Top streaming services that are not Netflix or Prime
Owner: Lionsgate.
Launched: 2018.
Headquarters: Dubai, UAE.
Head: Maaz Sheikh, CEO, STARZPLAY.
Subscription: AED 40 or SAR 40 per month.
Among the newer streaming platforms in the region is STARZPLAY, catering to 20 countries across MENA and Pakistan. The company secured $125 million in equity funding through STARZ, a Lionsgate company, State Street Global Advisors and technology investment firms SEQ Capital Partners and Delta Partners.
At the beginning of the year, STARZPLAY partnered with Discovery to launch discovery+ in the region as a channel on its streaming platform. In April, it launched a new add-on partnership with BluTV, Turkey’s first and largest local subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, which is globally available for all Turkish- and Arabic-speaking audiences.
It also partnered with Virgin Mobile in Ƶ to further strengthen its presence in the Kingdom. The platform has long-term licensing partnerships with leading global studios including Warner Bros, CBS, Showtime, Sony, Universal, MGM, and Fremantle.
Popular original content: “Baghdad Central”, “Kingdoms of Fire”, “Karachi Division”