🤝 The Bundle That Could Change Streaming in MENA
Shahid, Disney+ and OSN+ test a new growth model | Streaming in Short – W51
This week, I cover Shahid launching a strong streaming bundle in MENA with Disney+ and OSN+, the Oscars moving to YouTube from 2029, and Instagram bringing Reels to the TV screen.
🎬 Shahid, Disney+ and OSN+ Launch a New Streaming Bundle in MENA
👉 Shahid has partnered with Disney+ and OSN+ to offer one subscription that includes three streaming apps, available only through Shahid.
📍 Users get 3 services for the price of 2, with one payment and one bill. The bundle brings together Arabic shows and sports from Shahid, global movies and series from Disney+, and HBO content from OSN+.
💡 This shows that platforms try to make streaming simpler and more attractive for users.
🏆 The Oscars Will Move to YouTube From 2029
👉 The Academy has signed a multi-year deal with YouTube to stream the Oscars live and for free worldwide, starting in 2029. ABC will keep the rights until 2028.
📍 The full Oscars experience will be available on YouTube, including the red carpet and behind-the-scenes content, with ads still included. The goal is to reach a larger global audience, with features like subtitles and multiple language options.
💡 For Hollywood, it shows how big cultural moments are moving away from traditional TV to platforms with global reach and younger audiences.
Sports streaming has changed how fans follow leagues, teams, and athletes. Live matches still matter, but fandom now goes far beyond match time.
To understand where sports fandom is going, WSC Sports surveyed fans in the U.S. across Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.
Why does this matter for MENA?
Sports rights are spread across broadcasters, telco platforms, and local players. Audiences are young, mobile-first, and very active on social platforms. Live sports are easy to find, but consistent fan experiences across platforms are harder to deliver.
So the question is simple: Is sports streaming in MENA ready for the next era of fandom?
In my new whitepaper, I combine WSC Sports’ fan engagement study with The Streaming Lab’s analysis of the MENA sports streaming ecosystem.
📺 Instagram Brings Reels to the TV Screen
What happened?
👉 Meta has launched a new Instagram Reels app for connected TVs, starting with Amazon Fire TV devices. It lets users watch Reels directly on their TV, without using their phone.
Key details:
The TV app includes channels and categories to browse Reels by interest or creator.
Reels already generates around $50B in annual ad revenue, even before this TV launch.
Why it matters?
🎯 This move shows that short-form video is moving into the living room, putting Instagram in direct competition with YouTube, Netflix, and TV channels for screen time, and ad budgets.
❌ HOLLYWOOD: Warner Bros. Discovery Rejects Paramount’s Offer
Warner Bros. Discovery has officially rejected Paramount’s $108B hostile bid, saying the offer carries high financial and execution risks.
The WBD board said the proposal is less attractive than its agreed deal with Netflix, especially due to concerns around financing, foreign investors, and deal certainty.
⚽ FOOTBALL: All Ligue 1 Matches Move to Ligue 1+ Next Season
From next season, all Ligue 1 matches will be available on Ligue 1+, as the league brings back the game currently shown on beIN Sports.
With 9 matches per round instead of 8, the monthly subscription price is expected to rise to €19.99, with discounts planned for existing subscribers.
🎙️ NETFLIX: Netflix Hires Its First Sports Anchor
Netflix has hired ESPN presenter Elle Duncan as its first on-air sports anchor, marking a new step in its live sports strategy.
She will host sports and cultural live events starting in 2026, adding credibility and a familiar TV face as Netflix continues to expand into live sports.
📱 MICRO-DRAMA: Seera Launches Vertical Series Platform in MENA
Seera has launched a new platform dedicated to Arabic micro-dramas, with short vertical episodes made for mobile viewing.
The app focuses on local stories and talent, filling a gap as global micro-drama apps grow fast in MENA but lack culturally relevant content.
🇲🇦 SPORTS: TOD Expands into Morocco
beIN Media Group’s streaming service TOD has launched in Morocco, ahead of the country hosting AFCON 2025.
The service brings major football rights like the Champions League, Premier League, and LaLiga, with features such as 4K streaming, multi-language commentary, and interactive tools designed to boost fan engagement.
🇦🇪 DUBAI: Fujifilm Short Film Festival Celebrates Regional Talent
The first edition of the Fujifilm Short Film Festival has wrapped up in Dubai, celebrating emerging filmmakers from the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.
Launched with Cinema Akil and Gulf Photo Plus, the festival featured sold-out screenings, workshops, and awards across narrative, documentary, experimental, and student films, highlighting strong demand for local storytelling and new creative voices.
💥 Fallout from Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Prime Video, 8 episodes): The story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind, and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.
🏙️ 18 years ago, Mad Men premiered on AMC. Created by Matthew Weiner, the series took viewers inside the world of 1960s advertising, exploring power, identity, ambition, and the American Dream. Mad Men quickly became one of the most influential drama series of its generation, redefining prestige television.
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Thanks for reading, and enjoy the holidays! I’ll be back in January with my predictions for the MENA Streaming Media Industry in 2026.
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The Shahid bundle is a smart regional play. Three services for the price of two solves a real friction point - payment fragmentation is even worse in emerging markets than mature ones. What stands out is this basically mirrors what we're seeing globally with bundling strategies, but adapted for MENA realities. The combination of local content (Shahid), global franchises (Disney+), and prestige HBO catalog creates actualy coverage across different audience needs. One thing I'm curious about tho - how does this impact individual platform retention once users realize they're mostly using one or two of the three? The bundle math works if engagement stays distributed, but streaming history suggests people tend to consolidate usage.