Exploring Shahid Originals for Kids
Exploring Shahid Originals for Kids
And why we need local kids' content on streaming in MENA
Hey streamers 👋
Welcome to the 62nd edition of The Streaming Lab, a weekly newsletter exploring the trends that matter to streaming professionals. If you are not already a subscriber, sign up and join 1,600+ others who receive it directly in their inbox every Monday.
Today’s program:
Why local kids content on streaming services is important
The nine Shahid Originals for kids
The niche services for kids in MENA
And… Action!
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Why local kids content on streaming services is important
Local kids' content on streaming platforms in MENA is vital for several reasons:
Cultural representation: Kids' content that reflects the local culture, traditions and values of the MENA region helps children see themselves and their experiences represented on screen.
Preservation of heritage: Through storytelling, folklore, and traditions, children can learn about their heritage and gain a deeper appreciation for their roots.
Diverse perspectives: Local content can showcase different cultures, languages, and traditions present within the MENA region itself, promoting cross-cultural understanding among children.
Entertainment and engagement: High-quality local content can compete with foreign content and provides parents with more choices that align with their cultural values.
Language development: Local content allows children to engage with content in their native language, which is important for language development, vocabulary expansion, and improving communication skills.
Parental Control: Parents often prefer age-appropriate content that aligns with their values and cultural norms. Having a variety of local options gives parents more control over what their children watch and helps them feel confident in their children's media consumption.
Supporting the Local Industry: Investing in local kids' content supports the growth of the regional entertainment industry, including animation studios, writers, directors, and voice actors.
While it's important to have local content, it's also beneficial for children to have access to international content that can broaden their horizons and expose them to different cultures and perspectives from around the world.
Let’s now have a look at specific local Kids content on a major streaming service in MENA: Shahid.
The nine Shahid Originals for kids
All Shahid Originals for Kids are available in standard Arabic, with some of them in other Arabic languages:
Globie’s Colorful World is available in Egyptian & Saudi Arabic.
Tala Wa Jala offers another Arabic version from Saudi Arabia.
Kalitso is also available in Kuwaiti Arabic.
Most of Shahid originals are also available in English & French audio and subtitles.
TOOTA TOOTA
Synopsis: Get cosy and warm with Danyah Shafei as she reads exciting bedtime stories from her comfy bedroom.
Genres: Entertainment, Kids
Audio languages: Arabic, English
Subtitles: Arabic, English, French
Number of seasons: 3
Total number of episodes: 75
Average episode duration: 10 min
What’s next? Season 4 coming soon
PRINCESS OF THE DESERT
Synopsis: Lulwah and her animal companions go on various adventures across the Arabian desert, where they discover the beauty of Arab culture and traditions.
Genres: Animation
Audio languages: Arabic, English
Subtitles: Arabic, English, French
Number of seasons: 1
Total number of episodes: 15
Average episode duration: 13 min
What’s next? Season 2 coming soon
GLOBIE’S COLORFUL WORLD
Synopsis: Globie, a calf who shies away from new experiences, is in for action-packed adventures that will win her friends and change her life forever!
Genres: Adventure, Family, Animation
Audio languages: Arabic, Arabic (Egypt), Arabic (Saudi Arabia), English, French
Subtitles: Arabic, English, French
Number of seasons: 2
Total number of episodes: 30
Average episode duration: 8 min
TALA WA JALA
Synopsis: After Tala and Jala, two friendly animals, apply for a job, they suddenly find themselves part of a secret security organization using an amusement park as a façade.
Genres: Adventure, Animation
Audio languages: Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Arabic
Subtitles: Arabic, English, French
Number of seasons: 1
Total number of episodes: 7
Average episode duration: 15 min
BEYOND THE PLANETS
Synopsis: Embark on this amazing space journey that starts on planet Earth, goes through the solar system and explores the different galaxies.
Genres: Animation
Audio languages: Arabic
Subtitles: Arabic, English, French
Number of seasons: 1
Total number of episodes: 30
Average episode duration: 18 min
NAYERAT
Synopsis: Three kids download the new videogame Nayrat, but a bug in the program gets them sucked into a virtual world where they must use their new superpowers to survive.
Genres: Kids Adventures
Audio languages: Arabic
Subtitles: Arabic, English, French
Number of seasons: 1
Total number of episodes: 13
Average episode duration: 12 min
YALLA NEQRA’
Synopsis: Exciting stories and fables that children can learn from, told by the most famous personalities in the Arab region.
Genres: Entertainment, Kids
Audio languages: Arabic
Subtitles: Arabic, English, French
Number of seasons: 1
Total number of episodes: 111
Average episode duration: 8 min
MAMA AMINA
Synopsis: Amina recounts educational stories from legends and novels to teach her children important values and help them overcome the issues they’re facing.
Genres: Family, Comedy
Audio languages: Arabic
Subtitles: Arabic
Number of seasons: 1
Total number of episodes: 30
Average episode duration: 15 min
KALITSO
Synopsis: When Fares and Totah accidentally discover their grandpa’s secret lab, they cause a chain reaction that turns their stuffed animal into a powerful superhero.
Genres: Family, Kids
Audio languages: Arabic (Kuwait)
Subtitles: Arabic, English
Number of seasons: 1
Total number of episodes: 10
Average episode duration: 16 min
The niche services for Kids in MENA
Several streaming services in MENA offer only Kids content:
Majid Universe
Abu Dhabi Media launched Majid Universe end of 2021, a niche OTT service for kids with more than 800 hours of content, Live and TV Shows, games, and magazines.
The user interface and all the content available are in Arabic. The Majid Universe App is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, and Smart TVs.
PG Kids
Progressive Generation Studios launched PG Kids in 2022 with 1,600 hours of original content. All original content has been developed based on a scientific approach to stimulate creative thinking and the development of young minds.
PG Kids website is available in English and Arabic but the iOS only supports Arabic for now. Most of the video content is in both Arabic and English. You can access PG Kids on the web, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung TV and Google Chromecast.
Roya Kids
Roya Media Group launched Roya Kids last year, an App designed for children aged from 1-8 featuring songs, stories, shows and games.
The user interface is in Arabic & English but the video content is mainly in Arabic. Roya Kids is available on the website and iOS and Android Apps.
Spacetoon Go
Spacetoon launched Spacetoon Go in 2020, with more than 5,000 episodes. The service provides a large Arabic library with international cartoons, as well as a selection of series and films, all in original Arabic language.
Spacetoon Go is only available on iOS and Android Apps with a user interface and the video content in Arabic.
That’s all for today, why we need local kids’ content on streaming in MENA. If you enjoyed this breakdown, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues!
I hope everyone has a great week, see you online next Monday. This week, my wife took over my newsletter and recommends the season 2 of Below Deck Down Under on OSN+.
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