• Abu Dhabi to host six-episode reality TV show to find a future star for Italy’s top professional football league, Lega Serie A
  • STARZPLAY’s The Italian Dream provides an incredible opportunity for the best young football talent across MENA
  • Hunt for young footballing talent will help boost the UAE’s vibrant sports culture in line with PureHealth’s efforts to champion healthy lifestyles and empower communities
  • The competition will scour the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt for young footballing talent, following aspiring pros through trials and eliminations, until one player wins their “Italian Dream”

Abu Dhabi, UAE: Three Abu Dhabi-based organizations have partnered with Lega Serie A, Italy’s premier professional football league, to find the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s next football star and give them a chance to play on one of the world’s greatest sporting stages. 

STARZPLAY, one of the region’s leading subscription video-on-demand services, PureHealth, the largest healthcare platform in the Middle East, and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the Academy Award-winning media and entertainment studio, have partnered with Lega Serie A to launch an original show, The Italian Dream. The show will help boost the UAE’s vibrant sports culture in line with PureHealth’s vision to promote longevity by encouraging a healthier, active lifestyle through the support of sporting activities.

Offering the opportunity of a lifetime, this reality TV show gives the best young footballers in the MENA region the chance to showcase their talent and make their dreams come true. Over six episodes, The Italian Dream is filmed in the host emirate of Abu Dhabi, with Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Egypt also participating. Honing their skills alongside world-class players, the sport’s protégés will have the chance to play in one of world football’s biggest leagues.

At a special launch for the show in Abu Dhabi which was attended by senior officials, HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi; Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of Etisalat, UAE; Farhan Malik, Group CEO of PureHealth; Shaista Asif, Group COO of PureHealth; Maaz Sheikh, CEO of STARZPLAY; Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to the UAE; Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Lega Serie A; Francesco Totti, the renowned former AS Roma football player and Lega Serie A ambassador and other senior representatives from PureHealth, STARZPLAY, Lega Serie A, and Image Nation Abu Dhabi.

Footballing legends from Lega Serie A will participate in the show as mentors and guides for the competitors. The show will not only spotlight the participants' exceptional football skills but also offer insights into their families, their aspirations, the importance of healthy living for sport led by what Lega Serie A symbolizes for them.

Maaz Sheikh, CEO, STARZPLAY, said: “The launch of The Italian Dream is a testament to STARZPLAY’s commitment to diversify its content range to meet its audience’s preferences, and its continued drive to produce the highest standard of Arabic content and showcase local talent. By examining audience viewing patterns and viewership data, we recognized that sports play a crucial role in attracting viewers across the Middle East and North Africa, with football standing out as the sport of choice in a nation driven by the vision of its leaders towards healthy and happy living. It was from this analysis that the concept for The Italian Dream was born.”

Shaista Asif, Group Chief Operating Officer of PureHealth, said: “We are proud to support The Italian Dream TV show – a strategic collaboration that propels young football talent in the MENA region towards unprecedented opportunities. By empowering these aspiring athletes, we are not only shaping their futures but also fuelling the region’s sporting excellence.”

She added: “Our participation in The Italian Dream reflects our deep commitment to empowering communities and ensuring their health, happiness, and overall well-being. By providing a platform for aspiring football talent in the MENA region, we contribute to the UAE’s efforts to nurture youth potential and foster a vibrant sports culture. At PureHealth, our vision extends beyond healthcare, as we believe in empowering individuals to lead longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Through this strategic collaboration, we are supporting a journey where health, sports, and community empowerment converge to create a brighter future for generations to come.”

Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Lega Serie A, said: “The Italian Dream exemplifies Lega Serie A's commitment to investing in grassroots talent in the MENA region by providing opportunities for local emerging players to grow, learn, and showcase their abilities on one of the world's most renowned and storied football leagues – Lega Serie A. This project cements Lega Serie A's partnership with STARZPLAY, introducing a new dimension to the collaboration with an engaging content platform combining sports and entertainment for regional audiences.”  

Commenting on the production, Ben Ross, Acting CEO of Image Nation said: “Image Nation constantly looks for diverse new projects that uncover inspirational stories from the UAE and the region. We are excited to embark on this unique show which will not only give a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talented young footballers but will provide audiences with the chance to experience the emotional personal journeys of the lucky participants.”

STARZPLAY is the home of Italian football in the MENA region with the rights to stream every match from the Lega Serie A live and exclusively. With thousands of hours of premium content including the best Western content, Arabic shows, Turkish favorites, anime, and live sports, STARZPLAY is fast solidifying its position as a leading multi-faceted entertainment hub. The service is available in 19 countries across the MENA for fans to enjoy quality content anytime, anywhere, and from any device. 

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About STARZPLAY

Ranked consistently among the region’s top three subscription video-on-demand services, STARZPLAY Arabia (www.starzplay.com) streams an extensive bouquet of premium content covering Hollywood movies, TV shows, documentaries, the same-time-as-the-US show – plus live sports, dedicated kids’ entertainment and Arabic content – to 19 countries across the Middle East and North Africa.

STARZPLAY has thousands of premium titles including exclusive STARZPLAY Arabia original content such as Baghdad Central, Say Yes to the Dress Arabia, STARZ Original content such as Power, Outlander, Spartacus and The White Queen as well as discovery+ content. STARZPLAY Sports, STARZPLAY’s dedicated sports package, brings subscribers live & and exclusive coverage of Italy’s premier football league, Lega Serie A and major international and regional sports leagues and events across football, wrestling, cricket, UFC, boxing, basketball, cycling and more.

STARZPLAY Arabia has secured tie-ups with a host of leading, global studios including MGM, 20th Century Studios, Warner Bros, Universal, Discovery and Fox International Channels. Until 2022, STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) was the lead investor along with media and technology investment firms including SEQ Investors and Delta Partners. In early 2021, STARZPLAY Arabia secured its first independent financing in the region of US$25 million (approx. AED 92 million) from Abu Dhabi based Ruya Partners. In March 2022, E-Vision, from e& and ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, acquired a majority equity stake of circa 57% in the company.  

Reaching over to 2.9 million subscribers, STARZPLAY Arabia allows subscribers to watch its full HD and 4K content via most internet-enabled devices, smart TVs and game consoles, and is widely available on regional IPTV services. Its iOS and Android apps – installed on more than three million devices – also allow downloads for offline playback. 

About PureHealth

By advancing the science of longevity, PureHealth is introducing the healthcare of the future from the United Arab Emirates to the rest of the world. PureHealth is the UAE's largest integrated healthcare platform, with an ecosystem that challenges lifespans and reimagines health spans. With 25+ hospitals, 100+ clinics, multiple diagnostic centers, insurance solutions, pharmacies, health tech, procurement, investments, and more. With groundbreaking innovations at the forefront of healthcare, the company is on a mission to unlock time for humankind.

Pure Health’s network of healthcare facilities across Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates comprises: 

  • SEHA – Abu Dhabi Health Services Company – One of the largest healthcare networks of hospitals and clinics in the UAE
  • Daman – The National Health Insurance Company, the UAE’s leading health insurer
  • The Medical Office – Overseeing Sheikh Khalifa Hospitals and healthcare facilities established under the initiatives of H.H. The President of the UAE
  • Rafed – The UAE’s largest healthcare Group Purchasing Organization
  • PureLab – Managing and operating the largest network of laboratories in the region
  • Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center – Specialist healthcare centre focused on cell therapy and regenerative medicine
  • One Health – Sales, service support, and engineering network that provides end-to-end medical solutions to a base of over 300 healthcare service providers
  • The Life Corner – Abu Dhabi’s first holistic pharmacy, serving the health and wellness establishment

To learn more, please visit www.purehealth.ae

About Serie A

Serie A is Italy's premier professional football league, home to some of the world's most renowned and storied football clubs including Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma, Napoli and Lazio. Since its inception, the league has been a cornerstone of Italian culture and sportsmanship, captivating millions of fans worldwide with its unique brand of exceptional football.

About Image Nation Abu Dhabi

Image Nation Abu Dhabi is an award-winning film and entertainment company which has built its reputation on breaking boundaries and unleashing imagination. It creates films, TV show, documentaries, and entertainment for consumers throughout the world and is the first UAE company to have multiple productions stream globally on Netflix. Its success spans the globe, screening content at over 400 international film festivals and receiving the industry’s highest honors, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, and an Emmy.

Image Nation has a strong track record of producing high-quality productions through a combination of local talent and international expertise. The company encourages original thought and curiosity while providing a platform for inspiration and practical training through its robust development program, Arab Film Studio.

Its mission is to help build the film and entertainment industry across the GCC and MENA regions, a pioneering ambition in line with Abu Dhabi’s vision to shape a competitive, sustainable, and globally open economy. Image Nation enables all those who engage with it to become guardians of culture and ambassadors of change.

Image Nation Abu Dhabi is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a diverse portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil economy.