUAL FROM SPAIN RETURNS TO INTERNATIONAL MARKETS WITH A PAVILION AT MIPCOM ONLINE +
05 October 2020
Audiovisual from Spain returns to the sphere of international markets with a virtual pavilion at MIPCOM online +
MISTCO INCORPORATES 'THE INNOCENTS' TO ITS CATALOG
05 October 2020
After the recent premiere on TRT, where it obtained a 21.99% total share, the series produced by OGM Pictures will be distributed globally by the Turkish company.
Canal+ builds 6.5% stake in Multichoice Group
05 October 2020
Canal+ Group has announced its holdings in South Africa’s MultiChoice Group have passed the 5% threshold.
OSN and Abu Dhabi Police join forces to fight piracy
04 October 2020
According to OSN, piracy is costing the MENA region’s entertainment industry up to $750 million every year, a number which increased due to Covid-19 lockdowns and the changing consumer habits related to it. This year, OSN has noticed a significant rise in the downloads of pirate applications that are being used to view its exclusive content and channels illegally.
We Are A Content Catalogue, Supplier And Platforms Rolled In One - Says Multichoice Content Chief
04 October 2020
Aletta Alberts, often referred to as the queen of content at Multichoice has said that in her own opinion, the satellite TV behemoth serves as a content catalogue, supplier and platform all rolled into one.
MBC TO AIR NEW ARABIC REALITY TV SHOW IN MENA
04 October 2020
The first season of the Arabic edition of ‘The Voice Senior’ will premiere on MBC1 channel starting the month of October.
Europa+ launches in LATAM combining content from across continent
04 October 2020
US-based media company Castalia Communications and Mexican investment fund Innokap have announced the launch of a new OTT service Europa+.
Virgin Media Ireland launches new Virgin TV 360 connected platform
04 October 2020
Virgin Media Ireland has launched a new TV platform, Virgin TV 360, which it describes as a new connected entertainment platform delivering Virgin Media’s most advanced and innovative TV service yet.
Cairo International Film Festival to kick off on December 2
04 October 2020
Cairo International Film Festival has set new dates for the 42nd Edition, to be held from December 2-10 to ensure a safer and more successful festival
African SVOD market to grow by five times by 2025
04 October 2020
Africa will see significant growth in SVOD as the nascent market continues to mature to a total of 12.96 million subscriptions by 2025.
INTER MEDYA’S TITLES SWEEP THE AWARD CEREMONY!
04 October 2020
THE AMBASSADOR’S DAUGHTER, the successful Turkish drama distributed worldwide by Inter Medya, was awarded in 5 different categories
Egypt’s Synergy Films releases teaser poster for “ El Sandok el Eswed” film
04 October 2020
Synergy Films,Misr International Films and New Century Production released official Teaser Poster for “ El Sandok el Eswed” (The Black Box) movie.
Egypt's 'El Feel el Azra’a’ part 2 to open Aarhus Arab Film Festival
03 October 2020
The Egyptian Film “El Feel el Azra’a” part 2 ( The Blue Elephant) part 2 openned Aarhus Arab Film Festival which was kicked off on Friday, October 2.
NIPPON TV ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC GLOBAL GROWTH PLAN FOR ITS IBD DIVISION AND PROMOTES TWO EXECUTIVES AS PART OF THE PLAN
01 October 2020
Currently ranked as the #1 commercial TV broadcaster in Japan and having had significant global success since launching its International Business Division (IBD) in 2014, Nippon TV announced today that IBD is rolling out a comprehensive new global growth plan which includes strategic creative collaborations
STARZPLAY Brings The Hotly Anticipated New Season Of Fargo Starring Chris Rock, Exclusively For MENA Subscribers
28 September 2020
STARZPLAY, the leading subscription video on demand (SVOD) service in the MENA region, is bringing the long-awaited new season of the award-winning limited series, exclusively for MENA subscribers.
Ghana’s Crystal TV signs distribution agreement with Al Jazeera Media Network
28 September 2020
Crystal TV, Ghana's first private television network, today commenced the broadcast of Al Jazeera English News Channel on its Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform
Nippon TV and The Story Lab unveil new gameshow format "9 Windows" at MIPCOM 2020
28 September 2020
“9 Windows” is the first entertainment format to be launched by the partnership between Japan’s Nippon TV and global production and distribution studio, The Story Lab
Egyptian comedian Khalid Mansour selected to be the iconic voice for OSN Original production ‘Yalla Neta’asha’
27 September 2020
The reality TV show will see Arab amateur cooks compete over who can host the best dinner party, anonymously giving each other marks out of ten for a cash prize
German Historical-Drama ‘Barbarians’ Coming to Netflix in October 2020
27 September 2020
Historical dramas can often lead to some of the finest cinematic moments in film and television. Leading the charge this Fall is the German Original series Barbarians