Yango Play Impact on MENA Streaming: A six-Month Review
How Yango Play is capturing the market with local content and innovative features
Hey streamers 👋
Welcome to The Streaming Lab, a weekly newsletter exploring the trends that matter to streaming professionals in the MENA region. If you are not already a subscriber, sign up and receive it directly in your inbox every Monday.
Today’s program
Today, I'm taking another look at Yango Play, six months after its initial launch in the MENA region.
Haven’t tried Yango Play yet? Here’s what you need to know
What’s new?
What’s next?
And… Action!
Haven’t tried Yango Play yet? Here’s what you need to know
If you’re not familiar with Yango Play yet, check out the first article I wrote about it back in February:
Here’s the full recap:
Yango Play launched in February in seven MENA countries: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Egypt.
This launch followed the introduction of the Yango Super App in Middle East called “Yango: taxi, food, delivery” offering ride-hailing, delivery, and e-grocery services, and the live traffic and GPS location App “Yango Maps”.
Yango Play launched in the region with a clear objective: to become the first super media app in MENA, mixing different content: music, movies, series, mini-games, and TV channels, into one seamless experience.
The platform created quite a buzz in the region with its impressive communication strategy and initiatives, something we're not used to seeing from local streaming services:
Riyadh Sphere takeover: Yango Play was the first brand ever to use the “Sphere” in Riyadh for advertising.
Billboards in Dubai that were difficult to miss ;)
Yango Play billboard in DIFC (Dubai) Generous 60-day free trial: In the middle of Ramadan - a key period for the streaming industry in MENA.
Exclusive Ramadan content lineup: The Assassins, Sakf El Waled, Nazret Hob, Beit El Rifaey, and Revive Your Heart.
A launch party with actors and influencers from across the region.
I wasn't surprised to see Yango Play ranked as the top Android app in the Entertainment category and among the top 5 for iOS across all countries.
I wish I could provide subscriber numbers but there's nothing official yet. However, it's safe to assume that Yango Play reached a significant number of subscribers during Ramadan. Now, their real challenge is keeping those subscribers on the platform (and engaged;).
This is exactly where being a super media app gets interesting, with features like music and mini-games. Yango Play gamification strategy is a unique way to keep users engaged. I started building my Yango city recently. It might be small, but I’m working on it!
What’s new?
Let’s play with the App on iOS and see what’s changed:
There’s a new tile called TV Channel. I’m sure you can guess what’s inside: It features 20 channels from several regional broadcasters:
Rotana: Rotana Khalijiya, Rotana Drama, Rotana Comedy, Rotana+, LBC SAT, Rotana Cinema (KSA), Rotana Cinema (Egypt), Rotana Aflam+, Rotana Classic, Rotana Kids, Al Resalah, Rotana Music, Rotana Clips, M+
Arab Radio and Television: ART Hekayat 1, ART Hekayat 2, ART Aflam 1, ART Aflam 2, ART Cinema
Roya Media Group: Roya TV
Another tile also appeared: STARZPLAY. This content was included within the movies and series section at launch but now has its own dedicated tile. I assume the deal between Yango Play and STARZPLAY (and the content providers involved) required the content to sit within a branded ecosystem.
The free trial is still available, but now it’s “only” 30 days. Initially, Yango Play offered a 60-day trial to get as many subscribers as possible during Ramadan.
Yango Play has announced a new feature for its music content called My Vibe: an endless music stream based on a recommendation algorithm curating tracks, artists, and genres that align with the listener’s selected preferences, mood, and past interactions.
Yango has continued to release premium Arabic content. The platform celebrated Eid al-Fitr with an exciting lineup, including 3alzero, HWJN, Abo Nasab, and Al-Wad Sayed Al-Shaghal.
More recently, Yango Play released the movie A Nose and Three Eyes, a joint production between Lagoonie Film Production and Rise Studios. This follows the film’s success at the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden, where it won the Audience Award.
And to give you a better idea of the new content available, today’s new releases include: Games 80 (Russia), Lunch Box (Egypt), Son of Alhamd (Egypt), Gulcemal (Turkey), Fasel Men El Lahazat El Lazeeza (Egypt), Sheyb (Egypt), Five Rounds (Egypt), Aba Nasab (Egypt), Aalzero (Egypt), etc.
Finally, Yango Play expanded to Jordan in June. Where to next?
What doesn’t change?
The pricing:
Saudi Arabia: SAR 29.99
UAE: AED 29.99
Egypt: EGP 69.99
Qatar: QAR 29.99
Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait: USD 7.99
The monthly subscription in Jordan is much lower than in other countries, priced at just $2.99.
What’s next?
Here’s what I anticipate for Yango Play in the coming months:
Keeping a local approach
There is no doubt the content team will continue to localize the strategy by offering premium Arabic movies and series, Egyptian comedy shows, and classic Arabic films. I believe they have more originals in the pipeline, produced in partnership with local production companies.
Expanding with western content
Currently, Yango Play relies on STARZPLAY for Western content. It would be safer to bring other partners on board or directly acquire strong international titles to diversify their offerings.
Exploring popular categories
I expect Yango Play to experiment with categories that resonate well in the Middle East, such as Bollywood, Korean dramas, anime, and local sports.
Improving Yango Play and Yango Apps Integration
The connection between Yango Play and the other Yango apps (Yango: taxi, food, delivery and Yango Maps) could increaser engagement for the full Yandex ecosystem.
Hybrid Model
Adding FAST channels to Yango Play would allow users to watch content for free, with commercials. This makes even more sense given that they just announced their ad Tech solutions, Yango Ads MEA.
What do you think is in store for Yango Play in the coming months? Reply to this email, I'd love to discuss it with you directly.
That’s all for today, a six-month review of Yango Play. 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 Simone Biles Rising on Netflix, a docuseries about the greatest gymnast of all time.
The Streaming Lab is a weekly newsletter exploring the trends that matter to streaming professionals in the MENA region. If you are not already a subscriber, sign up and receive it directly in your inbox every Monday.
Read all the previous edition of The Streaming Lab here.
Interested in advertising with The Streaming Lab and reach a qualified audience in MENA? Email me.
Track the MENA streaming ecosystem and anticipate the future of the industry. Subscribe to TLS+