Streaming In MENA Is Heating Up
February 18 was my birthday, but also a big day for streaming media in the MENA region.
The sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, PIF, invested a reported $1 billion into DAZN through its sports arm SURJ, and launched a joint venture called DAZN MENA.
Just a few weeks later, another major deal was announced: Warner Bros Discovery will pay $57 million for about a third of OSN Streaming, a subsidiary of OSN Group.
Two big deals. Two different directions. One is a regional investor backing a global platform. The other is a Hollywood studio partnering with a local streamer.
And these are not isolated events. MENA has seen a lot of streaming deals over the past few years. Here’s a quick recap:
2022: UAE’s e& (formerly Etisalat Group) and Abu Dhabi’s investment company ADQ acquired 57% of the streaming startup STARZPLAY Arabia, valuing the platform at $420 million.
2023: OSN+ merged with the music streaming platform Anghami. OSN Group invested $50 million and took a majority stake, combining 120 million users and 2.5+ million subscribers.
January 2024: The region’s biggest media company, MBC Group, went public, raising $222 million in its IPO and reaching a $2.2 billion valuation.
March 2024: MBC Group quietly acquired a 13.7% stake in Anghami.
February 2025: PIF and DAZN launched DAZN MENA, a joint venture aimed at transforming sports streaming in the region.
March 2025: Warner Bros Discovery announced a strategic minority investment in OSN Streaming for $57 million.
Until now, most of these deals stayed regional: local investors backing local platforms. But with PIF betting on DAZN and Warner Bros Discovery investing in OSN, the game is clearly going global.
Why It Matters
Let’s be honest: most streaming platforms in MENA are not profitable yet. And since many of them are private companies, getting a transparent view of their financial performance is difficult. But even among the few that are public, the story doesn’t change much, they’re still operating at a loss.
To me, that is not a red flag. It’s just a reflection of where the market is. The MENA region is not a mature streaming market like the U.S. or Europe. And one of the main differences is the streaming penetration: fewer people in MENA subscribe to streaming services compared to Western markets.
Yet, more than 100 local and international platforms have launched across the region. So why do they keep coming?
Because the potential is massive. And that is exactly what connects the recent moves by DAZN and Warner Bros Discovery. These are not short-term plays for quick wins, they are strategic, long-term investments in a region with a young, growing, and increasingly connected audience.
But here is the important part: capital alone won’t guarantee success. Yes, some global giants have already entered the region. And yet, many of them made the same mistake.
They assumed launching their platform, placing a few billboards in Dubai or Riyadh, and relying on their brand would be enough. It wasn’t, because succeeding in MENA requires a more localized strategy.
Here is what that looks like:
A UI/UX available in Arabic, English, and French
High-quality dubbing and subtitles in Arabic across key content
Telecom partnerships to limit low credit card usage and improve payment accessibility
On-the-ground marketing, creator-driven campaigns, and localized storytelling, not just global messaging repackaged for the region
That’s just the beginning. To really win, platforms need to license local content, co-produce with regional talent, and build narratives that resonate with local cultures and identities.
Even if the local platforms aren’t global giants (yet), they are competing head-to-head with Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. I call them local success stories for a reason: they have built trusted brands, formed smart distribution partnerships, and crafted content strategies for their audiences. They mix paid and free models, adjust pricing by country, and evolve fast.
That’s why the recent moves by DAZN and Warner Bros Discovery matter so much.
Neither chose to enter MENA alone. Neither assumed their global reputation was enough. Instead, they partnered with local platforms and recognized that in this region, success depends on local knowledge, relevance, and relationships.
What You Need To Do About It
If you are a global streaming player not yet active in MENA, chances are the region is already on your radar. And if it is not, it should be. With services like Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, and more recently Samsung TV Plus already operating across the region, the question is no longer if international platforms are entering MENA, it’s who’s next.
Now is the right moment to start preparing. That means going beyond market research decks: read insights from local experts, have conversations with people who understand the region, and most importantly, define a plan that should not be about a generic “expansion.”
If your platform is already available in MENA, perhaps it is time to rethink your approach to localization. And by localization, I don’t mean just translating your UI or repurposing global content. I mean a more complete strategy, like creating content from the region for the region, with the potential to travel far beyond it.
If you’re a content provider, no one expects you to commit at the level of Warner Bros Discovery. But it’s reasonable to expect that you take the time to understand the dynamics of the region and define what are the best platforms to distribute your IP.
And to find this answer, consider coming to the region in person. One of the best opportunities to do so will be at DICM (Dubai International Content Market), taking place November 4–5, 2025.
If you’re a technology provider, it’s no longer enough to approach MENA with a one-size-fits-all solution. What will set you apart is understanding where the market stands, what local players need, and how your product can support real growth.
CABSAT, running from May 13–15, 2025 in Dubai, is a great entry point if you’re ready to explore those opportunities.
If you want to follow the evolution of the MENA streaming landscape, you can subscribe to The Streaming Lab newsletter, or reach out to me directly on LinkedIn.
A special thanks to Alan and the TVREV team for inviting me to contribute to the newly launched Marconi. I see this as a real opportunity to bring visibility to what’s happening in the MENA streaming ecosystem.
And there’s more to come ;)
