BROADCASTPRO24: Sports & CEO Panels
Key insights from the MENA Media industry
Couldn’t make it to the BroadcastPro Summit in Dubai last week?
Don’t worry, I’ve gathered the key discussions for you in my latest Summit Summaries.
Now it’s your chance to turn these highlights into actionable insights!
Today’s program
Sports panel: Strategic innovations in Sports broadcasting and fan engagement
CEO panel: How leaders are adapting to digital transformation in Media
So What? My key takeways from BroadcastPro24
And… Action!
Sports panel: Strategic innovations in Sports broadcasting and fan engagement
This panel focused on the main challenges and new ideas in sports broadcasting and fan engagement in the MENA region, with the following speakers:
Dipesh Makwana, Business Development Sports – APAC / ME, Vizrt
Amill Lone, CEO, Saudi Sports Company
Danny Bates, Chief Operations Officer and co-founder, STARZPLAY
Jamal AbdulNasser Ali, Broadcast & Television Production Director, UAE Pro League
Maite Ventura, Managing Director for MENA, LALIGA
Saeed Izadi, President Singapore, India, Middle East, NEP
Here are the main topics they discussed:
Challenges in live Sports production
Amill Lone highlighted budget constraints and infrastructure issues in the MENA region, making it challenging to meet global standards.
Danny Bates identified latency as a key challenge, with OTT still experiencing significant delays compared to satellite broadcasting. He discussed efforts to reduce latency through improved compression, CDN, and encryption.
The panel also explored monetizing sports rights, with Danny Bates explaining that commercial decisions and pricing models, including advertising, drive sports rights purchases.
“We have to look at sports and federations within the region, and focus on growing them, using technology to improve offerings and drive better engagement" - Amill Lone, CEO, Saudi Sports Company
Viewership demographics
The speakers discussed viewership demographics, with Jamal AbdulNasser Ali detailing efforts to attract diverse audiences to the UAE Football League, including English commentary and social media initiatives.
Danny Bates pointed out piracy as a significant issue in the Middle East, citing the recent UFC event as an example with one illegal Telegram feed generating 70,000 concurrent viewers in UAE only.
Ultimately, we're a commercial company. If the number makes sense, the number makes sense. If it doesn't, we don't purchase the rights” - Danny Bates, Chief Operations Officer and co-founder, StarzPlay
Engaging younger audiences
Maite Ventura from La Liga presented strategies to engage younger audiences, including dynamic experiences, local content, and partnerships with influencers, which have resulted in over 140 million views.
Dipesh Makwana also noted the trend of involving younger presenters and social media personalities to appeal to Gen Z, taking as an example the Netflix documentary: Drive to Survive.
Danny Bates highlighted the importance of local marketing efforts and value propositions to attract younger subscribers, mentioning the Power Slap event in Abu Dhabi as a successful example.
Saeed Izadi discussed producing content in vertical formats to align with Gen Z's social media habits.
“So we are trying our best to attract experts to feel that the league is for everyone. It's not specific for the locals” - Jamal AbdulNasser Ali, Broadcast & Television Production Director, UAE Pro League
Technology and innovation
The speakers discussed the role of technology, with Saeed Izadi emphasizing the need for broadcasters to meet the demand for better, innovative content.
Amill Lone spoke about the potential of AR, VR, and AI to keep fans engaged, while Danny Bates highlighted the balance between technology investments and their ROI.
“We worked with more than 40 content creators, and our final reach has been close to the 140 million views” - Maite Ventura, Managing Director for MENA, LALIGA
Monetizing Sports content and overcoming piracy
Jamal AbdulNasser Ali explained the UAE Pro League's approach to investing in new technology to enhance production quality.
Saeed Izadi suggested that federations and rights holders share the burden of technology costs to address the challenge of passing production costs to consumers.
Maite Ventura highlighted the emergence of new regional platforms and the ongoing challenge of piracy, emphasizing the need for collaboration with tech companies and regulators.
Danny Bates stressed the importance of technical evolution and finding new monetization routes. He also called for tech companies to take responsibility for piracy control. Saeed Izadi predicted significant growth in local sports broadcasting driven by improved technology and infrastructure.
“When you start watching traditional TV broadcasts on a on a mobile device, the graphics don’t make sense because they're too small to read” - Saeed Izadi, President, NEP – Singapore, India, Middle East
Growth of local leagues
Jamal AbdulNasser Ali discussed about the evolution of the UAE Pro League focusing on infrastructure improvements for better broadcast quality.
Saeed Izadi predicted growth in local sports broadcasting, driven by increased technology demands, while Amill Lone emphasized the growth of local sports and the need for homegrown development.
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CEO panel: How leaders are adapting to digital transformation in Media
The last discussion of the day, the now famous “CEO panel” discussed the digital transformation in media, highlighting key strategies and challenges coming from 4 major companies: Yango Play, OSN+, Dubai Media and SRMG.
Karim Sarkis, Partner, Strategy&
His Excellency Mohamed Al Mulla, Group CEO, Dubai Media
Bassil bin Abdullah Al Mouallimi, Chief Strategy Officer, SRMG
Elie Habib, CEO, OSN+
Roman Shimansky, CEO, Yango Play
The need for industry change
Roman Shimansky presented the Yango Play super app, combining advanced technology and local content.
Elie Habib spoke about Anghami's merger with OSN+ and Anghami to better serve users.
Mohamed Al Mulla explained the shift to digital of Dubai Media, with the launch of Dubai Studios and Dubai Events to boost content and revenue.
“With Dubai Studios, we want to boost content, create IP, make an impact on the ecosystem, and, probably most importantly, build partnerships” - His Excellency Mohamed Al Mulla, Group CEO, Dubai Media
Challenges and strategies in Media transformation
Bassil bin Abdullah Al Mouallimi highlighted the impact of decentralized distribution and social media on the media industry, emphasizing adaptation.
Karim Sarkis asked about the timeline for strategy success, with Bassil expressing confidence in current growth. Mohamed Al Mulla stressed local competition and creativity, while Elie Habib and Roman Shimansky underscored the importance of quick adaptation and data-driven learning.
“I think the winners will be regional players. I honestly consider Yango Play a regional player, because, unlike global platforms that see the Middle East as just another revenue source, we care about this region. This is where we launched, and it’s a region we prioritize deeply” - Roman Shimansky, CEO, Yango Play
Audience engagement
The panelists discussed revenue models, with Mohamed Al Mulla emphasizing a mix of advertising and subscription revenue. Elie Habib also noted the importance of diversification like event production.
The potential of FAST channels was discussed, with Roman Shimansky and Elie Habib seeing limited revenue prospects in the near future.
The importance of localization
The panelists addressed the future of SVOD in MENA, with Elie Habib emphasizing localization and telco partnerships.
Roman Shimansky focused on regional strategy, while Mohamed Al Mulla and Bassil discussed strategic acquisitions to improve content production and distribution.
“At the end of the day, we always put the customer first. We always build for the customer” - Elie Habib, CEO, OSN+
Content preferences
Bassil bin Abdullah Al Mouallimi highlighted strong engagement with long-form content, while Elie Habib and Roman Shimansky acknowledged the rise of short-form content.
They emphasized the role of data in content creation but stressed the need for creative storytelling. Karim Sarkis noted the challenges of relying solely on data, citing Netflix failures despite extensive data.
“We're honoring the assets that were just sitting there, hidden in our archives. Now, with the right use of generative AI, they could be worth tens of billions of dollars” - Bassil bin Abdullah Al Mouallimi, Chief Strategy Officer, SRMG
Impact of generative AI on media
The speakers discussed the role of generative AI in content creation, with Elie Habib providing examples of AI-generated summaries and translations. Roman Shimansky and Bassil bin Abdullah Al Mouallimi agreed on the value of AI but stressed it can't replace human storytelling.
Mohamed Al Mulla emphasized value generation and evolving jobs with AI integration. Elie Habib predicted AI will become a standard tool for efficiency.
In closing, Elie Habib emphasized continuous innovation and adaptation. Roman Shimansky and Bassil highlighted the importance of collaboration and partnerships.
The panelists also agreed that while data is crucial, it doesn't guarantee success and stressed balancing data-driven decisions with creative storytelling.
So What? My key takeways from BroadcastPro24
What are the main insights from these panels? Here are five key topics to keep in mind as we look toward the future of media in MENA:
Tech innovations are key in Sports Broadcasting
If you’re in sports media, the key challenge is delivering seamless live experiences. Look into reducing latency and optimizing your platform with improved compression, CDN, and more.
Boosting production quality will not only meet global standards but also attract a more engaged fan base, locally.
Prioritize local content backed by data-driven insights
MENA audiences want culturally resonant content. While data guides decisions, remember that authentic storytelling makes the real impact.
Invest in local content that speaks to regional nuances, delivering consistent, long-term value to a loyal audience.
Build a viable business with a hybrid revenue model
In MENA, diversifying revenue is critical. Go beyond subscriptions and look into ads, Telecom partnerships, and FAST channels to reach wider audiences and capture younger demographics.
A hybrid model ensures your content works harder across different segments.
Build your IP to create a long-term value
Consider developing an original IP that reflects local stories and resonates with regional audiences, and gain control over monetization, partnerships and licensing.
Investing in IP doesn’t just secure a competitive edge, it establishes your brand as a regional authority, building loyalty with viewers and creating lasting impact.
Use new tech and AI to elevate content
Integrating AI is no longer optional. AI can personalize content, streamline production, and even create new revenue streams.
Experiment with AR and VR to deepen audience interaction, and use generative AI for real-time insights or to scale content creation.
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That’s all for today, my Summit Summaries of the 2024 BroadcastPro Summit. If you found this breakdown valuable, spread the word and share it with your network!
I hope everyone has a great week, see you online next Monday. In the meantime enjoy the season 2 of Arcane on Netflix MENA. Set in Utopian Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, the story follows the origins of two iconic League of Legends champions and the power that will tear them apart.
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