Hey streamers 👋
A beauty brand has a dating drama. A food brand has a Christmas series. How much of our next watchlist will come from companies whose main business is something else entirely?
This week’s streaming in short looks at brands funding microdramas, what viewers in the Middle East want from streaming, and Netflix’s new feature to help us choose something to watch.
Enjoy the read!
🎬 BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT: L’Oréal worked with ReelShort on a six-part Urban Decay microdrama, while Bob Evans Farms is backing a holiday microseries. More in The Lab’s Pick.
📊 AUDIENCES: Magnite’s Middle East study found that 72% of respondents were more likely to trust ads shown during local content. The survey covers ad-supported streaming viewers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. More in my Analysis section.
🤖 CONTENT DISCOVERY: Netflix is testing AI Discover on supported TVs in the US. Viewers can explore recommendations based on mood, company or available time, then refine the suggestions. More in my Analysis section.
🇹🇷 CONTENT INVESTMENT: Netflix has announced TRY 10 billion in investment in Turkish films and series over 2026–2028. It is also opening a pitch day for talent who have not previously worked on a Netflix Türkiye production.
📱 VERTICAL TV: Mediaset Infinity has launched a free microdrama section featuring international series and re-edited Mediaset titles, including Rosy Abate. Existing libraries can provide a starting point for vertical storytelling.
🌍 LOCALISATION: Storyshort co-founder Adrien Cottinaud has announced Storyshort Afrique, starting with Francophone West and Central Africa with Mobile Money payments, flexible passes and a lightweight web app.
⚽ SPORTS: The Saudi Pro League’s partnership with L1VE will bring one featured match per matchweek to compatible immersive headsets from February 2027. The three-season agreement adds virtual stadium seats to the league’s distribution options.
💼 ADVERTISING: TF1 Pub is promoting video advertising for smaller businesses from €1,000. Dimitri Marcadé reports 1,000 SME clients and 2,200 campaigns, supported by AdManager, AI tools and business partners.
How are viewers choosing what to watch? AI is becoming part of the answer.
In the last Ipsos MENA Streaming Tracker wave, 29% of streaming platform users in the UAE said they used AI search for viewing recommendations. Friends and family, social media and recommendations within streaming platforms were still ahead.
Ipsos is launching a new wave of its MENA Streaming Tracker this month, exploring how audiences discover content, choose platforms and decide to subscribe, stay or cancel.
Has AI become a bigger part of content discovery? The new wave will help measure how this behaviour is evolving.
Register your interest to receive an overview of what the study will cover 👇
Brands Want Their Own Shows
What happened?
Urban Decay, part of L’Oréal, worked with ReelShort on Ghost Hunter Hotline, a vertical series about dating and revenge. A new Marketing Dive interview explores the approach behind its October launch.
Key details:
Six episodes, developed, produced and distributed with ReelShort.
Around four weeks from concept to completion.
3.8 million views in five days, according to figures shared by the brand.
Separately, Jonas Barnes shared his collaboration with Bob Evans Farms on Christmas at Maple Hollow Inn, a 20-episode holiday microseries.
Why it matters?
🎯 ReelShort brings an understanding of what makes its viewers continue to the next episode. L’Oréal brings funding and a product that fits the format. For producers, this could create more opportunities to test stories with commercial partners. The challenge is keeping the series entertaining enough to earn another episode of someone’s time. Views are also a useful first signal; brand impact and repeat viewing will tell us more.
Local Content Has Something to Offer Advertisers
👉 Magnite surveyed 1,184 adults who watch ad-supported streaming in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar in September. Beyond the local-content finding, 52% said they were most likely to sign up for a service offering a lower-cost plan with ads.
📍 We often discuss local productions through their ability to attract subscribers or keep people watching. This research suggests somthing else: providing an environment where advertising feels more trustworthy.
💡 A local series can offer cultural relevance and reach. The next step is measuring how that context affects attention, brand perception and action. That would give platforms a stronger commercial argument for investing in local stories.
Netflix Wants to Know What You Feel Like Watching
👉 Netflix’s AI Discover test starts with themes around mood, viewing companions and available time. Members can narrow the options and ask for particular titles to stop appearing within that experience. Access initially covers a small group using Netflix in English on supported TVs in the US.
📍 Your viewing history might suggest crime dramas. Tonight, you might have twenty minutes and want something easy to watch with your family. Those are different signals, and the second can be harder to communicate through a homepage.
💡 For other platforms, this becomes especially interesting across languages and shared households. I’d judge the experience by how quickly it gets someone to press play, and whether they enjoy what they find. Better discovery could also give less-visible catalogue titles another chance.
I’ll be at Dubai International Content Market (DICM) tomorrow and Wednesday at Madinat Jumeirah Arena. A good opportunity to discover new content and catch up with people from across the industry.
If you’re coming too, let me know, it would be nice to meet! 👋
You’ll find the agenda and registration details here.
Bass X Machina - Netflix
A steampunk Western with bounty hunters, machines and supernatural threats. Created by LeSean Thomas, this six-episode adult animated series features Brian Tyree Henry, Tati Gabrielle and Cree Summer. A different kind of frontier story for this week’s watchlist.
Wild Wild West (1999)
Let’s stay in the Western theme, with Will Smith, Kevin Kline and a giant mechanical spider. Wild Wild West took the Western into steampunk territory, filling its frontier with elaborate gadgets and larger-than-life villains. A playful companion to Bass X Machina this week, and a proper trip back to late-’90s blockbuster excess.
🧪 Fresh from The Lab:
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
🔝 Have you tried NETFLIX in MENA? For the first time this year, an Arabic series reached the Top 10 in 6 MENA countries. The dashboard is open to everyone for now. Enjoy!
