FlixPatrol Moves Into Discovery With New Streaming Guide

From tracking trends to guiding what to watch next | Streaming in Short – W14

Apr 04, 2026

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

📊 FlixPatrol launches its own Streaming Guide

👉 FlixPatrol, known for tracking Top 10 globally, is launching a Streaming Guide feature covering major platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+, and SkyShowtime across selected European markets.

📍 The feature aggregates what’s new, trending, and leaving platforms, with advanced search and performance data.

💡 Owning both insights and discovery positions FlixPatrol not just as a data provider, but as a discovery layer on top of streaming ecosystems.

🤖 OpenAI acquires a media company

👉 OpenAI has acquired TBPN, a tech media platform known for its daily coverage of AI, startups, and builders.

📍 TBPN will continue to operate independently, keeping control over its content, guests, and programming. At the same time, it will integrate within OpenAI’s strategy team to help scale how the company communicates and engages with the ecosystem.

💡 As AI reshapes industries, owning the conversation becomes as strategic as building the technology itself.

As Ramadan is over, Ipsos is finalising a dedicated guide to explain why viewing habits changed during the holy month in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

And with the major conflict affecting the region, understanding audience behavior is more important than ever. It helps streaming platforms adapt their content strategies and better support their viewers.

What insights will you get?

When and how people watch during Ramadan
Where audiences watch news during the day
What drives subscriptions and churn
How audiences react to advertising
Whether microdramas are gaining traction in MENA
Ramadan-specific viewer personas

Interested in the Ramadan 2026 Streaming Handbook? Get in touch to receive full details on the scope and pricing👇

Get the full report details

❌ OpenAI steps back from AI video

What happened?

👉 OpenAI has shut down Sora, its video generation tool, pausing a high-profile partnership with The Walt Disney Company.

Key details:

The shutdown of Sora reflects internal prioritization at OpenAI, with resources shifting toward core AI products like ChatGPT and automated agents.
The Disney deal, which included access to IP and enterprise AI deployment, has been paused but not fully abandoned.
Across Hollywood, AI is both adopted and resisted: creators experiment with it, while unions and talent push back against its long-term implications.

Why it matters?

🎯 For streaming platforms and studios, the question is no longer if AI will play a role, but how far it will go. The winners will be those who integrate AI to enhance creativity and efficiency, without undermining talent or content value.

🔈 OSN+ experiments with AI-driven promo storytelling

OSN+ released a new promo reel using an AI-generated song where lyrics and rhythm are synced with the content showcased.

The approach shows how platforms are starting to use AI not just for efficiency, but to rethink how content is marketed and experienced.

📈 Streaming revenues surpass $150B as platforms shift to monetization

Global streaming subscription revenue reached $157B in 2025, tripling in five years, and is expected to exceed $200B by 2030.

Growth is no longer driven primarily by new subscribers, but by extracting more value from existing users. Hybrid models (subscription + ads) are becoming central, especially in mature markets where user growth is slowing.

🎥 Vertical microdrama production is evolving with more flexible shooting formats

Industry creators are moving away from shooting directly in vertical (9:16), opting instead for wider formats that allow more flexibility in post-production.

What started as a fast, constraint-driven format is becoming more sophisticated, with production techniques adapting to balance speed, quality, and creative control.

🚀 Roku expands Howdy with a standalone mobile app

Roku has launched a dedicated mobile app for Howdy, its low-cost, ad-free streaming service ($3/month), making it accessible beyond Roku devices.

The move confirms Roku’s push to scale a low-price SVOD offer in a market dominated by free ad-supported content.

🎬 Mazda turns to original content to market its new CX-5

Mazda has launched a campaign built around 5 short films across different genres, distributed across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Hulu, and potentially cinemas.

Brands are moving closer to entertainment, using storytelling formats that can stand on their own rather than traditional ads.

🇺🇸 U.S. TV markets shut down as industry consolidation accelerates

NAPTE and the Realscreen Summit are being discontinued after their 2026 edition, as organizer Brunico Communications exits the U.S. events business.

While the events will stop, related publications like Kidscreen and Realscreen will continue, marking a clear transition from physical markets to more fragmented, digital-first industry interactions.

🔬 Scarpetta, with Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis (Prime Video, ): Renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta returns to her position as Virginia’s Chief Medical Examiner, where she investigates a haunting murder with eerie reminders from her first big case decades ago.

🏰 15 years ago, Game of Thrones premiered on HBO. Developed by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and based on the novels by George R. R. Martin, the series follows the power struggles between noble families across the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. Blending political intrigue, large-scale battles, and complex characters, it became a global phenomenon and redefined premium television, setting new standards for storytelling, production scale, and international reach.