Will Love is Blind: Habibi (UAE) Become Netflix's Next Big Hit in the MENA Region?
Exploring all seasons of Love is Blind to assess its potential in Middle East & North Africa
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Today’s program
Netflix has announced last week Love is Blind, Habibi, the UAE-based edition of the successful reality TV show. Do you really know this format and what could be its potential in the MENA region?
Love is Blind: a powerful concept
A franchise driven by the American version
What’s next on Netflix MENA?
And… Action!
Love is Blind: a powerful concept
The first season of Love is Blind (US) got released in February 2020, capturing a massive audience with an estimated 30 million viewers in its first four weeks. The concept was simple but unique and generated a lot of traction: Creating love connections without physical interaction.
Following this success, Netflix expanded the franchise globally, launching variations in Brazil, Japan and more recently Sweden. Love is Blind should also have a UK & UAE edition very soon. The show is hosted in the US by Nick and Vanessa Lachey.
Love is Blind: Habibi will be the UAE-based edition of the series. This new version will follow the concept of the franchise, focusing on Arab singles participating in blind dating. Participants will communicate in isolated pods, only hearing each other's voices. The objective should lead to engagements based on emotional connections rather than physical attraction. This concept should be interesting in the Middle East, where the region's rich cultural diversity could bring unique scenarios. The show will be hosted by Elham Ali and Khaled Saqer, well known actors in Arab cinema.
This upcoming localized version of Love is Blind is part of a broader trend of reality shows produced in the UAE, joining The Real Housewives of Dubai (OSN+), Dubai Bling (Netflix) and Million Dollar Listing UAE (STARZPLAY). Here is the teaser trailer shared by Netflix MENA on Instagram last week ↓
If you want to know everything about Love is Blind, I suggest you to have a look at Tudum, Netflix’s official site made for and dedicated to fans.
A franchise driven by the American version
How to measure the success of Love is Blind past seasons? I could share with you the number of hours viewed but let’s keep it simple: I designed a graph based on 2 data that are key to understand the potential of Love is Blind all over the world and more specifically in the MENA region.
The number of countries where Love is Blind reached Netflix Top 10 TV
Same data but limited to countries from the MENA region
My main observations:
From Season 1 to Season 4, Love is Blind (US) saw a steady increase in success, as reflected by its rankings in the Netflix top 10 across various countries.
However, Season 5 of Love is Blind (US) marked a slight decline, reaching the top 10 in 49 countries compared to 57 for Season 4, raising questions about the show's ongoing momentum.
Despite this drop in the number of countries, Season 5 of Love is Blind (US) has still demonstrated significant popularity in the MENA region. It made it to the top 10 in 7 countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the UAE.
The spinoffs of Love is Blind in Japan, Brazil, and Sweden have all achieved success, primarily within their respective local markets. Among these, the Swedish version stands out as the most successful in appealing to audiences internationally
An additional important metric not shown in the number of weeks of the show in the Global top 10. While Season 1 was in the top 10 for just one week, Season 5 remained in this list for 5 weeks. This indicates that the overall popularity of Love is Blind (US) continues to grow, despite the fluctuation in the number of countries where it tops the charts.
Love is Blind, Habibi (UAE) has a strong potential for several reasons:
First, there's an audience for this genre, both locally and internationally. For instance, Dubai Bling (Dubai/UAE) Season 1, one of the most successful local reality show in the MENA region, was in the Netflix top 10 in 51 countries, including 10 MENA countries, and even made it to the Global Top 10 during 4 weeks!
Reality shows have a proven track record of success in the UAE, as evidenced by recent hits like The Real Housewives of Dubai, Dubai Bling, and Million Dollar Listing UAE.
However, a key challenge for Love is Blind, Habibi will be to effectively showcase the region's cultural diversity while simultaneously respecting its traditions.
What’s next on Netflix MENA?
Alongside Love is Blind, Netflix announced recently several Arabic content that will be released in 2024, from dramas, comedies to animation showcasing Arab talents.
This collection features TV series and films coming from different countries, highlighting the region's diverse storytelling: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Kuwait and Jordan.
MasameerJunior (TV series - KSA)
Basma (Film - KSA)
Finding Ola S2 (TV series - Egypt)
Echoes of the Past (TV series - Egypt)
Al Rawabi School for Girls S2 (TV series - Jordan)
The Exchange S2 (TV series - Kuwait)
Honeymoonish (Film - Kuwait)
That’s all for today, will Love is Blind, Habibi (UAE) become Netflix's next success in MENA? 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 Griselda on Netflix. Fleeing from Medellín to Miami, Griselda Blanco creates one of the most ruthless cartels in history.
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