Unveiling the Smashingly Secrets of Smashi
Streamers Series MENA
Hey streamers 👋
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Today’s program:
The story of Smashi
Do you know the 13 Smashi verticals?
My selection of Smashi shows & originals
And… Action!
The story of Smashi
If you want to understand Smashi and its positioning within the MENA streaming ecosystem, you need to understand the company behind it:
Augustus Media
Augustus Media is an award winning Middle Eastern digital media company, based in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar. Its mission is to become the preferred modern media company in the Arab world, by consistently delivering innovative and groundbreaking media communication that enriches the lives of their audience. Augustus Media is committed to inspiring and sharing compelling stories that resonate with their audience, creating meaningful and valuable experiences.
Augustus Media is now a network of brands including Lovin Dubai and Smashi, and generating impressive numbers:
5.6M network followers
955M video views
5.1M page views
26.3M snapchat unique views
1.2M network growth
Lovin Dubai
If you live in Dubai, there is a very high chance that you are one of the 3M+ social followers of Lovin Dubai, the fastest growing media brand in the region. The objective of the brand is to present a positive view of the city, town, country and community.
Since the launch of Lovin Dubai in 2015, the local news & entertainment brand expanded to several cities in UAE (Lovin Dubai, Lovin Abu Dhabi, Lovin RAK and Lovin Sharjah), Saudi Arabia (Lovin Saudi, Lovin Riyadh, Lovin Jeddah, Lovin Neom and Lovin Shariyah), Egypt (Lovin Cairo), Qatar (Lovin Doha), Bahrain (Lovin Bahrain), Oman (Lovin Muscat), Pakistan (Lovin Isloo, Lovin Karachi, Lovin Lahore) and Sudan (Lovin Khartoum). And many more to come ;)
The objective is the same: share the best of the cities, inform using bitesize news, viral content, and community stories.
Smashi
Augustus Media launched the streaming service Smashi in 2019 with a very unique mindset: A business news network streaming live from the heart of the Arab world, for the driven, the dreamers, the doers. Smashi is today more than that with more diverse available, including local live sports.
Smashi is one of the few services of the region that adopted an Ad-Supported SVOD model. Users have to subscribe to an affordable package to start watching content: AED 18/month or AED 180/year. They will also see Ads on selected videos. By the way, there is a special offer going on with a 30% discount if you choose the Yearly Plan.
The platform can be accessed on multiple devices including Web, Smartphones, Tablets, and Connected TVs. Their CTV footprint is one of the largest in the region: Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV, Huawei, Foxxum, Vidaa and TCL.
The content available on Smashi is a mix of exclusive shows, originals and local sports. See it for yourself below ↓
Do you know the 13 Smashi verticals?
Smashi is unique in the region in many ways. Where most of the streaming services categorise their content by type (Live TV, Linear or On Demand) and genres (Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance, etc.), Smashi decided to focus on 13 verticals that look very much like brands:
Smashi Sports
Smashi aims to make local sports more accessible, and started broadcasting live matches of UAE Volleyball, UAE Handball, UAE Futsal and UAE Basketball across the region. I’ll probably dedicate a newsletter about their sports offering very soon.
Here are the other verticals:
Smashi Gaming: Gaming & Esports news in the Middle East
Smashi Entertain: Film, celeb & music business news
Smashi Crypto: Blockchain & crypto news
Smashi Business: Entrepreneurship & Tech news
Smashi Style: Fashion & beauty Tech
Smashi Health: Health and wellness news
Smashi Green: Sustainability and Environment n in the Middle East
Smashi Drives: Transport news
Smashi Travel: Travel & tourism industry news
Smashi Home: Real Estate & interior design news
Smashi Inspo: Aspirational business updates
Smashi Food: News from the food & hospitality industry
My selection of Smashi shows & originals
Smashi is home to several exclusive shows & originals. Here is a selection of what you can watch on the platform:
Dubai Works
This show is where Smashi interviews the business leaders who make a difference in the MENA region with already over 200 episodes live. From founders to CEOs, they talk in depth about their industry, their business models and get to know what has made them successful.
Topic: Business and Entrepreneurship
Language: English
Another version is also available in Arabic, focused on business leaders in Cairo and Egypt.
Who’s Crushing on Social Media
The show discusses the top trending news from influencers, viral videos, trending hashtags, Entertainment, movies, and music in the region.
Topic: Entertainment
Language: Arabic
Yalla taste
Yalla Taste is the light hearted, fun and entertaining show that highlights the tastiest dishes and best foodie recommendations across the region
Topic: Entertainment
Language: Arabic
Smashi Tech
A daily business tech and culture news show, about the latest from international companies and what's happening in the Arab region.
Topic: Technology
Language: Arabic
Who’s Crushing Koora
A weekly show that gives you the latest news and trending stories from the world of football.
Topic: Football
Language: Arabic
Smashi Gaming
Smashi Gaming is the exciting weekly show that brings you the latest gaming updates and news.
Topic: Gaming
Language: Arabic
Unspoken
Hosted by Sabine Sassine & Fouad Haidar, this show breaks down the taboos that are hitting the waves, chatting with guests to shed light on the topics of the moment.
Topic: Technology
Language: Arabic
If you want to know more about Smashi exclusive shows & originals, it’s here.
That’s all for today, a first overview of Smashi streaming service. If you enjoyed this breakdown, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues.
I hope everyone has a great week, see you online next Monday. Until then, enjoy the season 6 of The Good Doctor available on STARZPLAY.
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