YouTube’s return to MIPCOM got me thinking about what broadcasters in MENA are doing on the platform.

Last year, they celebrated their 20th anniversary. This edition, they came back with a bigger programme about getting content watched and earning revenue.

And what’s better than broadcasters sharing their success stories?

RTL Deutschland said around 200 older episodes of Cobra 11 generated 30 million YouTube views in a year. An old television series was still giving people a reason to watch.

The BBC is also making programmes with YouTube viewers in mind. They announced CBeebies House: Time to Play, developed for a YouTube audience and also available on iPlayer.

What I like about these examples is that they give YouTube a place in the viewing experience itself. Someone can discover a show there and stay to watch it.

So, what is happening in MENA?

I mapped 61 YouTube channels coming from 8 broadcaster: MBC, Rotana, United Media Services, Dubai Media, Abu Dhabi Media, Saudi Broadcasting Authority, Roya Media Group and 2M.

Behind the big numbers, I want to answer a simple question: What does the broadcaster want to achieve with each YouTube channel?

Many of these channels have been here for years

The first thing I checked is when the channels launched. And we can clearly say that YouTube distribution strategy is not something new in the region.

49 of the 61 YouTube channels were created before 2016.

And the channel MBC GROUP goes back to November 2005, 9 month after the launch of… YouTube 🤪

See for yourself:

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Hey streamers 👋

I’ve picked eight stories for this edition, starting with Orange and ReelShort, Netflix’s World Cup deal and RTL’s results on YouTube.

Here’s your five-minute roundup, with a few thoughts on what these moves could mean for streaming in MENA.

Enjoy the read!

📱 MICRODRAMA: Orange is bringing ReelShort to Max it, with launches planned across 17 African and Middle Eastern markets. The deal includes dedicated data packages. More in The Lab’s Pick.

⚽ SPORTS: Netflix has bought the 2030 men’s World Cup rights for Spain and Andorra. Spain will co-host the tournament, and key games will also be available on free TV there. More in my Analysis section.

📺 YOUTUBE: RTL put older episodes of Cobra 11 on YouTube and directed viewers to RTL+ for newer ones. Each platform has a clear role, and viewers have a reason to move from one to the other. More in my Analysis section.

💳 DISTRIBUTION: Dubai-based Narativ Media put together a deal to bring FlareFlow to Digicel customers in 25 Caribbean, Central and South American markets. Prepaid customers will be able to use their mobile balance, and postpaid customers can add it to their bill.

🇰🇷 MENA: TVING is getting a dedicated home on MBC Shahid, through CJ ENM’s expanded partnership with MBC Group. Selected titles will have Arabic dubbing or subtitles. For Korean-drama fans, this could make it easier to find what to watch next. For TVING, it’s a way into MENA through a platform people already know.

🧭 INDUSTRY: Guy Bisson’s MIPCOM reflection questions the rush for every platform to offer every format. Long-form services want microdramas, social platforms want longer shows.

📦 BUNDLES: CANAL+ can sell you Netflix and remain the company you pay. Its French CINÉ SÉRIES promotion brings together CANAL+, Apple TV, HBO Max, Netflix with ads, Paramount+ and CINÉ+ OCS for €24.99/month for 12 months, then €34.99, with a 24-month commitment.

🎬 BRANDED CONTENT: A beauty brand is helping Channel 4 make microdramas. The Guest List, created with Sol de Janeiro, launches on Channel 4’s social channels on 24 October. For producers, it’s another reason to talk to brands early, while there’s still room to build the story together.

Orange Makes Room for ReelShort

What happened?

Orange Afrique et Moyen-Orient and ReelShort are partnering to bring short vertical dramas to Orange’s Max it super app.

Key details:

• The agreement covers 17 countries across Africa and the Middle East.

• First launches are planned by the end of 2026.

• Access will be supported by dedicated data packages.

• Orange says more than 180 million mobile customers could gain access over time. Pricing and country-level offers are still to come.

Why it matters?

🎯 Orange already has a relationship with the people ReelShort wants to reach. It can put the shows in Max it and offer data packages around them. That could make trying microdramas easier. For Arabic producers, I’d keep an eye on which countries launch first and which languages are included. Those details will help us see where Arabic stories might fit.

Getting Football Fans to Stay on Netflix

👉 Netflix announced on 13 October that it will show all 104 matches of the 2030 World Cup in Spain and Andorra. Its plans include coverage for Spanish audiences, daily roundups and programmes before the tournament.

📍 Some of those matches will also be free to watch in Spain. The deal includes one free game per matchday and a package for a national free-to-air broadcaster covering every Spain match, both semi-finals and the final. The broadcaster hasn’t been announced yet.

💡 If someone subscribes for football, I’d want them to find something else they enjoy before the final. A series, a film for the family, a sports documentary. That gives the content and marketing teams something to plan well before kick-off. For MENA platforms buying sports rights, it’s a question worth asking early: how do you help a football subscriber become someone who uses the service during the rest of the year?

RTL Finds Another Audience for Its Older Shows

👉 At MIPCOM, RTL Deutschland CEO Stephan Schmitter described putting around 200 older Cobra 11 episodes on YouTube. They generated roughly 30 million views over 365 days, with newer episodes available on RTL+.

📍 Schmitter also reported around 26% more RTL+ subscriptions linked to this content. That figure is specific to Cobra 11; the report doesn’t give the baseline for the comparison. Older episodes earn ad revenue on YouTube, while newer ones give viewers a reason to subscribe to RTL+.

💡 I can see why this is relevant for Arabic catalogues. Older seasons could help people discover a series, with newer episodes waiting on the paid service. I’d test it with one title where the rights allow it, then check how many viewers go on to subscribe. That would help us understand what the YouTube views are worth to the wider business.

Dubai International Content Market takes place on 10–11 November 2026 at Madinat Jumeirah Arena, Dubai. Worth putting in the diary if you’re buying, selling or looking for content partners in the region.

Registration and details

The Diplomat Season 4 arrived on Netflix on 15 October. Keri Russell returns as Kate Wyler, the US ambassador to the UK, with more political trouble and complicated personal relationships.

Watch the trailer

The Truman Show (1998). Jim Carrey plays a man whose entire life is a television programme, without his knowledge. After a week of stories about reaching audiences and selling advertising, Peter Weir’s film seems an appropriate choice.

Watch the trailer

🧪 Fresh from The Lab:

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

🔝 Have you tried NETFLIX in MENA? The dashboard is open to everyone for now. Explore the TV rankings and let me know what you find.

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Last week, JioHotstar celebrated its launch in MENA by lighting up the Burj Khalifa. Viewers can now find a dedicated JioHotstar content corner inside STARZPLAY apps and website. Quite an introduction to the region!

This week, another international streaming brand announced a regional partnership: CJ ENM and MBC Group are bringing another TVING content corner to MBC Shahid and Korean programming on MBC4 channel.

I checked MBC Shahid yesterday, and the TVING corner is already available. Looking at what viewers can actually watch showed an interesting difference between the two offers.

That is what I want to check this week: what do these international brands expect from a regional partner, and what do STARZPLAY and MBC Shahid get in return?

Both deals build on existing content relationships. Hotstar content already reached MENA through regional distribution, including Disney Star’s agreement with evision/STARZPLAY. CJ ENM and MBC Shahid also worked together before announcing their branded hub.

The next step is giving those brands a local home, and helping viewers find a reason to come back.

Start with the audience, country by country

Before looking at the partnerships, I wanted to understand how successful Indian and Korean content already is in the region.

My NETFLIX in MENA dashboard gives us one way to check that. I looked at 40 weeks of data from 2026, covering 4,000 weekly TV Top 10 appearances across ten markets, to see how often South Korean and Indian titles appeared in the charts. 👇

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Hey streamers 👋

How do you reach more viewers? This week, STARZPLAY is adding a new partner, Canal+ is giving sports fans more to watch for free, and Disney is putting some of its titles on Netflix.

Three different approaches, with useful ideas for streaming in MENA.

Here are the eight stories I picked last week. Enjoy!

🇮🇳 PARTNERSHIPS: JioHotstar is entering MENA through STARZPLAY, with a dedicated destination inside its app and website. The offer brings Indian originals, films, TV shows and reality programmes to the regional platform. More in The Lab’s Pick.

⚽️SPORTS: Canal+ launched SPORT+ on October 9 in France. Available for free inside the Canal+ app, it includes highlights, short vertical videos, sports shows and selected live matches. More in my Analysis section.

🏰 LICENSING: Disney is bringing more films and series to Netflix. The agreement includes temporary windows for the five Ice Age films and the first two seasons of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. More in my Analysis section.

📊 MEASUREMENT: Prime Video will join post-campaign measurement in the UK’s Barb Ads Hub, using the CFlight methodology. Integration is expected in 2027, subject to completion. Advertisers will be able to assess its campaigns alongside linear TV and broadcaster VOD.

🎬 CONSOLIDATION: HBO Max and Paramount+ are set to become one streaming service, with no immediate changes to the apps, subscriptions or pricing.

👀 MARKETING: Disney+’s “Hu Dis?” campaign combines parts of the Hulu and Disney logos to remind viewers that Hulu shows are available on Disney+. The Canadian campaign tackles a simple problem: having the content is one thing. Making sure people know where to find it is another.

🚗 CREATORS: Ford’s La Caravana is coming to Creator TV on October 15. The three-part series follows the Ventura Twins on a road trip celebrating Latino culture. A brand, two creators and streaming TV distribution: an interesting example of how creator partnerships can become longer programmes.

📺 CONTENT: Merzigo’s US expansion puts older TV programmes back in the spotlight, thanks to a $200 million content investment commitment for 2027.

JioHostar expands to MENA with STARZPLAY

What happened?

👉 After launching in the UK, Canada and Singapore in September, JioHotstar is entering MENA through a dedicated section inside STARZPLAY.

Key details:

• New JioHotstar Originals will arrive alongside their release in India, with audio tracks in up to ten languages.

• The catalogue includes films, daily TV and reality shows, with a substantial Malayalam offer.

• Announced prices are AED34.99 per month for PLUS and AED49.99 for MAX. MAX combines JioHotstar entertainment with STARZPLAY’s sports portfolio.

Why it matters?

🎯 JioHotstar is mainstream in India. In MENA, I see a more focused offer for South Asian communities, which STARZPLAY already reaches. This partnership feels like a natural next step.

The catalogue is already visible in the UAE rankings: 5 of the Top 10 series and six of the Top 10 movies carried the JioHotstar badge when I checked the app this weekend. An early sign of audience interest.

The dedicated section also reminds me of STARZPLAY’s Abu Dhabi Media offer: different content brands inside one app, each giving a particular audience a reason to watch.

Canal+ gives sports fans a reason to open the app

👉 SPORT+ launched on October 9 in France. It is a free sports section inside the Canal+ app, open to subscribers and non-subscribers, with a free account needed for some programmes.

📍 Designed with mobile viewing in mind, it brings together highlights, short vertical videos and sports shows around nine competitions, including the Champions League, Premier League and Formula 1. The launch programme included yesterday’s Singapore Grand Prix. Access to the full competitions remains part of the paid offer.

💡 Could a dedicated free, ad-funded sports section work inside TOD by beIN or MBC Shahid? Could highlights, short videos and sports shows give people a reason to return between games, alongside the paid sports offer?

Disney titles are already in Netflix’s UAE Top 10

👉 Disney is giving Netflix three-month windows for the five Ice Age films and the first two seasons of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The titles remain on Disney’s own services, with the Netflix windows timed ahead of the next film and season.

📍 I was surprised when I opened Netflix in the UAE this weekend. I wasn’t expecting to see these Disney titles there, let alone in the daily Top 10. Percy Jackson and the Olympians was No. 4 among TV shows, while Ice Age was No. 6 and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown was No. 10 among movies.

💡 If Disney can use Netflix to reach more viewers, could local platforms play a similar role in MENA? That is the opportunity I would be watching. The UAE rankings are an encouraging start, though they don’t tell us whether viewers will follow the next release to Netflix or Disney+.

🇫🇷 MIPCOM Cannes starts today until October 15 at the Palais des Festivals. Content buying and selling, creators, AI and microdramas are all on the agenda.

I won’t be in Cannes this week, but I’ll be following closely the trends and insights shared by my friends and creators!

🎬 Toy Story 5 is now on Disney+. With the new app arriving in MENA, here’s another reason to test it. Directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris, Pixar’s latest adventure brings Woody, Buzz and Jessie face-to-face with a new rival: Lilypad, a tablet competing for Bonnie’s attention. Toys versus screens, a battle for playtime that will sound familiar to many parents.

🤠 In 1995, Toy Story introduced us to Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Woody is Andy’s favourite toy until a new space ranger arrives and takes the spotlight. When the two rivals get lost, they must put their differences aside to find their way home. Friendship, jealousy and the adventure that started it all, available on Disney+.

🧪 Fresh from The Lab:

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

🔝 Have you tried NETFLIX in MENA? The dashboard is open to everyone for now. Explore the TV rankings and let me know what you find.

Subscribe now

Today, I’m sharing something I’ve been working on for The Lab: NETFLIX in MENA.

A dashboard to explore which TV titles appear in Netflix’s Top 10 across the region, how the content mix changes and where Arabic shows find a place.

You can explore it through 3 sections:

• Weekly Top 10: Follow the rankings by country and week, or explore the combined MENA ranking.

• Content Insights: Compare production countries and genres across markets and months.

• Arabic Tracker: Follow identified Arabic titles and their chart history across the region.

The full dashboard is free and open to everyone for now. I wanted to give you a chance to explore it, share it and tell me what would make it more useful. Full dashboard access will later be reserved for premium members.

👉 Explore NETFLIX in MENA

For this edition of MENA Insights, I’ve also picked 5 findings from the data and added my own thoughts on what they mean for people working in streaming.

The 5 findings and my analysis below are reserved for premium members. You can access the dashboard now without a paid membership.

Thanks for supporting The Streaming Lab. Enjoy the read!

1. Three production countries account for 77.7% of appearances

The latest snapshot covers 40 weeks through October 4, 2026, with 4,000 chart appearances across 10 markets: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

One appearance means one title or season in one country’s Top 10 for one week. These figures measure chart presence, not audience size or viewing share.

Productions from 26 countries appear in the dataset. The US, South Korea and the UK account for 77.7% of appearances: 49.1%, 17.9% and 10.7%, respectively.

South Korea alone represents almost one appearance in five.

Go beyond the rankings. Become a premium member of The Streaming Lab to read my analysis of what these trends reveal about Netflix, Arabic content and the opportunities for streaming in MENA👇

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Hey streamers 👋

A new Disney+ experience in MENA, WWE arriving on Netflix in Japan, and Dubai+ reaching one million registered users.

Here’s your 5-minute roundup of streaming news and insights to start the week. Enjoy the read!

⚙️ TECH: Disney+ will launch its new app experience across the region on October 6. Announced in Riyadh, the update brings more personal recommendations, international travel access and improved parental controls. More in The Lab’s Pick.

🤼 SPORTS: Netflix became the streaming home of WWE in Japan on October 1, with weekly shows, major live events and archive programming. More in my Analysis section.

📊 BROADCASTER: Dubai+ has passed one million registered users. The service has introduced more than 10 original titles since launch, while selected programmes are also reaching passengers through Emirates’ ICE entertainment system. More in my Analysis section.

🏢 BUSINESS: David Ellison has revealed that the combined Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery group will be called Skydance, with the merger scheduled to close on October 6. The Paramount and Warner Bros. studio brands will remain for streaming.

📚 MEDIA: Alan Wolk has launched The Age of Feudal Media, a book exploring how shared mass culture has fragmented into communities with their own creators, references and sources of truth. He’s asking a useful question for streaming platforms: how do you reach new viewers when each audience lives in a different media world? Can’t wait to receive my copy!

🏆 AWARDS: The inaugural SHAIKE Film Festival in La Ciotat, France, has announced its winners, with Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi taking Best TV Series Pilot for Boussadia. The Grand Prix went to A Message for the Butterfly by Zuxin Hou and Mark Wachholz, with other awards recognising animation, documentaries, short films, advertising and music videos.

Disney+ updates how MENA viewers discover and watch content

What happened?

👉 At its September 29 event in Riyadh, Disney+ announced a new app experience for customers across the region. The rollout begins on the evening of October 6, with changes to content discovery, viewing while travelling and family controls.

Key details:

• More personal recommendations: Suggestions will adapt to individual viewing preferences over time.

• Viewing while travelling: Customers will be able to stream while visiting Europe, the United States and other supported destinations.

• More control for families: Enhanced parental controls and Junior Mode, known in Arabic as عالم الصغار, offer a dedicated space for younger viewers.

Why it matters?

🎯 A strong catalogue gives people choice, but recommendations help them find something they want to watch. Travel access removes frustration, and family controls help parents manage the experience. The real test comes after launch: a smooth transition, useful recommendations and viewers returning more often.

Netflix brings WWE’s weekly viewing habit to Japan

👉 Netflix’s WWE offer in Japan began on October 1. It includes Raw, SmackDown and NXT, major live events and archive content. Weekly live broadcasts begin on their respective schedules, with Japanese and English commentary.

📍 WWE gives fans an ongoing story to follow. Weekly shows build towards bigger events, while the archive provides something to explore between them.

💡 For me, the practical point is frequency. A big event can attract attention, but regular programming could help keep people watching afterwards. I would track how often WWE viewers return, whether they explore other Netflix titles and how their retention compares with other subscribers.

Dubai+ reaches one million registrations. What comes next?

👉 Dubai Media shared the milestone at its October 1 event for advertisers, agencies and partners. Dubai+ has passed one million registered users, giving the broadcaster a growing base of accounts for its streaming service.

📍 More than 10 originals have been introduced since launch, and selected programmes are available through Emirates’ ICE. That gives Emirati and Arab productions another opportunity to reach viewers.

💡 This is where I would look next: monthly active viewers, repeat visits and the titles that bring people back. Regular viewing tells us whether a service is becoming part of someone’s routine.

CABSAT opens today in Dubai, bringing together professionals across content, broadcasting and media technology. See you there?

📅 October 5–7, 2026
📍 Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai

I’m posting live here!

🏎️ Schumacher ’94 - The Birth of a Legend (Netflix): Michael Schumacher’s first World Championship win roars to life through personal interviews and archival footage of the legendary 1994 Formula 1 season.

🏎️ In 2019, Formula 1: Drive to Survive premiered on Netflix. The documentary series takes viewers behind the scenes of Formula 1, following drivers, team principals and the rivalries that shape each season. Beyond the racing, it reveals the pressure, ambition and difficult decisions inside the paddock. A different way to discover the sport, and the people behind the helmets.

🧪 Fresh from The Lab:

Thanks for reading, see you at CABSAT if you are in Dubai!

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I came back from Amsterdam with plenty of notes and a few ideas I wanted to spend more time on.

An older TV show finding new viewers on Netflix. Creators building media businesses. AI helping people find something to watch. And the work that goes into bringing live sports to our screens.

I shared some highlights on LinkedIn during IBC and Streaming Made Easy Live. For this newsletter, I wanted to go a little further.

I’ve brought together 11 sessions, the points that caught my attention and my own thoughts on what we can learn from them.

Reaching more viewers

1. Netflix × TF1: an old programme can be a new discovery

One app, two worlds: Inside the Netflix–TF1 partnership | Streaming Made Easy Live, September 10

Speakers: Emma Lloyd - VP of EMEA Partnerships, Netflix; Laurence Pera - Head of Strategic Partnerships & Distribution, TF1.

Moderator: Marion Ranchet - Founder, Streaming Made Easy.

My week started with Netflix and TF1, and a simple question: how can the same programme find a new audience?

One example caught my attention. Older TF1 programmes were finding viewers through Netflix’s recommendations. These shows had been available for years, but many people were discovering them for the first time.

The speakers also talked about the difference between people who watch traditional TV channels and those who mostly use streaming. Putting a programme on another service can help it reach people who rarely watch the original channel.

It also gives the programme another chance to be noticed. A title can be in a catalogue for years without the right viewer ever seeing it.

💡 My take

This is a good reminder that a programme’s age tells us very little about whether someone will enjoy it. For the person discovering it, it is new.

It also changes how I would look at a show with low viewing figures. Is there little interest in the programme, or have people simply not found it?

For TF1, the next question is what the partnership brings back to its business. Reaching people who would never have watched its channels adds a new audience. If existing viewers move to Netflix, the value depends more on the deal itself and what happens to viewing on TF1’s own services.

That is why who is watching matters as much as how much they watch. The same viewing figure can tell very different stories.

2. FAST: give people a reason to come back

Six Years of FAST: What building it from the inside has taught us | Streaming Made Easy Live, September 10

Speakers: Sidharth Jayant - Chief Product Officer, Rakuten TV Enterprise; Chris Gregory - Head of Content Development, Samsung TV Plus EMEA.

Moderator: Alan Wolk - Co-Founder and Lead Analyst, TVREV.

Read more

Hey streamers, Streaming in Short is back! 👋

A small change: from now on, this edition will land in your inbox every Monday. Five minutes to catch up on the streaming news and ideas that caught my attention in MENA and around the world.

Enjoy the read!

⚽ SPORTS: Smashi Sports has won Best Innovation in Sports at the Tech Innovation Awards 2026. Its own AI system creates highlights and thumbnails, then publishes them on Smart TV apps. The award was announced on September 18. More in The Lab’s Pick.

📱 MICRODRAMAS: YouTube is rolling out Shorts Series. Creators can group their short videos into seasons and episodes, making them easier to follow on mobile, web and TV. More in my Analysis section.

🇯🇵 STRATEGY: U-NEXT will start adding Universal+ in Japan from October, following an agreement announced in August. Its mix of Japanese content and international partnerships made me think about MBC Shahid in MENA. More in my Analysis section.

🤖 AI: BytePlus has introduced Dramagic, an AI production tool currently in beta. It helps teams move from a script to storyboards and video previews. As Wenwen Han pointed out, ByteDance now has tools for more parts of the short-drama business, from making content to reaching audiences and earning revenue. They are not all connected in one system yet.

📺 CREATORS: Samsung TV Plus is bringing more creator channels to TV. Happy Place, Golf Life and JOE Media are joining its UK offer through 208 Studios. Luke Nguyen’s World is also available in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

🎬 CONTENT: The Stories, directed by Abu Bakr Shawky, is Egypt’s official submission for the 2027 Oscars’ International Feature Film category. Shofha says it is one of its first two cinema co-productions. An interesting step for a MENA streaming platform getting involved in making films for the big screen.

📣 ADVERTISING: ChatGPT Ads are now available to advertisers in the Middle East. The ads appear separately from ChatGPT’s answers and don’t influence them. I had some fun creating a mockup of how OSN+ could promote Lanterns when someone is looking for something to watch. See my example here 👀

Smashi uses AI to turn live matches into highlights

What happened?

👉 Smashi Sports won Best Innovation in Sports at the Tech Innovation Awards 2026 for an AI system built by its own team.

Key details:

• The system picks out moments from live matches, creates highlights and thumbnails, then publishes them on Smart TV apps.

• Augustus Media says this happens within three hours of the final whistle, without human intervention.

• The company says it is expanding production across 40 leagues and nearly 4,000 matches in the 2026/27 season.

Why it matters?

🎯 The work doesn’t stop when the match ends. Fans still want highlights, and teams need time to create and publish them. Automating these tasks could help Smashi cover more matches with the resources it has. I’d be interested to see how much extra viewing these highlights bring after the live event.

YouTube brings short series to the big screen

👉 YouTube announced Shorts Series on September 23. Creators can organise their Shorts into seasons and episodes, add custom thumbnails and let viewers watch episodes in order. The feature is rolling out across web, mobile and TV.

📍 YouTube says microdramas passed 6.5 billion views across the platform in the first half of 2026. Watch time grew by more than 50% compared with a year earlier. On TV, microdrama views increased by more than 90%. We still don’t know how much of the total viewing comes from TV.

💡 What caught my attention is how YouTube is making short stories easier to watch as a series. For producers making microdramas, it could be worth testing how the same story performs on a phone and a TV. The first few seconds matter, but so does making viewers want to watch the next episode.

Why U-NEXT made me think of MBC Shahid

👉 Alexia Laroche-Joubert’s post about U-NEXT caught my attention. According to GEM Partners, the Japanese platform ranked second behind Netflix in 2025, based on estimated consumer spending on video subscriptions. It made me think about MBC Shahid in MENA.

📍 U-NEXT already offers HBO Max. Its agreement with NBCUniversal, announced in August, will add Universal+ from October in stages and create opportunities to bring Japanese content to other markets. In MENA, Shahid brings together Arabic originals, films, MBC channels and international content, with both free and paid viewing.

💡 For me, the connection is simple: knowing your audience helps you build a service they want to use. Local shows and familiar brands give people reasons to come back. Partnerships can add more choice and help reach new viewers. U-NEXT and Shahid work differently, but both show why local platforms deserve a closer look.

CABSAT 2026 is coming to Dubai next week, bringing together people working in broadcasting, streaming, production and content distribution. See you there?

📅 October 5–7 | 📍 Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai

Register for your free visitor pass.

🚣‍♂️ Widow’s Bay from Katie Dippold (Apple TV, 10 episodes): The mayor of a New England town resolves to turn it into the next tourist hot spot, despite local warnings that it’s cursed.

🏝️ In 2010, Shutter Island premiered in cinemas. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshal investigating a patient’s disappearance from a psychiatric hospital on a remote island. As he searches for answers, he begins to question everything around him. A dark psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the end.

🧪 Fresh from The Lab:

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

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We often talk about content as the key to streaming success.

And of course, content matters. But a platform can invest millions in movies, series or sports rights and still lose viewers because of one small spinning wheel.

If the experience is slow, the video keeps buffering or a football goal arrives after the notification, viewers will leave.

That’s where CDNs come in.

A content delivery network brings content closer to viewers by serving it from nearby infrastructure. Think of it like a network of ATMs: instead of everyone visiting the bank’s main branch, each person uses the closest machine.

For this new episode of Inside the Lab, I spoke with Samy Sahli, Sales Director for Key Accounts at EdgeNext, to better understand the invisible technology behind our everyday streaming experience.

We discussed why MENA is both a promising and challenging market for content delivery. The region has more than 100 active streaming platforms, strong demand for local content and major audience peaks around sports and Ramadan.

For Samy, localization is as important for streaming infrastructure as it is for content.

Here’s what we covered:

✅ What a CDN is and why it plays such an important role in streaming

✅ Why local infrastructure can reduce buffering, latency and playback start times

✅ How streaming platforms can prepare for major traffic peaks during Ramadan and live sports

✅ Why larger platforms should consider a multi-CDN strategy

✅ How flexible and pay-as-you-go models can make multi-CDN easier to adopt

✅ How EdgeNext supports one of the region’s largest Arabic streaming platforms

Samy also shared some interesting results from that partnership. According to EdgeNext, its work helped the platform reduce buffering by more than 20% and improve playback start time by over 18%.

My main takeaway? Great content can attract viewers, but a reliable streaming experience is what keeps them watching.

Watch our full discussion above, and let me know what you think!

You can connect with Samy Sahli on LinkedIn or contact him directly by email.

🧪 Fresh from The Lab:

Thanks for reading, enjoy your weekend!

🔝 Want to know which Arabic titles are winning on Netflix? Check my new Streaming in MENA: Netflix Top 10 Dashboard and let me know what you think.

⏱️ This week’s streaming news in MENA and around the world, in 5 min.

🏆 INSIGHTS: Ipsos in MENA and TOD by beIN have released The New Football Viewer, a joint report revealing how audiences adapted their viewing behaviour during the World Cup 2026. More in The Lab’s Pick.

📈 BUSINESS: MBC Shahid generated SAR 54.2 million in net profit in the first half of 2026, with revenue up 18.5% year on year, positioning the platform to achieve full-year profitability ahead of schedule. More in my Analysis section.

⚽ SPORTS: LFP Media has launched Ligue 1+ Pro, a new offer for bars, hotels, restaurants and other public venues, providing access to more than 600 Ligue 1 and Ligue 3 matches across 40 weekends. More in my Analysis section.

📺 STRATEGY: European broadcasters are accelerating consolidation to compete with Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, pursuing national mergers, pan-European expansion and streamer partnerships to gain scale while navigating regulatory limits and the risk of losing control over audiences and data.

📊 STREAMING: Ted Lasso Season 4 has delivered the biggest launch in Apple TV history, generating 296.6 million viewing minutes and an estimated 7.1 million views in the U.S. during its first two days.

🤖 AI: Former Luma AI executive Verena Puhm has launched Matriarch, a new production studio focused on AI-native and hybrid entertainment, combining original IP development with technology designed to measure audiences’ emotional responses and inform what content gets made.

⚽ SPORTS: Footballco and LALIGA have launched A Journey of Passion, a new documentary exploring LALIGA fandom across MENA, following three supporters from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Morocco as they travel to Spain to watch their favourite clubs.

Attending IBC2026? Join me and White Peaks Solutions for a live session on the role of data and insights in streaming media. We’ll cover exclusive case studies from MENA, including the streaming landscape, Ramadan viewing, the 2026 World Cup and more!

📅 September 13 | 🕓 4:00 PM | 📍 Booth 2.C41b

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New report reveals how MENA watched the World Cup 2026

What happened?

👉 Ipsos in MENA and TOD by beIN have released The New Football Viewer, a joint white paper exploring how audiences across Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and the UAE adapted their viewing behaviour during the World Cup 2026.

Key details:

• Live reach on TOD by beIN increased from 88% during the group stage to 98% during the knockout rounds.

• Knockout matches attracted 77% more unique viewers per fixture as audiences focused on the tournament’s biggest moments.

• Mobile phones and televisions reached 77% and 63% of the tournament audience respectively, highlighting how fans moved between screens.

• Arab-team fixtures generated 30% more unique viewers than comparable non-Arab matches during the group stage.

• TOD by beIN’s owned social channels generated 4.05 billion impressions, 3.07 billion video views and 81.7 million engagements.

Why it matters?

🎯 The report reveals a more intentional and flexible football viewer in MENA. Fans prioritised key matches and favourite teams, combined live viewing with highlights and replays, and stayed connected through social content.

📥 Just reply to this email to get access to the full report.

MBC Shahid reaches profitability ahead of schedule

👉 MBC Shahid generated SAR 54.2 million in net profit during the first half of 2026, up from SAR 2.7 million a year earlier. Revenue increased 18.5% year on year to SAR 825.5 million, positioning the platform to achieve full-year profitability in 2026, ahead of MBC Group’s previous guidance.

📍 Growth was driven by a 23.3% increase in subscription revenue, subscriber expansion across MENA and international markets, healthy retention and disciplined pricing. June was the platform’s strongest June on record for subscriber acquisitions, while its partnership with Ooredoo helped triple its subscriber base in Tunisia.

💡 MBC Shahid’s performance shows that regional streaming platforms can build a path to profitability by combining strong local content with disciplined monetisation, international expansion and strategic distribution partnerships. As the wider MBC Group faced weaker advertising demand, streaming became an increasingly important growth engine for the business.

Ligue 1+ expands into professional venues

👉 LFP Media has launched Ligue 1+ Pro, a new version of its streaming service designed for businesses and public venues, including bars, hotels, restaurants, healthcare facilities and senior residences.

📍 The service offers more than 600 matches across 40 weekends, including 100% of Ligue 1 McDonald’s and Ligue 3 Betclic fixtures, as well as the Trophée des Champions, Ligue 1 play-offs and end-of-season multiplexes.

💡 By expanding beyond individual subscriptions, LFP Media is creating a new B2B revenue stream while bringing French football into more shared viewing environments. Ligue 1+ Pro could help venues attract customers, increase engagement and turn live football into a stronger commercial opportunity.

🤬 I Swear: Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at 15, John Davidson navigates his way against the odds through troubled teenage years and into adulthood, finding inspiration in the kindness of others to discover his true purpose in life.

🏥 In 1975, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest premiered in cinemas. Directed by Miloš Forman, the film follows Randle McMurphy, a rebellious prisoner who is transferred to a psychiatric hospital and challenges the strict authority of Nurse Ratched. Blending drama, dark humour and a powerful defence of individual freedom, the film became a cinema classic and won all five major Academy Awards.

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⏱️ This week’s streaming news in MENA and around the world, in 5 min.

🪄 SOCIAL: Disney and TikTok have announced a global partnership that will bring fan-created TikTok videos featuring Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars content directly to Disney+, connecting social discovery with streaming. More in The Lab’s Pick.

📱 VERTICAL: ReelShort is expected to generate $1.05 billion in revenue and achieve its first meaningful profit in 2026, driven by lower marketing costs, successful franchises, telco partnerships and more direct payments. More in my Analysis section.

🤖 AI: Autodesk Flow Studio has launched new tools combining AI generation with 3D editing, giving filmmakers greater control over camera angles, characters and environments while reducing the need to repeatedly regenerate scenes. More in my Analysis section.

📱 VERTICAL: Digital Virgo has launched Hekaya Shorts, Morocco’s first platform dedicated to local short dramas, featuring vertical episodes in Darija, mobile-first viewing and 19 series representing more than 800 episodes.

🎬 CINEMA: Spider-Man: Brand New Day has delivered the biggest opening weekend in Middle East box office history, generating $18.4 million in four days, including $7.4 million in the UAE and $5.4 million in Saudi Arabia.

📺 FAST: Disney is exploring a free, ad-supported streaming offering to reach more price-sensitive audiences, expand its advertising inventory and attract new subscribers to Disney+.

⚽ SPORTS: Disney+ and DAZN will become the new home of LALIGA in France, with both platforms streaming all 380 matches per season under separate agreements running through 2028/29.

🎧 AUDIO: Spotify has become the first audio streaming service to reach 300 million premium subscribers, alongside 777 million monthly active users and a 14% increase in quarterly revenue.

Attending IBC2026? Join me and White Peaks Solutions for a live session on the role of data and insights in streaming media. We’ll cover exclusive case studies from MENA, including the streaming landscape, Ramadan viewing, the 2026 World Cup and more!

📅 September 13 | 🕓 4:00 PM | 📍 Booth 2.C41b

Reserve your spot now!

Disney+ brings TikTok creators into its streaming experience

What happened?

👉 Disney and TikTok have announced a global partnership that will bring fan-created short-form videos from TikTok directly to Disney+.

Key details:

• The initiative will launch as a pilot in the U.S. in the coming months before expanding to other markets.

• Participating TikTok creators will be able to use selected scenes and assets from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, FX and other Disney brands.

• Creators who opt in will have their videos featured across both TikTok and Disney+ vertical feeds.

• The content available on Disney+ will be regularly refreshed to encourage discovery, fan conversations and engagement.

• Disney and TikTok will also launch a Creator Ambassador Program offering selected creators greater visibility, exclusive event access and career development opportunities.

Why it matters?

🎯 By integrating fan-created TikTok content directly into its platform, Disney is turning creators into a new layer of content discovery and audience engagement. The partnership also shows how streaming platforms are increasingly adopting the formats, communities and behaviors that have made social video platforms successful.

ReelShort is becoming a billion-dollar microdrama business

👉 ReelShort is expected to generate $1.05 billion in revenue in 2026, up 34% year on year, and achieve its first meaningful profit at scale, according to Media Partners Asia. The platform is projected to record around $40 million in net profit, following a $12 million loss in 2025.

📍 Growth is being supported by lower user acquisition costs, successful franchises, telco partnerships and a shift toward direct payments through ReelShort’s web store. Subscriptions and consumer payments still account for most revenue, but advertising is expected to grow to around 15% by 2028. MPA forecasts ReelShort’s revenue will reach $1.7 billion by then.

💡 Microdramas are moving from a high-growth category to a profitable entertainment business. ReelShort’s performance shows that the next stage will depend less on producing more content and more on building strong franchises, reducing distribution costs and monetizing audiences more efficiently.

Autodesk brings 3D control to AI filmmaking

👉 Autodesk Flow Studio has launched 3D Editor + Canvas, a new set of tools that combines AI-powered image generation with 3D editing, giving filmmakers greater control over camera angles, depth, characters and environments.

📍 Instead of repeatedly generating scenes until they match a director’s vision, filmmakers can manipulate AI-created shots in 360 degrees, reposition characters and build environments around existing performances. The technology aims to bring advanced visual-effects capabilities, traditionally reserved for specialist teams, to studios and independent creators.

💡 Autodesk is addressing one of AI filmmaking’s biggest limitations: the lack of precise creative control. By combining generative AI with established 3D production tools, the company could make synthetic filmmaking more consistent, production-ready and easier to integrate into traditional film and television workflows.

✨ Star Wars: Visions - The Ninth Jedi (Disney+, 8 episodes): In the distant future, long after the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, when the Jedi have faded into legend, Lah Kara, the daughter of Lah Zhima, leaves her home alongside new Jedi allies to free her father from the clutches of Jedi Hunters. Kara’s father is the only known sabersmith in the galaxy, making the lightsaber – and Zhima himself – an invaluable asset.

🐻 In 1985, Star Wars: Ewoks premiered on television. Set on the forest moon of Endor, the animated series follows Wicket W. Warrick and his young Ewok friends as they protect their village from dangerous creatures, rival tribes and dark forces. Blending fantasy, adventure and family-friendly storytelling, Ewoks gave the beloved characters their first starring role beyond the films and became one of the earliest animated series set in the Star Wars universe.

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📱 VERTICAL: HBO Max has launched HBO Max Shorts, a new vertical video feed that uses AI to turn scenes from its existing library into personalized, scrollable clips designed to help users discover movies and series. More in The Lab’s Pick.

🧪 STRATEGY: Netflix is bringing back free trials in selected markets while expanding experiments with new content formats, partnerships and product features, including YouTube shows, live channels and cloud gaming. More in my Analysis section.

⚽ SPORTS: YouTube says the World Cup 2026 became the most-watched World Cup in its history, reaching 1.7 billion unique viewers, with 550 million watching on connected TVs and 2.5 billion views generated by World Cup creators. More in my Analysis section.

🛡️ PIRACY: beIN says protecting the FIFA World Cup now requires a global operation combining AI, automated monitoring, digital forensics and collaboration with governments, platforms and rights holders to combat illegal IPTV, social media piracy and cybercrime networks.

📺 FAST: Lovin’ Dubai has launched a 24/7 FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus and LG Channels, bringing local news, culture, lifestyle and viral content to connected TV audiences across the UAE.

📊 MICRODRAMA: Men now represent more than 30% of Holywater’s microdrama users, up from just 1.1% two years ago, while viewers aged 22–27 have nearly tripled their share as the format expands beyond romance into genres including sci-fi, fantasy and comedy.

🤖 AI: Azuran Studio produced 34 AI-generated World Cup videos in two and a half months, generating more than 30 million views, 2 million likes and major follower growth across its French, English and Spanish accounts.

🎮 GAMING: Amazon has integrated its Luna cloud gaming service into Prime Video, adding a dedicated Games tab on Fire TV devices to make video games part of its broader entertainment experience.

Attending IBC2026? Join me and White Peaks Solutions for a live session on the role of data and insights in streaming media. We’ll cover exclusive case studies from MENA, including the streaming landscape, Ramadan viewing, the 2026 World Cup and more!

📅 September 13 | 🕓 4:00 PM | 📍 Booth 2.C41b

Reserve your spot now!

HBO Max launches a vertical video feed to boost content discovery

What happened?

👉 HBO Max has introduced HBO Max Shorts, a new vertical, scrollable feed designed to help users discover content through short clips from its existing library.

Key details:

• The feature is currently being tested with a select group of iOS users in the U.S., with plans to expand to more devices, markets and include sports content.

• Users can browse trailers, memorable scenes and bonus content, then immediately jump into the full title or save it to My List.

• The clips are personalized based on viewing history and are generated using an in-house AI tool that helps editors identify and adapt scenes into a vertical format.

• HBO Max also announced a new AI-powered conversational search feature that lets users discover content using natural language prompts.

Why it matters?

🎯 HBO Max is following Netflix and other streaming platforms in adopting vertical video as a discovery tool rather than a new content format. Instead of creating original short-form programming, it is using AI and familiar social media behaviors to make its existing catalog more engaging and increase viewing of long-form content.

Netflix returns to experimentation across its streaming business

👉 Netflix is reviving several strategies it had previously moved away from, including free trials in selected markets, while expanding experiments with new content formats, partnerships and product features.

📍 The company has also decided to reduce the frequency of its public viewership reports from twice a year to once a year, giving it more flexibility to test new initiatives. At the same time, Netflix continues to experiment with YouTube content, video podcasts, live channels, cloud gaming and broadcaster partnerships such as TF1 in France before deciding whether to scale them globally.

💡 By testing new business models, content formats and distribution partnerships on a small scale before expanding them, Netflix is continuing the approach that helped it build its leadership in streaming.

YouTube records its biggest World Cup ever

👉 YouTube says the World Cup 2026 became the most-watched World Cup in the platform’s history, reaching more than 1.7 billion unique viewers globally and surpassing 200 billion lifetime views across all FIFA World Cup-related videos.

📍 More than 550 million viewers watched on connected TVs, while the Spain vs. Argentina final attracted over 21 million average minute audience across 40+ markets and peaked at 27 million concurrent viewers. FIFA’s official YouTube channel gained 7.5 million new subscribers during the tournament, while World Cup creators with a combined 350 million subscribers generated more than 2.5 billion views.

💡 The World Cup is becoming much more than a live sports event on YouTube. By combining official broadcasts, creator content and connected TV viewing, the platform is positioning itself as a central destination for both premium live sports and year-round football engagement.

👠 The Devil Wears Prada 2 from Lauren Weisberger, David Frankel, and Aline Brosh McKenna (Disney+): Andy Sachs returns to Runway as Miranda Priestly navigates a new media landscape and Runway’s position within. The duo reconnect with former assistant Emily Charlton, now the head of a luxury brand that possesses funding which could ensure Runway’s survival.

😈 In 2006, The Devil Wears Prada premiered in theaters. Directed by David Frankel and based on Lauren Weisberger’s bestselling novel, the film follows aspiring journalist Andy Sachs as she becomes the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of a leading fashion magazine. Blending comedy, drama and fashion, The Devil Wears Prada became one of the defining films of the 2000s, earning critical acclaim for Meryl Streep’s iconic performance and cementing its status as a modern pop culture classic.

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🆕 MICRODRAMAS: WWE is partnering with ReelShort on an original live-action vertical drama featuring wrestlers including Drew McIntyre, Joe Hendry and Jacob Fatu alongside established microdrama stars. More in The Lab’s Pick.

🤖 AI: Netflix says generative AI workflows have already been used across around 300 movies and series, mainly to reduce costs and speed up post-production. More in my Analysis section.

🤖 AI: Animaj has partnered with Disney Jr to launch Ozzy Fox, a first preschool series developed specifically for YouTube and YouTube Kids. More in my Analysis section.

📺 FAST: VIDAA has added eight WATCH IT streaming channels across MENA, bringing more Arabic series, classics, originals, kids’ content and nostalgia directly to its Smart TV platform.

📱 CREATORS: Céline Dept and IShowSpeed emerged as major winners of the 2026 World Cup, generating hundreds of millions of views and showing how football creators are increasingly competing with traditional sports media.

📊 AUDIENCE: Netflix users watched 97.7 billion hours of content in the first half of 2026, up 2% year over year, as the streamer prepares to move from semiannual to annual engagement reports.

🤖 AI: Promise AI has recruited creatives behind Doctor Who, Sharknado and Predator: Killer of Killers to work alongside AI-native filmmakers on a new slate of original films and series.

🤖 AI: Christopher Nolan says young audiences are quickly rejecting “AI slop” and showing renewed interest in more authentic, tactile filmmaking, pointing to the success of Obsession and Backrooms.

WWE steps into microdramas with ReelShort

What happened?

👉 WWE is partnering with ReelShort to produce an original live-action microdrama featuring professional wrestlers alongside established vertical drama stars.

Key details:

• The series will feature WWE stars Drew McIntyre, Joe Hendry and Jacob Fatu, with more wrestlers expected to join the cast.

• They will appear alongside popular microdrama actors Marc Herrmann and Chase Mattson.

• Filming is scheduled to begin in August, with the series expected to premiere this fall.

Why it matters?

🎯 For ReelShort, it could help attract more male viewers to a category currently dominated by female audiences. It also shows how microdramas are becoming a new way for entertainment brands to expand their IP and reach new audiences.

Netflix has already used generative AI across 300 productions

👉 Netflix says generative AI workflows have now been used across around 300 movies and series, mainly to support post-production and create complex visual effects more quickly and efficiently.

📍 Use cases include enhancing crowds and historical battle scenes, as well as producing shots that may previously have been too expensive. Netflix says its documentary series The American Experiment includes 17 minutes of AI-enhanced footage, produced twice as fast and at half the cost of traditional methods.

💡 AI is becoming part of the production process at scale, helping the company reinvest savings into more content while continuing to increase its annual content budget.

Animaj partners with Disney Jr to launch its first YouTube-native preschool series

👉 AI animation studio Animaj has partnered with Disney Jr to launch Ozzy Fox, a preschool series developed specifically for YouTube and YouTube Kids.

📍 Created by Peg + Cat’s Jennifer Oxley and developed by Pocoyo’s Guillermo García-Carsí, the series follows a five-year-old fox and his family as they turn everyday moments into adventures through music, imagination and play. The first two episodes are now available.

💡 The partnership gives Animaj the opportunity to bring its AI-driven production model to one of the world’s biggest children’s entertainment brands. It also shows how Disney is developing digital-first franchises designed for platforms where young audiences already spend time.

🎥 Save the date: SME Live 2026 | September 10

Taking place in Amsterdam the day before IBC, SME Live will bring together 200 media executives for candid conversations around its theme, The Long Game. Discussions will explore the future of European content investment, fandom, AI and talent, sustainable distribution models and ownership of the audience relationship.

🤖 The Ghost in the Shell (Prime Video, 10 episodes): 2029, a near-future Japan. The full cyborg Motoko Kusanagi envisions a task force that preemptively strikes emerging threats. She and her team are scouted by Daisuke Aramaki as Public Security Section 9, AKA the “Shell Squad.” An international conspiracy hints at a hacker known as The “Puppet Master.” What fate awaits Kusanagi? What is the hacker’s endgame? A new era of cyberpunk action begins!

🤖 Ghost in the Shell, from Mamoru Oshii (1995 anime film): In a future where humans can enhance their bodies with cybernetic technology, Major Motoko Kusanagi leads an elite security unit investigating a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master. As the case unfolds, she begins questioning her own identity, consciousness and what it truly means to be human in a world where the line between people and machines is disappearing.

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⏱️ This week’s streaming news in MENA and around the world, in 5 min.

🆕 CREATORS: Netflix is bringing premium publisher content to its homepage through partnerships with brands like BuzzFeed, Conde Nast, and Tastemade, expanding beyond movies and TV series with short-form lifestyle and entertainment videos. More in The Lab’s Pick.

🤝 PARTNERSHIPS: Just three weeks after launching on Netflix, TF1 says its partnership has already exceeded the audience targets it had set for the first 18 months. More in The Lab’s Pick.

📱 BUNDLING: TOD has partnered with Moroccan telecom operator inwi to bundle premium sports and entertainment content with mobile plans, making subscriptions easier to access and pay for. More in my Analysis section.

📺 FAST: VIDAA has launched more than 30 free TV channels across 10 MENA markets through a partnership with Screenomic, expanding its Smart TV offering with entertainment, sports, news and kids content.

🤑 M&A: OSN has proposed to acquire all remaining Anghami shares it does not already own, a move that would take the MENA audio streaming platform private again.

🤖 AI: Azuran Studio’s AI-generated anime-style content has been featured by a major French news broadcaster, showing how AI-native storytelling is starting to reach mainstream audiences.

📈 ADVERTISING: Netflix will host its first-ever Upfront in France on October 14, bringing together advertisers, agencies and partners to showcase its upcoming content, talent and advertising solutions.

🤖 AI: Sharjah Broadcasting Authority has launched an AI-powered video library that transforms decades of broadcast archives into searchable, licensable content using AI for metadata, transcription and content discovery.

Netflix brings premium digital creators to its homepage

What happened?

👉 Netflix is bringing popular short-form series from some of the world’s biggest digital publishers directly to its platform, giving members more content to watch between movies and TV shows.

Key details:

• From August 3, the new content will be available to all Netflix members in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

• Netflix will offer both popular existing franchises and new ongoing series, including Architectural Digest’s Open Door, BuzzFeed’s I Draw, You Cook, People’s My Life in Pictures and Tastemade’s Struggle Meals.

• The catalog will feature videos ranging from 3 to 20 minutes across food, travel, fashion, entertainment, design, wellness and lifestyle.

Why it matters?

🎯 By adding creator-led and editorial content, it gives members more reasons to open the app every day, not just when a new series drops. It’s another sign that the boundaries between streaming platforms and digital video platforms continue to blur.

Netflix × TF1 partnership is already delivering results

👉 Just three weeks after launching on Netflix, TF1 says its partnership has already exceeded the audience targets it originally expected to reach within 18 months.

📍 TF1 reported a 16% increase in daily unique streams during the first week of the partnership, with several of its shows appearing in Netflix’s Top 10 in France. The broadcaster also reached a record 8.3 million daily streams for the Koh-Lanta finale and says advertising performance on Netflix is comparable to TF1+.

💡 The Netflix-TF1 partnership is proving that broadcasters don’t always need to compete with global streamers. Becoming part of the streaming ecosystem may be a faster path to growing audiences, increasing engagement and expanding advertising reach.

TOD and inwi partner to expand premium streaming in Morocco

👉 TOD and Moroccan telecom operator inwi have announced a strategic partnership to make premium sports and entertainment content more accessible across Morocco.

📍 Selected inwi prepaid, postpaid and Home customers will receive access to TOD offers as part of their mobile plans. The partnership also introduces simpler payment options, allowing subscribers to pay through their mobile bill or prepaid credit.

💡 By bundling streaming with mobile services and simplifying payments, platforms like TOD can reach new audiences while reducing barriers to subscription in high-growth markets.

🎥 Save the date: IBC2026 | September 11–14

One of the world's leading media and entertainment event will once again bring together broadcasters, streamers, technology providers and creators to explore the future of the industry. This year's edition will spotlight AI, streaming, content innovation, new business models and the technologies shaping the next generation of broadcasting. See you in Amsterdam?

🏝️ Lord of the Flies, from Graham Yost (TOD, 4 episodes): After a plane crash, a group of schoolboys find themselves stranded on a tropical island without adults. Ralph is elected leader and, with the help of the intelligent Piggy, strives to maintain order and civilization. Jack, responsible for the signal fire, becomes increasingly focused on hunting and power struggles. This leads to tensions within the group, gradually pushing the boys from hope and structure into chaos and tragedy.

🏝️ In 2004, the first season of Lost premiered on ABC. Created by J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Jeffrey Lieber, the series follows the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 after their plane crashes on a mysterious island filled with unexplained phenomena and hidden secrets. Blending survival drama, mystery, science fiction, adventure and psychological storytelling, Lost became one of the defining television series of the 2000s, revolutionizing serialized storytelling, fueling global fan theories and inspiring a new generation of mystery-driven TV shows.

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⏱️ This week’s streaming news in MENA and around the world, in 5 min.

📺 SOCIAL TV: Instagram is taking another step into the living room, expanding its TV app to Samsung Smart TVs and encouraging creators to produce longer-form, episodic content. More in The Lab’s Pick.

🤖 AI: A24 has partnered with Google DeepMind to develop AI tools for filmmakers, backed by a $75 million investment. More in my Analysis section.

⚽ WORLD CUP: M6+ has reached record audiences during the FIFA World Cup, with 1.5 million active users and 1.4 million new sign-ups since the tournament began. More in my Analysis section.

🎾 CREATORS: Andy and Jamie Murray have launched The Set, a new YouTube channel featuring behind-the-scenes access, tennis stories, challenges and masterclasses. The project aims to grow beyond YouTube into live events, podcasts and brand partnerships.

⚽ WORLD CUP: Orange has partnered with TOD by beIN across four MENA markets, giving customers easier access to FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage through bundled offers and dedicated marketing campaigns.

📦 BUNDLING: Turkcell has partnered with Bango to launch multi-service subscription bundles, allowing customers to access multiple streaming services through a single subscription with savings of up to 40%.

🐉 STREAMING: OSN+ recorded the biggest day in its history following the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon, while also reaching its highest number of new subscribers in 2026. The milestone comes during the FIFA World Cup, showing that premium entertainment continues to thrive alongside live sports in MENA.

😋 YOUTUBE: Dubai restaurant Bocasu has launched a 10-episode scripted comedy series on YouTube starring its own employees. A second season and an original anime series are already in development, turning the restaurant into an entertainment brand.

Instagram wants creators on the biggest screen in the house

What happened?

👉 Instagram is expanding its TV experience by testing long-form and episodic content, while bringing the app to more Smart TVs.

Key details:

• Instagram for TV is now available on Samsung Smart TVs, in addition to Amazon Fire TV and Google TV.

• The platform is testing horizontal videos for a more TV-friendly viewing experience.

• Users can now watch Stories on their TV and cast Reels from their phone.

• Instagram is encouraging creators to produce longer-form content, including episodic series and microdramas.

• The company is also exploring live creator experiences on TV.

Why it matters?

🎯 Instagram is now looking to win attention on the TV screen too. As creators produce more long-form and episodic content, the line between social media and streaming continues to disappear.

A24 teams up with Google DeepMind on AI filmmaking tools

👉 A24 has partnered with Google DeepMind to build AI tools for filmmakers, backed by a $75 million investment.

📍 The collaboration gives A24 access to Google’s latest AI technology, including its video generation capabilities, while DeepMind can develop its tools alongside one of Hollywood’s most respected independent studios.

💡 AI partnerships are becoming the new studio strategy. After Lionsgate x Runway, and AI investments from Netflix and Amazon, studios are starting to build custom AI workflows to support production while keeping creative control with filmmakers.

M6+ reaches record audiences during the FIFA World Cup

👉 M6+ delivered record streaming audiences during France’s FIFA World Cup match against Iraq, attracting 1.5 million active users and recording its second-best live sports audience ever. The platform has also welcomed 1.4 million new users since the start of the tournament.

📍 Nearly 30% of the audience watched on connected TVs, highlighting the growing role of CTV for live sports. The France vs. Iraq match became M6+’s second-largest live event, just behind France vs. Senegal.

💡 The FIFA World Cup continues to accelerate streaming adoption. Live sports are attracting record audiences and also driving user acquisition and pushing more viewers to watch on the biggest screen in the house.

🎤 Cannes Lions spotlights AI, creators and vertical video

The event highlighted the growing influence of creators alongside traditional celebrities, the rise of AI-powered experiences and agentic commerce, and the increasing importance of vertical video and microdramas.

Industry leaders also discussed the challenges of misinformation and social media addiction as AI becomes more integrated into everyday life.

💨 Avatar: The Last Airbender from Albert Kim (Netflix, 7 episodes): Aang, Katara and Sokka travel through the Earth Kingdom as Aang begins learning earthbending, while the Fire Nation closes in and new allies, rivals and challenges reshape the fight to restore balance to the world.

🐉 In 2005, the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender premiered on Nickelodeon. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the animated series follows Aang, the last surviving Airbender and the world’s only Avatar, as he embarks on a journey to master the four elements and bring balance to a world torn apart by war. Blending fantasy, martial arts, adventure, humor, and emotional storytelling, Avatar: The Last Airbender became one of the most acclaimed animated series of all time, inspiring comics, novels, a live-action adaptation, and a lasting global fanbase.

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⏱️ This week’s streaming news in MENA and around the world, in 5 min.

🏆 AGGREGATION: Netflix has officially integrated TF1 into its platform in France, allowing subscribers to watch live TV channels and on-demand content without leaving the Netflix app. More in The Lab’s Pick.

📱 MICRODRAMA: ReelShort has partnered with Philippine telecom operator Globe to bring its microdrama platform to Globe subscribers. More in my Analysis section.

🤖 AI: Oh My Goal and Azuran Studio have launched World Cup Origins, a series of AI-generated, anime-style FIFA World Cup highlights in vertical format. More in my Analysis section.

⚽ FOOTBALL: stc tv has partnered with Footballco to create original football content based on its sports rights, including documentaries, social media formats and behind-the-scenes programming. The collaboration aims to extend fan engagement beyond live matches by combining premium rights with year-round storytelling.

🤖 AI: JioHotstar says AI, Connected TV and commerce will drive the next phase of streaming in India. The platform is expanding AI-powered content discovery, growing Connected TV usage, and exploring in-stream shopping experiences that could turn entertainment into a commerce platform.

⚽ MICRODRAMA: Football star Neymar has partnered with microdrama platform FlareFlow to launch a 16-part AI-assisted vertical series during the FIFA World Cup. The collaboration marks one of the first major partnerships between a global athlete and an AI-powered microdrama platform, as vertical storytelling continues to expand into sports entertainment.

🤝 BUNDLE: Viu and iQIYI have announced a new streaming bundle across Southeast Asia, combining their complementary content libraries under a single subscription. Launching later this year in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, the partnership reflects the growing shift toward bundling as streamers look to reduce churn and compete more effectively.

💬 IP: Reddit is becoming a new source of ideas for Hollywood, with studios increasingly turning to fan communities to discover original stories, emerging creators and future film franchises. The success of Backrooms, which evolved from a Reddit community into a $118 million box office hit, highlights the growing role of online communities as IP incubators.

Netflix brings TF1 to its platform in France

What happened?

👉 Netflix has officially launched its partnership with TF1 in France. Subscribers can now watch TF1 live channels and on-demand content directly inside Netflix, without switching between apps.

Key details:

• The partnership adds news, live sports, daily dramas, reality shows and entertainment to the Netflix experience.

• TF1 keeps full control of its content, advertising and monetization.

• For now, the partnership is only available in France.

Why it matters?

🎯 Netflix is turning into an aggregator, bringing together premium content from different providers in one place. If this model works, it could encourage more broadcasters around the world to partner with Netflix instead of competing against it.

ReelShort expands in Southeast Asia with Globe

👉 ReelShort has partnered with Philippine telecom operator Globe to bring its library of microdramas to Globe subscribers, marking its second major telco partnership in Southeast Asia after Thailand’s AIS.

📍 The partnership gives ReelShort access to one of the world’s most mobile-first markets. The platform now reaches more than 70 million monthly users across 100+ countries and continues to expand through telecom bundles that simplify subscriptions and billing.

💡Instead of relying only on app stores, services like ReelShort are using carrier partnerships to reach new audiences faster, reduce customer acquisition costs, and make subscriptions easier in high-growth mobile markets.

AI-generated anime brings a new twist to World Cup highlights

👉 Football media company Oh My Goal and AI studio Azuran Studio have launched World Cup Origins, a series of AI-generated, anime-style match highlights released in vertical format after FIFA World Cup games.

📍 The format combines two of the biggest media trends, AI-generated content and vertical video, to reimagine football highlights for younger audiences. The Brazil vs. Morocco episode generated more than 1 million views, 42,000 likes and 800 comments in less than two days.

💡For streaming platforms, it opens the door to new formats that keep fans engaged between matches and help extend the value of premium sports rights beyond the live broadcast.

🎬 1 Billion Summit heads to Cannes Lions

The 1 Billion Summit team is bringing the creator community to Cannes Lions with an exclusive networking event on June 24 in Cannes, France.

The invitation-only gathering will bring together creators, storytellers, founders and industry leaders for an evening focused on conversations, networking and new connections. without panels or presentations. Limited spots are available here.

🐲 House of the Dragon from George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal (OSN+ in MENA, Season 3, 8 episodes): The factions of House Targaryen engage in a war like no other. Rhaenyra seems poised for victory — but before she can claim the Iron Throne, she must confront the rising power of Aemond and Vhagar. As old grudges harden into bitter vengeance, the Greens and the Blacks race toward a devastating climax that will forever reshape Westeros

🐉 In 2011, the first season of Game of Thrones premiered on HBO. Created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, the series follows the noble families of Westeros as they compete for power while an ancient threat begins to emerge beyond the Wall. Blending fantasy, political intrigue, action, and drama, Game of Thrones quickly became a global phenomenon, redefining epic television and setting a new standard for high-budget, serialized storytelling.

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🏆 CREATORS: YouTube and FIFA have launched the first-ever YouTube FIFA Creator Cup, bringing together creators, athletes and celebrities for a live football event during the World Cup. More in The Lab’s Pick.

📈 INSIGHTS: New research from Bango found that 41% of Americans don’t know where they can watch the FIFA World Cup 2026. At the same time, 18% plan to subscribe to a new platform specifically for the tournament. More in my Analysis section.

⚽ STREAMING: Streaming platforms are using the FIFA World Cup 2026 to promote much more than live matches. More in my Analysis section.

✈️ INFLIGHT: Emirates will stream all 104 FIFA World Cup matches live onboard its flights through Sport 24 on its ice entertainment system. Coverage will run from the opening match to the final, allowing passengers to follow the tournament in real time while travelling.

🤝 BUNDLE: talabat and TOD by beIN have launched a bundle giving users access to all 104 matches alongside a talabat pro annual subscription. The offer shows how lifestyle bundles are becoming a key growth strategy for streaming platforms in MENA.

📊 INSIGHTS: Ipsos Synthesio has launched a live social media tracker for the FIFA World Cup 2026, allowing users to monitor conversations, trends and sentiment in real time throughout the tournament. The dashboard tracks fan reactions, emerging storylines and social buzz across teams, players and key moments.

🌍 AFRICA: Orange and New World TV have partnered to bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 to Max, Orange’s super-app. The agreement will make all 104 World Cup matches available across nine African markets, expanding access to premium sports content for millions of football fans across the continent.

👟 ADS: Nike has launched a new World Cup campaign featuring football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland alongside celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott, LeBron James and Ted Lasso.

YouTube brings creators to the World Cup

What happened?

👉 YouTube and FIFA have announced the first-ever YouTube FIFA Creator Cup, a live football match featuring creators, athletes and celebrities. At the same time, YouTube unveiled a global roster of creators who will cover the FIFA World Cup 2026 from inside the tournament.

Key details:

• The Creator Cup will take place in New York on July 12 and will be streamed exclusively on YouTube.

• More than 20 creators from around the world will attend matches and create content throughout the tournament.

• Coverage will include matchday experiences, local culture, food, travel and behind-the-scenes moments.

• The selected creators represent a combined audience of more than 350 million subscribers.

Why it matters?

🎯 The World Cup is no longer just a broadcaster’s event. FIFA is now giving creators an official role in how fans experience the tournament. For MENA, it’s also great to see Noor Stars representing the region on one of the biggest global creator programs ever launched around a sporting event.

41% of Americans don’t know where to watch the World Cup

👉 New research from Bango found that 41% of Americans don’t know where they can watch the FIFA World Cup 2026, showing growing confusion as sports rights become fragmented across multiple platforms.

📍 The study also found that 18% of Americans plan to subscribe to a new streaming service specifically for the tournament, rising to 36% among Gen Z and 37% among Millennials.

💡 As sports rights become increasingly distributed across broadcasters and streaming platforms, discoverability is becoming as important as the content itself. For many fans, finding the match may soon be harder than watching it.

Streamers are using the World Cup to promote more than Football

👉 Streaming platforms around the world are using the World Cup to showcase a wider range of content, from football documentaries and original series to video games and daily analysis shows.

📍 Netflix is launching an official FIFA World Cup video game with daily updates based on real tournament results, while platforms such as Prime Video, Disney+, Shahid orAl Mashhad are expanding their football-related content with documentaries, archive content and dedicated World Cup programming.

💡 The World Cup is becoming much more than a live sports event for streamers. It’s a marketing moment that helps platforms drive engagement across their broader content libraries and keep fans connected between matches.

🎤 CANNES LIONS is back

Cannes Lions, the world’s largest event for the advertising, marketing and creative industries, returns to Cannes, France, from June 22–26, 2026.

If you’re attending, don’t miss the invitation-only Ipsos Lounge Series: TikTok x Ipsos – Re-Energizing The Mid-Funnel, where Ipsos and TikTok will explore how brands can keep consumers engaged throughout the purchase journey.

🤣 The Hot Seat / Dans La Sauce, with Paul de Saint Sernin, Marcel Desailly, Christophe Dugarry, Frank Leboeuf, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pirès, Presnel Kimpembe, Steve Mandanda, Blaise Matuidi, Adil Rami, Samuel Umtiti, Hakim Jemili, Waly Dia, Kheiron, Pablo Mira, Kyan Khojandi (Netflix): Comedians hold nothing back as France’s 1998 and 2028 World Cup champions take the hot seat in a brutal football roast.

⚽ On July 12, 1998, France defeated Brazil 3–0 in the FIFA World Cup Final to win its first-ever World Cup title. Played at the Stade de France in front of more than 80,000 fans, the match saw Zinedine Zidane score two iconic first-half headers before Emmanuel Petit sealed the victory in stoppage time. More than just a football match, France–Brazil 1998 became a defining moment in French sporting history, uniting the nation and cementing a generation of players as legends of the game. More than two decades later, it remains one of the most memorable World Cup finals ever played.

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🤖 AI: Hasbro has launched a new AI studio that allows companies to license characters such as Optimus Prime, Mr. Potato Head or Cobra Commander for AI-powered experiences. It includes partnerships with original voice actors to create new interactive formats while maintaining brand control over iconic IP. More in The Lab’s Pick.

📱 MICRODRAMAS: FOX has reformatted Season 3 of Farmer Wants a Wife into 101 vertical episodes for Holywater’s My Drama app. The experiment tests how traditional TV content can be repackaged for mobile-first audiences. I take a closer look in my Analysis section.

🎬 CREATORS: A new generation of YouTube creators is finding success in Hollywood, with films such as Backrooms, Obsession and Iron Lung outperforming much bigger studio productions at the box office. I'll explain why this matters in my Analysis section.

⚽ WORLD CUP: talabat and TOD by beIN have partnered ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, offering a complimentary one-year TOD subscription to users who sign up for or renew a talabat pro annual plan. The bundle combines live World Cup streaming with delivery across the MENA region.

🎵 MUSIC: MBC Group has launched MBC Mood, a new music channel dedicated to Arabic music, entertainment and live performances. Available across TV, digital platforms and social media, the channel will connect audiences with a modern, interactive viewing experience.

⚽ FOOTBALL: FIFA+ is now exclusively available on DAZN, bringing 8,500 live matches per year, FIFA archives and original content to the platform. The move strengthens DAZN’s ambition to become the global home of football.

⚽ WORLD CUP: FIFA has awarded ‘Z’ the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and other FIFA competitions in India through 2034. The tournaments will be available across UNITE8 Sports channel and Zee5.

👀 ADVERTISING: Ad-supported plans now account for 48% of all SVOD subscriptions in the U.S., according to Antenna. They also represented 59% of new streaming subscriptions in Q1 2026.

Hasbro Launches AI Studio to Bring Its Characters into Interactive Experiences

What happened?

👉 Hasbro has launched Sixth Wall, a new AI studio designed to bring its iconic characters into AI-powered experiences through a new licensing model called Behavioral Licensing.

Key details:

• Sixth Wall allows partners to license not just a character’s image, but also how it thinks, speaks and behaves in interactive environments.

• The system is powered by CharacterOS, Hasbro’s proprietary platform that preserves character personalities, voice traits and safety guardrails.

• Hasbro has partnered with ElevenLabs to make select characters available through its AI voice marketplace.

• Initial characters include Optimus Prime, Megatron, Cobra Commander, Mr. Potato Head and the cast of Clue, all supported by authorized voice performances.

Why it matters?

🎯 Rather than fighting unauthorized AI versions of its brands, Hasbro is creating an official framework that allows companies to integrate iconic characters into chatbots, games, customer experiences and interactive storytelling while maintaining brand control and compensating voice talent.

FOX Experiments with Microdramas Using Farmer Wants a Wife

👉 FOX has reformatted Season 3 of Farmer Wants a Wife into 101 vertical episodes of less than two minutes each for release on Holywater’s My Drama app.

📍 FOX, which invested in Holywater last year, describes the launch as an experiment to understand how audiences engage with short-form vertical storytelling.

💡 Media companies are beginning to test whether existing TV shows can be repackaged for mobile-native audiences, creating new distribution opportunities from existing content libraries.

YouTube Creators Are Becoming Hollywood’s Next Hitmakers

👉 A new wave of YouTube creators is finding success in Hollywood, with films such as Backrooms, Obsession and Iron Lung generating strong box office results despite relatively modest budgets.

📍 These filmmakers spent years building audiences on YouTube, refining their storytelling skills and developing loyal fan communities before making the jump to theatrical releases.

💡 YouTube is evolving into a talent pipeline for Hollywood, giving studios access to creators who already understand audience engagement and can bring millions of fans with them to the cinema.

🤖 SHAIKE Film Festival bridges traditional and AI-powered filmmaking

The inaugural SHAIKE Film Festival will take place on October 2–3, 2026 in La Ciotat, the birthplace of cinema and home to the world’s oldest movie theater.

The event will showcase both AI-assisted and traditional films, highlighting storytelling regardless of the tools used to create it. It has also launched a trailer competition offering a $3,000 prize and a VIP trip to the festival.

🐻 Hoppers, from Daniel Chong and Jesse Andrews (Disney+): Scientists have discovered how to ‘hop’ human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals. Animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world beyond anything she could have imagined.

👽 In 2004, the live-action adaptation of the manga Gantz brought one of Japan’s most provocative sci-fi stories to television. Created by Hiroya Oku, the series follows Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, two young men who die in a train accident only to find themselves trapped in a deadly game orchestrated by a mysterious black sphere known as Gantz. Combining science fiction, action, horror, and psychological drama, Gantz gained a cult following for its dark themes, moral dilemmas, and graphic storytelling, helping establish it as one of the most influential sci-fi franchises to emerge from Japan in the 2000s.

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🧒 ADVERTISING: LUMEE, the joint venture between Hasbro and Animaj, has signed a deal with Disney Advertising to represent selected Disney YouTube channels. The move creates one of the largest family-focused advertising ecosystems on YouTube. More in The Lab’s Pick.

🤣 CONTENT: MBC Shahid has acquired the global rights to Aam Jarrib (Tryin’), a stand-up special from Lebanese comedian John Achkar. It is the first title in a new slate of six Arabic comedy specials developed under the Shahid Originals banner. I take a closer look in my Analysis section.

📱 MICRODRAMAS: Peacock has acquired a package of microdramas from ReelShort, marking another sign that short-form vertical storytelling is moving into the mainstream. I’ll explain why this matters in my Analysis section.

💃🏽 REALITY: Desi Bling, produced by Dubai-based Different Productions, reached #1 on Netflix in both the UAE and India within 48 hours of launch. The reality series also entered Netflix’s Top 10 in more than 15 countries.

🇪🇬 CTV: WATCH IT is launching eight FAST channels on LG Smart TVs and expanding its integration across five MENA markets, reinforcing the growth of connected TV and ad-supported streaming in the region.

🎭 MICRODRAMAS: Second Rodeo Productions will present its latest findings on the microdramas at Cannes Lions. The panel follows the success of its musical microdrama PLAYBACK and will explore emerging opportunities, audience trends, and the future of vertical storytelling.

🎙️ PODCASTING: Spotify, YouTube, SiriusXM and other industry players have formed a taskforce to create a shared definition of podcasting and standardize ad measurement across platforms.

🤖 AI: YouTube is making its AI-generated content labels more visible across both long-form videos and Shorts. The platform will now display AI disclosures directly on videos and introduce automated detection systems that can apply labels when photorealistic AI content is identified.

Disney Expands Its YouTube Advertising Strategy Through LUMEE

What happened?

👉 Disney Advertising has signed an agreement with LUMEE, the joint venture between Hasbro Entertainment and Animaj, to represent advertising inventory across selected Disney YouTube channels.

Key details:

• LUMEE now represents inventory from Disney, Hasbro and Animaj.

• The combined portfolio generated more than 100 billion YouTube views in 2025.

• The partnership focuses on premium, brand-safe family audiences.

Why it matters?

🎯 YouTube has become one of the world’s largest destinations for kids and family content, yet advertisers still struggle to navigate a fragmented ecosystem. By bringing together Disney, Hasbro and Animaj, LUMEE is positioning itself as a centralized marketplace for premium family inventory.

If successful, this could become a blueprint for how media companies package and monetize content on YouTube.

MBC Shahid Brings Arabic Stand-Up Comedy to Streaming

👉 MBC Shahid has acquired the global rights to Aam Jarrib (Tryin’), a stand-up special from Lebanese comedian John Achkar, filmed live at the iconic L’Olympia in Paris.

📍 The special is the first title in a new slate of six Arabic stand-up comedy specials developed by Front Row Filmed Entertainment under the Shahid Originals banner.

💡 Global streaming platforms have turned stand-up comedy into a major content category. With this deal, MBC Shahid is betting that Arabic stand-up can evolve from a niche format into a premium streaming genre with regional and international appeal.

Peacock Bets on Microdramas with ReelShort Deal

👉 Peacock has acquired a package of microdramas from ReelShort, including titles such as Straight A Pregnancy, Fated to My Forbidden Alpha, and Call Boy I Met in Paris.

📍 The move comes as microdramas continue to attract millions of mobile viewers in the U.S. through one- to two-minute episodes.

💡 What started as a niche format in China is rapidly becoming a global content category. Peacock’s investment signals that major streaming platforms increasingly view microdramas as a complement to traditional long-form entertainment rather than a separate market.

🤖 MARS AI FESTIVAL explores the future of AI-powered storytelling

Mars AI Festival has launched a new film festival dedicated to AI and hybrid filmmaking, inviting creators to experiment with emerging cinematic formats and storytelling techniques.

The festival focuses on one-minute films around the theme “Imagine Desirable Futures”, welcomes all genres, and offers a €10,000 production grant to support new creative projects. Submissions close on June 1, 2026.

👽 The Boroughs, with Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard and Denis O’Hare (Netflix, 8 episodes): In a seemingly perfect retirement community, a crew of unlikely heroes must stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have: time.

📼🏡 A few decades ago, Desperate Housewives premiered on ABC. Created by Marc Cherry, the series follows a group of women living on the seemingly perfect Wisteria Lane, where secrets, scandals, and unexpected twists hide behind suburban life. Blending comedy, mystery, drama, and satire, Desperate Housewives became a global phenomenon in the 2000s, helping redefine serialized television and paving the way for a new generation of character-driven ensemble dramas.

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🎙️ MBC Shahid takes a big step into AI-powered dubbing

👉 MBC Shahid just released Hofrat Jahannam with English lip-synced dubbing, alongside English and French dubbed versions.

📍 The project has been in the works for 3 years, with continuous testing and iteration to make dubbed content feel more natural and immersive for international audiences.

💡 If the experience keeps improving, this could become a major shift for how Arabic content is distributed and discovered globally.

🌅 Netflix enters the live daily show space with The Breakfast Club

👉 Starting June 1, Netflix will stream The Breakfast Club live every weekday at 6 a.m.

📍 The show mixes interviews, cultural commentary, and music industry conversations, and will air simultaneously on radio and Netflix for a global audience.

💡 After investing in live sports, events, and video podcasts, the platform is now entering the live daily content space traditionally dominated by TV and radio.

🎧 Spotify’s next era: AI-generated content and personalization

What happened?

👉 Spotify used its Investor Day to outline its roadmap toward 1 billion users and $100 billion in annual revenue by 2030, with AI playing a central role in the strategy.

Key details:

• AI-generated personalized podcasts based on users’ preferences, emails, and schedules.

• New AI-powered creative tools for user-generated covers, remixes, and audio experiences.

Why it matters?

🎯 Spotify wants to become a personalized AI-powered media layer where content is generated, adapted, and surfaced differently for every user in real time.

📱 WATCH IT tests vertical series with Qalb Maftouh

WATCH IT premiered Qalb Maftouh, a new original series built around the micro-drama format and designed for mobile-first viewing habits.

The Egyptian production mixes mystery, suspense, and social drama across 60 short episodes lasting between 90 seconds and 3 minutes.

📺 Samsung launches StreamPass to bundle streaming platforms in MENA

Samsung is rolling out StreamPass, a new entertainment offering designed to bring multiple streaming services together across its TV and audio ecosystem in MENA.

The service includes partnerships with OSN+, STARZPLAY, WATCH IT, Yango Play, and Anghami, with different subscription bundles tied to Samsung TVs.

💰 Big Tech dominates the 2026 Upfronts

This year’s Upfronts highlighted how companies like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon are becoming the new centers of gravity for advertising and entertainment industries.

Tech platforms are increasingly positioning themselves around AI-powered advertising, audience data, personalization, and creator ecosystems.

⚽ LaLiga launches AI-powered kids series with WSC Sports

LaLiga unveiled Goalitos, its first original animated series for children, developed with WSC Sports using generative AI technologies.

The weekly series combines football news, education, and storytelling through short multilingual episodes distributed across LaLiga’s digital ecosystem, including YouTube.

🤖 Paramount creates a dedicated Consumer AI division

Paramount hired former Google and GM executive Barak Turovsky as EVP and Head of Consumer AI, reinforcing the company’s push to integrate AI across its streaming and media businesses.

The new role will focus on AI-powered personalization, content discovery, monetization, and platform intelligence across Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

🏖️ MBC STUDIOS highlights the global rise of Arab cinema at Cannes

MBC STUDIOS hosted a panel at the 2026 edition of the Cannes Film Festival focused on the growing international momentum of commercial Arab productions.

The discussion brought together executives, producers, filmmakers, and actors to explore the evolution of Arab cinema, from bigger ambitions and maturing production ecosystems to changing audience habits driven by streaming platforms like Shahid.

💃🏽 Desi Bling, with Tejasswi Prakash, Karan Kundra, Dyuti Parruck, and Pamala Serena (Netflix, 6 episodes): Glitzy parties and delicious secrets rule the lives of ultra-wealthy Indian expats as they spare no expense or drama.

⛰️⛰️ A few decades ago, Twin Peaks premiered on ABC. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, the series follows FBI agent Dale Cooper investigating the murder of Laura Palmer in a mysterious small town. Blending psychological drama, surrealism, crime, and supernatural elements, Twin Peaks redefined television storytelling in the early 1990s and became one of the most influential cult series of all time, paving the way for modern prestige TV.

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