Hey streamers 👋
I’ve picked eight stories for this edition, starting with Orange and ReelShort, Netflix’s World Cup deal and RTL’s results on YouTube.
Here’s your five-minute roundup, with a few thoughts on what these moves could mean for streaming in MENA.
Enjoy the read!
📱 MICRODRAMA: Orange is bringing ReelShort to Max it, with launches planned across 17 African and Middle Eastern markets. The deal includes dedicated data packages. More in The Lab’s Pick.
⚽ SPORTS: Netflix has bought the 2030 men’s World Cup rights for Spain and Andorra. Spain will co-host the tournament, and key games will also be available on free TV there. More in my Analysis section.
📺 YOUTUBE: RTL put older episodes of Cobra 11 on YouTube and directed viewers to RTL+ for newer ones. Each platform has a clear role, and viewers have a reason to move from one to the other. More in my Analysis section.
💳 DISTRIBUTION: Dubai-based Narativ Media put together a deal to bring FlareFlow to Digicel customers in 25 Caribbean, Central and South American markets. Prepaid customers will be able to use their mobile balance, and postpaid customers can add it to their bill.
🇰🇷 MENA: TVING is getting a dedicated home on MBC Shahid, through CJ ENM’s expanded partnership with MBC Group. Selected titles will have Arabic dubbing or subtitles. For Korean-drama fans, this could make it easier to find what to watch next. For TVING, it’s a way into MENA through a platform people already know.
🧭 INDUSTRY: Guy Bisson’s MIPCOM reflection questions the rush for every platform to offer every format. Long-form services want microdramas, social platforms want longer shows.
📦 BUNDLES: CANAL+ can sell you Netflix and remain the company you pay. Its French CINÉ SÉRIES promotion brings together CANAL+, Apple TV, HBO Max, Netflix with ads, Paramount+ and CINÉ+ OCS for €24.99/month for 12 months, then €34.99, with a 24-month commitment.
🎬 BRANDED CONTENT: A beauty brand is helping Channel 4 make microdramas. The Guest List, created with Sol de Janeiro, launches on Channel 4’s social channels on 24 October. For producers, it’s another reason to talk to brands early, while there’s still room to build the story together.
Orange Makes Room for ReelShort
What happened?
Orange Afrique et Moyen-Orient and ReelShort are partnering to bring short vertical dramas to Orange’s Max it super app.
Key details:
The agreement covers 17 countries across Africa and the Middle East.
First launches are planned by the end of 2026.
Access will be supported by dedicated data packages.
Orange says more than 180 million mobile customers could gain access over time. Pricing and country-level offers are still to come.
Why it matters?
🎯 Orange already has a relationship with the people ReelShort wants to reach. It can put the shows in Max it and offer data packages around them. That could make trying microdramas easier. For Arabic producers, I’d keep an eye on which countries launch first and which languages are included. Those details will help us see where Arabic stories might fit.
Getting Football Fans to Stay on Netflix
👉 Netflix announced on 13 October that it will show all 104 matches of the 2030 World Cup in Spain and Andorra. Its plans include coverage for Spanish audiences, daily roundups and programmes before the tournament.
📍 Some of those matches will also be free to watch in Spain. The deal includes one free game per matchday and a package for a national free-to-air broadcaster covering every Spain match, both semi-finals and the final. The broadcaster hasn’t been announced yet.
💡 If someone subscribes for football, I’d want them to find something else they enjoy before the final. A series, a film for the family, a sports documentary. That gives the content and marketing teams something to plan well before kick-off. For MENA platforms buying sports rights, it’s a question worth asking early: how do you help a football subscriber become someone who uses the service during the rest of the year?
RTL Finds Another Audience for Its Older Shows
👉 At MIPCOM, RTL Deutschland CEO Stephan Schmitter described putting around 200 older Cobra 11 episodes on YouTube. They generated roughly 30 million views over 365 days, with newer episodes available on RTL+.
📍 Schmitter also reported around 26% more RTL+ subscriptions linked to this content. That figure is specific to Cobra 11; the report doesn’t give the baseline for the comparison. Older episodes earn ad revenue on YouTube, while newer ones give viewers a reason to subscribe to RTL+.
💡 I can see why this is relevant for Arabic catalogues. Older seasons could help people discover a series, with newer episodes waiting on the paid service. I’d test it with one title where the rights allow it, then check how many viewers go on to subscribe. That would help us understand what the YouTube views are worth to the wider business.
Dubai International Content Market takes place on 10–11 November 2026 at Madinat Jumeirah Arena, Dubai. Worth putting in the diary if you’re buying, selling or looking for content partners in the region.
The Diplomat Season 4 arrived on Netflix on 15 October. Keri Russell returns as Kate Wyler, the US ambassador to the UK, with more political trouble and complicated personal relationships.
The Truman Show (1998). Jim Carrey plays a man whose entire life is a television programme, without his knowledge. After a week of stories about reaching audiences and selling advertising, Peter Weir’s film seems an appropriate choice.
🧪 Fresh from The Lab:
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
🔝 Have you tried NETFLIX in MENA? The dashboard is open to everyone for now. Explore the TV rankings and let me know what you find.
