- The partnership will see both platforms becoming a mirror of one another – with the addition of all WATCH IT content to the STARZPLAY platform and vice versa
- STARZPLAY will offer the WATCH IT catalogue at no extra cost to subscribers
- The multi-year deal will see collaboration on content offering, co-production of original programming & promotion
Dubai, UAE, February 1, 2023: STARZPLAY, ranked consistently among the region’s top three subscription video on demand services, today announced its multi-year partnership with WATCH IT, one of the leading VOD platforms in the region, to bring the biggest Arab talent and their most recent works to STARZPLAY and evision audiences, and likewise the biggest Hollywood productions to WATCH IT subscribers at no extra cost.
From movies and series to daily talk shows, STARZPLAY subscribers will now have access to WATCH IT’s entire content library including recent and exclusive Arabic content, with more than 12,000 episodes and over 200 Arabic films added to the library. And in good news for WATCH IT subscribers, they will also have access to the STARZPLAY entertainment catalogue including first-run Hollywood shows and movie premieres as well as popular anime productions.
Nashwa Gad El Hak, Chairwoman and Managing Director, WATCH IT, said: “Partnering with STARZPLAY is a tremendous opportunity for WATCH IT to deliver its content to a wider audience through STARZPLAY’s market penetration in the region. It also means that WATCH IT subscribers now can access STARZPLAY content, bringing greater variety to them. We look forward to expanding our audience within the MENA region, offering them a host of quality Arabic content.”
Maaz Sheikh, CEO and Co-Founder, STARZPLAY, said: “We want to make it easy for our audience to find all their favourite content from Hollywood to Arabic under one subscription, without the need to download & pay for multiple apps & services. We are thrilled to partner with WATCH IT to offer our fans exceptional Arabic titles. WATCH IT has seen huge success and growth in Egypt, and we are committed to expanding in the region and adding value to the overall MENA streaming industry. The addition of WATCH IT’s unparalleled Arabic content complements our existing offering of premium Western first-run series, movie premieres, same time as US and Japan series, live sports and anime to meet the entertainment needs of our audience.”
WATCH IT titles will be made available on STARZPLAY starting February 2023. The partnership highlights both ’parties’ commitment to the Arab consumer, responding to the feedback from their subscribers and ongoing expansion plans. The partnership between STARZPLAY and WATCH IT also entails a collaboration on original Arabic productions between the two entities.
With a constantly growing content library of more than 55,000 hours of content, WATCH IT is available worldwide with users in more than 180 countries offering access to the largest Arabic catalogue available online.
All WATCH IT content will also be available to STARZPLAY’s majority stakeholder, e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group), and its business verticals and customers in its operating markets across 16 countries.
STARZPLAY offers thousands of hours of premium content including the best Western content, Arabic shows, Turkish favourites, anime, and live sports, and is available in 19 countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan for fans to enjoy quality content anytime, anywhere, and from any device.
About WATCH IT
WATCH IT platform was established in 2019 to protect the intellectual property of Egyptian and Arabic drama, and cinematic content and to create the most extensive library of films, series, plays, and TV programs for Arab viewers in all countries around the world.
WATCH IT has played a significant role since its establishment in enriching its library by providing catchy content from movies, TV Shows &programs, as well as plays, which led to attracting millions of users globally with its high-end content.
At the end of 2021, WATCH IT began expanding in producing original content with the expansion of the process of acquiring various Arab and non-Arab content.
WATCH IT aims to provide specially selected content suitable for all family members worldwide, as the platform is keen to provide diverse and different content that satisfies all tastes and categories with a commitment to preserve Egyptian and Arab identity.
Social Tags: @watchit Instagram, @watchitmena Facebook, @watchitmena Twitter
About STARZPLAY
Ranked consistently among the region’s top 3 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 series – 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 & exclusive coverage of Italy’s premier football league, 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 2.1 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. Social Tags: @starzplayarabia Instagram, @starzplay Facebook, @STARZPlayArabia Twitter
Social Tags: @starzplayarabia Instagram, @starzplay Facebook, @STARZPlayArabia Twitter