🤝 Time for Consolidation in MENA Streaming?

Abu Dhabi Media teams up with STARZPLAY | Streaming in Short – W45

Nov 07, 2025

This week, I cover ADtv joining STARZPLAY, Netflix introducing a new ad-viewing metric and young audiences driving the rise of Vertical Series.

📺 ADtv Joins StarzPlay

👉 Abu Dhabi Media has teamed up with STARZPLAY to launch a new Abu Dhabi Media Network (ADMN) section inside the app.

📍 All ADtv content, including channels, shows, movies and live sports is now on STARZPLAY. The current ADtv app will close on November 30, 2025.

💡 This move brings together Abu Dhabi Media local content and STARZPLAY strong platform, making it easier to access free Arabic entertainment in MENA.

📊 Netflix Introduces New Ad Metric: 190M Viewers

👉 Netflix has launched a new metric called Monthly Active Viewers (MAV) to show how many people watch its ad-supported plan.

📍 The streamer says it now has 190 million active viewers across the 12 countries where the ad tier is available. MAV counts anyone who watched at least one minute of ad-supported content, then multiplies that by the average number of people per household.

💡 This new stat gives advertisers a clearer and more transparent view of its audience reach, showing how many people are actually watching ads on the platform.

📱 Young Audiences Power the Rise of Vertical Series

What happened?

👉 New data from Rising Joy Data Insights shows that countries with young, mobile-first audiences are driving global Vertical Series app growth.

Key details:

The U.S. and Japan still lead global app revenues, but Brazil, Germany, and France are rising fast.
In downloads, India takes the #1 spot with 72M downloads, followed by Indonesia and Brazil.
Saudi Arabia enters the global top 10 for the first time, ranking #10 with 4.7M downloads

Why it matters?

🎯 As I discussed with media expert Emmanuel Belleville, young audiences in Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia and beyond should drive the future of vertical series.

🇫🇷 CREATORS: When France Inspires the U.S.

The popular GP Explorer event, created by French YouTuber Squeezie is now inspiring NASCAR 25 in the U.S.

It’s not common to see America take ideas from France and this one shows how French creators are becoming some of the most creative and organized in the world.

🎙️ PODCASTS: Netflix Expands Into Video Podcasts

Netflix is making a big move into video podcasts, reaching out to major talent agencies like WME, UTA, and CAA to sign popular creators.

The goal is to compete with YouTube and make Netflix a new home for video podcasters. Talks are also underway to license top shows such as Stuff You Should Know and Jay Shetty Podcast.

🎬 KOREAN: Netflix Pays Sony $15M Bonus for “KPop Demon Hunters”

Netflix has awarded Sony Pictures Animation a $15 million cash bonus after the huge success of KPop Demon Hunters, which became the most-watched film ever on Netflix this summer.

For Netflix, it’s a smart business move and a way to keep the K-pop wave alive on the platform, with bigger budgets expected for KPop Demon Hunters 2.

📺 CTV: Smashi TV Launches on Samsung Smart TVs

Smashi TV is now available on Samsung Smart TVs across the Middle East, expanding its reach to millions of homes in the region.

Viewers can now stream Smashi live shows, original series, and exclusive sports coverage directly on the big screen.

🎬 CINEMA: Saudi Films Win 23% of 2025 Box Office

Saudi movies now make up 23% of the country’s box office, up from just 8% last year. Even though they represent only 4% of total releases, Saudi titles are bringing more people to cinemas for the first time.

Muvi Cinemas CEO Adon Quinn says the future of the industry is local, with 60 new screens coming next year to help Saudi filmmakers grow bigger and better.

🇦🇪 UAE: Highlights from DICM 2025 in Dubai

DICM took place this week at Madinat Jumeirah, bringing together content providers from Korea, Turkey, Russia, India, and France, with local platforms and media professionals. Speakers shared new ideas about the future of content in MENA:

Ali Ghamlouch said we need more platforms and studios to reach online users.
Reem Kassem from Ipsos showed how people watch and spend more during Ramadan.
Heba Korayem and Mazen Laham talked about how local formats can go global.
Local experts discussed Arabic cinema and how local players can take the lead.
Amit Devani from Parrot Analytics explained how data helps measure sports success.
Panels on micro-dramas and docuseries showed how viewing habits are changing fast.

🎬 StreamTV Europe Opens Registration

The first European edition of the StreamTV Show is coming to Lisbon, Portugal, and registration is now open.

With industry leaders, creators, tech experts, and marketers all attending, StreamTV Europe will offer great networking, new partnerships, and fresh ideas on how streaming is growing in EMEA.

🧙‍♂️ The Witcher season 4, from Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (Netflix, 8 episodes): After the Continent-altering events of Season 3, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri find themselves separated by a raging war and countless enemies.

🤡 IT: Welcome to Derry, from Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs (OSN+, 8 episodes): In 1962, a couple with their son move to Derry, Maine just as a young boy disappears. With their arrival, very bad things begin to happen in the town.

🧟‍♂️ 15 years ago, The Walking Dead premiered on AMC. Created by Frank Darabont and based on the comic by Robert Kirkman, the series dropped viewers into a world where survival meant more than escaping zombies, it meant facing human nature at its worst and best. With its mix of horror, emotion, and moral conflict, The Walking Dead redefined the post-apocalyptic genre and became a cultural phenomenon.