We are all used to watching what we want anytime, anywhere. It’s okay to spend all weekend on “Game of Thrones “or “Hosue of Cards.” Now, with the upcoming Apple TV +, more content will soon be available for viewers in the Middle East. Apple’s recently released product is one of the most anticipated things, and it announced that the technology giant’s streaming service would begin on November 1. AppleTV + will enter the competitive Arab market. Netflix has long dominated, but regional streaming services such as Wavo, Starz Play, and icflix are also welcome. Questions remain about whether Apple’s streaming service has room. Matthew Reed, an analyst at Ovum in charge of the telecommunications and media industry in the Middle East, believes that developing Arabic content is critical to the company’s success in the region.
Although AppleTV + is
a late entrant in this category, its goal is to challenge its own original
content and to back some famous players in the entertainment industry to
challenge well-known players including celebrities Jennifer Aniston, Reese
Witherspoon, Steve Carell, Jason Momoa, and Oprah Winfrey, plus director Steven
Spielberg. Technology leaders are continuing to diversify their reliance on
flagship iPhones. In this week’s fourth-quarter financial results, Apple
continued to succeed in other categories, the most notable of which were
accessories and services.
According to Reed, as of the end of 2018, Netflix had 3.3 million subscribers in the Middle East and North Africa, while Starz Play Arab had more than 1 million subscribers, and icflix had 400,000 subscribers. This contradicts Starz Play’s claim earlier this year that it has a larger market share, with the company’s market share falling by 23.97% compared to Netflix’s market share of 18.39%.
Traditional television habits in the area remain strong. According to Reid, recent estimates indicate that 97% of households in the Middle East and North Africa are TV households, and he does not expect that number to drop anytime soon. The TV market in the entire region is still dominated by free TV services. By the end of last year, only 11% of TV households in the region had subscribed to pay-TV services, and Reed believes that number will decline further as competition from online streaming services intensifies. Shahid, run by Saudi Arabia-controlled MBC Group, is one of the first countries to introduce streaming media to the region. Its programs are produced in Arabic, dubbed and subtitled. MBC is betting that as the industry changes, its strong foothold in the region and its brand name as Arab Entertainment will help it.
It also depends on taste. Football fans may be excited to watch live European games every month on beIN Sports Connect. Those who want to watch top U.S. shows, such as Mrs. Marvelous Maisel, can subscribe to Amazon Prime Video after launching in the UAE earlier this year. Whether the Apple TV +, which was being launched in 100 countries from November 1, will become a strong competitor in this TV-loving region, remains to be seen. Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jason Momoa, and Oprah Winfrey are all-new global players, the star of the streaming service, which costs AED 19.99 per month, while Netflix subscription prices range from AED 29 (one screen) to AED 56 (four screens). Most series were premiere on November 1, will be divided into three episodes, and new episodes will be released every week. Other shows will be available immediately throughout the season. These include the Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, the brutal news business after #MeToo, and Hala ‘S drama about high school students struggling between Muslim and suburban teen status.