FAST in MENA Series - February 2024
FAST in MENA Series - February 2024
L.o.v.e, Sahraa, Takeshi's Castle channel, Red Bull TV, CricLife W, STARZ ON Heartz, Maraya, etc.
Hey streamers 👋
Welcome to my “FAST in MENA Series”, monthly articles exploring the local FAST platforms across Middle East & North Africa. Stay tuned for the most recent FAST channels updates and trend analysis, delivered directly to your inbox on the last Monday of every month.
Today’s program
This month, I’ll share with you the latest channels that have launched in the MENA region. I'm also excited to announce a new addition to our series: the spotlight channel section!
Recent updates and trends in MENA FAST
New FAST channel launches
Spotlight channel: “NFL Super Bowl Classics” on Pluto TV
And… Action!
Recent updates and trends in MENA FAST
For the second consecutive month, there's been a decline in the total number of FAST channels available on local platforms in the MENA region. The two major platforms, Shahid and STARZ ON, experienced the most significant channel losses.
However, the landscape is always subject to change. It's important to understand that the objective isn't to aggregate the highest number of channels. The quality of content, stability, localization, and most importantly, monetization strategies are critical factors that will determine the success of this business model in the region.
This month, I also noticed the launch of several pop-up channels:
In celebration of Valentine's Day, Shahid and STARZ ON launched two pop-up channels named “L.o.v.e” and “STARZ ON Heartz”, respectively.
STARZ On has also introduced a new pop-up channel called “CricLife W”, focused on a specific sports event: Women’s Premier League (WPL)
Let me give you more details about this tournament: WPL is a women's franchise Twenty20 cricket league organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The first season was played in March 2023 and saw Mumbai Indians win the first title. Matches were played in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, with five franchises taking part. The second season, branded as TATA WPL 2024, is featuring five teams from 23 February to 17 March 2024.
The launch of this channels on STARZ ON shows the unique appeal of FAST: it offers exposure to more niche sports. I'm looking forward to seeing more of those channels in the coming months.
Take a look at my updated chart showing the number of FAST Channels on local platforms from January 2023 to February 2024. Finally, and as predicted last month, Roya TV has continued to expand its FAST channel offering, now ranking as the second leading platform in the MENA region.