Dubai, UAE: Ramadan entertainment continues to be in high demand and has driven growth in viewership during the Holy Month,  according to a recent viewership analysis by STARZPLAY, one of the region’s top 3 subscription video on demand services.

The platform witnessed a remarkable increase in viewership across the GCC markets with nearly a 70% increase in unique users compared to Ramadan 2022. UAE witnessed the maximum increase in viewership, a 62% increase in unique users in 2023 vis-à-vis Ramadan in 2022 while the rest of the GCC recorded nearly a 60% increase in unique users.

Over the years, in the Middle East and North Africa (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, STARZPLAY added: “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 STARZPLAY has witnessed a significant increase in streaming during the Holy Month and this year was no different. Our platform recorded nearly a 70% 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 witnessed over a 50% increase in new sign-ups compared to Ramadan 2022, which is a testament of the platform’s compelling content roster to meet the demand for streaming in the region. The young consumers are driving subscription growth and STARZPLAY has been at the helm to deliver diverse, as well as quality, content to its audiences, with a strong focus on producing Arabic original content.

With thousands of hours of premium content including blockbuster movies, exclusive TV shows, kids’ content, Arabic series, as well as varied content via add-on channels, STARZPLAY is the number one player in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The service is available in 19 countries across the MENA for fans to enjoy quality content anytime, anywhere, and from any device.

About STARZPLAY 

Ranked consistently among the region’s top 3 subscription video on demand services, STARZPLAY Arabia (www.starzplay.com) streams an extensive variety of premium content covering Hollywood movies, TV shows, documentaries and same-time-as-the-US series – plus live sports, dedicated kids’ entertainment and Arabic content – to 19 countries across MENA and Pakistan. 

STARZPLAY has thousands of prime titles including exclusive STARZPLAY Arabia original content such as Kaboos, Say Yes to the Dress Arabia, Baghdad Central, STARZ Original content such as Power, Outlander, Spartacus and The White Queen as well as a range of content with add-ons such as AD Sports, Premier Sports (Rugby), NBA League Pass and STARZPLAY Sports, the dedicated sports package covering football (Italian Serie A and Dutch Eredivisie leagues), wrestling (All Elite Wrestling), cricket, UFC Arabia, boxing, basketball and more.

STARZPLAY Arabia has secured tie ups with a host of leading, global studios, including Lionsgate, MGM, Warner Bros, Universal, Discovery and Sony Studios along with regional producers such as UMS, Eagle Films and Falcon. 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 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 2.5 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 over three million devices – also allow downloads for offline playback.

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