Yango Play Turns One!
What’s changed, what’s working, and why its tech ecosystem matters?
Hey streamers 👋
Yango Play launched in MENA a year ago, and it caught everyone off guard. Is it a video platform? A music app? A gaming service?
Turns out, it’s a bit of everything. A super media app.
They made a big entrance just before Ramadan last year with billboards, digital ads, and even a takeover of the LED Sphere in Riyadh.
Now it’s Ramadan 2025, and Yango Play is back in the spotlight.
Today’s program
Yango Play: one year later, what’s changed?
More than streaming: a full tech ecosystem
So what?
And… Action!
Yango Play: one year later, what’s changed?
Before we jump in, quick update: I released a short video two days ago all about this topic.
From now on, I’ll share one short video every week, each covering a story in the streaming world. (Next one will be about the investment of Warner Bros Discovery in OSN).
👉 Subscribe to my YouTube channel to watch it first.
Now, back to Yango Play. And to better understand the platform, you can read my articles below:
What’s new since their launch last year?
Let’s start with the user interface. Here are a few screenshots from their CTV, desktop, and iOS apps from 2024 & 2025:
Main updates:
Yango Play is now available on desktop.
You can watch directly from your computer.The mobile app got a new look.
The old homepage with tiles is gone. Now, users go straight to the Watch section.
You can switch to Music, Games, or Account using the tabs at the bottom.The CTV version also highlights the Watch section.
A new Ramadan section is now live on mobile, and this one is very interesting.
From the beginning, Yango Play said they wanted to focus on Arabic users with local content. But this year, they added some smart new features just for Ramadan:
A sunrise and sunset tracker to help users plan their day
New shows made for Ramadan
Interactive quests where users can win rewards like an iPhone 16
Quran playlists to help with spiritual time
On the content side, Yango Play released 6 original shows, including 3 exclusive ones: Al-Ghawy, Al-Nos, and Qahwet Al-Mahata. Also: Qalby w Moftaho, Wlad Al-Shams, and Gawdar 2. Each series has 15 episodes with a mix of drama, comedy, suspense, and action.
They also improved their Live TV section, which is now part of the “Watch” tab. Yango Play now offers 32 live channels, including: Rotana Khalijiya, ART Hekayat 1 & 2, Roya, Rotana Drama, Comedy, and Classic, LBC SAT, ART Aflam 1 & 2, Rotana Cinema (KSA & Egypt), ART Cinema, Rotana Kids, Al Resalah, Rotana Music & Clip, M+, Blippi & Friends, Asharq News, Asharq Discovery, Asharq Documentary, Al Kahera Wal Nas (1 & 2), ETC, Sharjah TV, Sky News Arabia, France 24 Arabic, and Al Mashhad.
Next, let’s talk about why Yango Play is more than just a streaming app.
More than streaming: a full tech ecosystem
When you visit the Yango Group website, you’ll see that they offer a wide range of services:
But not all of them are available in the MENA region. At least, not yet. For example, when I open the Yango App in the UAE, here’s what I see:
It means the following services are available:
Yango Drive – Rent a car
Yango Delivery – For cargo and delivery services
Yango Maps – For navigation (also available as a separate app)
Yango Rides – Ride-hailing service
Yasmina – Their Arabic-speaking AI assistant
Yango Ads – Advertising services
I also found an app on the App Store called Yango Deli, which looks similar to Yango Food, but it seems this service hasn’t launched in the region yet.
So What?
Yango Play launched as a super media app, bringing video, music, and games together in one place. But in reality, it now feels like streaming video has taken the lead.
The homepage on mobile, desktop, and CTV is all about the “Watch” section, where users find movies, TV series, and live channels. That’s clearly the core focus.
Music is still an important part of the app, not just a side feature. It’s powered by AI-generated music streams, offering endless playlists based on your mood, preferences, and listening history. And it’s integrated with Yasmina, Yango’s voice assistant.
The Games tab is the most surprising one for me. I get how video and music go hand-in-hand. But I’m still unsure about the mini-games. Do users really open Yango Play to watch, listen, and play all at once?
What’s interesting, though, is the gamification system. When you play, you earn coins. These coins can be used to win prizes or even unlock a free subscription to the platform.
The next big step?
Yango could connect all their services through a shared rewards system. Imagine earning coins for taking a Yango Ride, and then using those coins to:
Get a free month of Yango Play
Unlock a discount to rent a car
Or access other services across their ecosystem
That’s where the real value lies, not just in having one App that does everything, but in building a connected ecosystem of apps:
✅ One account
✅ One payment method
✅ One loyalty system
It’s a smart way to keep users engaged, reduce churn, and increase their lifetime value.
Wishing everyone a fantastic week! See you online next Monday. In the meantime, enjoy Solo Leveling season 2 on Crunchyroll. They say whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but that’s not the case for the world’s weakest hunter Sung Jinwoo.
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