ISSUE 138 | FEBRUARY 2022
Licensed by Dubai Development Authority
n dollars as o li il m f o le p u o c ily rakes in a m a F ated series e p im A n d a e e R th e f o Th s e d o up to buy epis e u e u q ts s ia s u NFT enth
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Welcome NFTs, cryptocurrency, metaverse, Ethereum, blockchain … although these terms have become a regular feature of our lives, I must confess I have never associated any of them with TV or streaming. Not until I heard about an animation series called The Red Ape Family (TRAF), the brainchild of an animation artist and an NFT marketeer in Dubai, and how they have used it to monetise their content. Between them, they came up with a drama series starring NFT characters and guess what? Even before the first episode was officially screened, they’d made a million dollars selling the same edition to 333 people and still retaining the IP for the production. They have enjoyed the same success with the second episode. None of the drama of pitching a pilot to several people and hoping some funding will come in. At a time when so many fantastic scripts do not see the light of day for lack of funding, here are some industry folk who have disrupted the market. Our cover story brings you some details that will leave you speechless. But there is also an ugly side to NFTs that we haven’t quite learnt much about, and that’s the carbon
footprint they leave behind. The sale of a piece of crypto art, for instance, reportedly consumes as much energy as a studio uses in two years. So, how much energy is potentially consumed when an eight-minute video is sold and resold, one wonders. While I’m no expert on energy consumption, the basic idea is that NFTs are digital tokens, and their authenticity and transactions can be traced and verified through a process called mining. This involves a network of computers that uses advanced cryptography to check the veracity of transactions and, in turn, consume a lot of energy. That energy is reported to lead to carbon emissions – a lot of it. This is no tall story, so we hope that as we begin to navigate the world of NFTs, we may also consider ways to mitigate its effect on the environment. For now, we hope we are able to introduce you to a new way to monetise your content. Happy reading.
Vijaya Cherian, Editorial Director
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The publisher of this magazine has made every effort to ensure the content is accurate on the date of publication. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the publisher and editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content are published in good faith. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. Publication licensed by Dubai Development Authority to CPI Trade Publishing FZ LLC. Printed by Printwell Printing Press LLC.
ISSUE 138 | FEBRUARY 2022
Licensed by Dubai Development Authority
as of million dollars rakes in a couple series The Red Ape Family to buy episodes of the animated queue up NFT enthusiasts
On this month's cover…
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The Red Ape Family and its founders.
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February 2022 | www.broadcastprome.com | 1
PROCONTENTS
Inside this issue 05 NEWS SBA ropes in AFL to produce reality TV show; Jason Monteiro moves from Shahid to HBO Max; Red Sea Lodge invites submissions to 2022 edition from Arab filmmakers; KSA box office registers 95% increase from 2020; Dr Matthias Erb joins ARRI; OSN extends HBO licensing agreement; and more 16 COVER – NO MONKEYING
AROUND WITH NFTS One of the world’s first NFTstarring drama series has been created in Dubai and even before the screening of the first episode, the team raked in a million dollars. BroadcastPro ME brings you the exclusive
February 2022 SBA AND AFL JOIN FORCES FOR TV SHOW
NETFLIX TO EXPERIENCE SLOWDOWN
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05 AZERCOSMOS AND MEASAT TIE IN AFRICA
NFT SHOW RAKES IN THE DOLLARS
24 HOW THE E-COMMERCE GURUS DO IT! Experts share strategies to help the entertainment industry up its game
30 WOMEN ON A MISSION Canon brings together women filmmakers from Egypt, the UAE and Nigeria to discuss their success stories at EXPO 2020 34 CATCH THEM YOUNG After producing and distributing children’s content for a decade, the founders of Jordan’s PG Studios launched a streaming service for kids last month. We bring you the details
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E-COM GURUS SHARE THEIR STRATEGIES
WOMEN FILMMAKERS AT EXPO 2020
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24 PG STUDIOS GOES D2C WITH PG KIDS
NEW PRODUCTS ON THE BLOCK
38 NEW PRODUCTS A look at some of the new launches in broadcast
40 GUEST COLUMN Alex Wilkinson on how to leverage social watching and XR functionalities to enhance the viewer experience
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PRONEWS
Saudi Broadcasting Authority ropes in AFL to produce reality TV show Saudi Broadcasting Authority has joined forces with Dubai production house Art Format Lab (AFL) to launch a reality show on fashion and lifestyle titled Yalla Nyghayer (Let’s Change). It spotlights three Saudi women entrepreneurs who have achieved major success in their careers as designers, stylists and beauty specialists -- Mona Al-Noman, Banan AlJefri and Noha Al-Sindi, who have a beauty and lifestyle consultancy centre in Riyadh. The show airs every Wednesday on SBC at 9:30pm KSA time and follows the daily life of the three fashionistas and their team of specialists, with four clients seeking a makeover, beauty treatments or a lifestyle consultancy. With twelve 30-minute episodes, it is presented by the three entrepreneurs and actress Saraa AlOtaibi, who
The Yalla Nyghayer production team.
plays a comic receptionist. The show showcases the spring/summer 2022 collections of popular prêtà-porter and haute couture brands. It is shot at various locations in the Qurtuba neighbourhood of Riyadh, with international DoP Michal Sosna joining a team of more than 50 experienced crew members. “This is the first Saudi
makeover show with a fully local cast,” claimed Khulud Abu-Homos, CEO of Art Format Lab. “This show has premiered at a time when the Kingdom is witnessing a lot of changes with serious initiatives to establish the fashion industry, with plans to open doors for modelling, design and fashion business initiatives. This in turn supports the Saudi
leadership’s 2030 vision.” With the Saudi fashion industry import market estimated to be worth more than $2.9bn and the Islamic fashion sector expected to increase from $270bn to almost $361bn by 2030, the show seems well placed to capitalise on this demand. “This makeover show needed a lot of expertise in beauty shooting. It has been a huge learning experience for our three cameramen working with Sosna. The other major challenge was having to shoot our makeovers in real time, which almost takes five to six hours each,” explained Abu-Homos. While she concedes that there are a lot of makeover shows, she claims this is an original format developed by Art Format Lab and implemented for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
Jason Monteiro exits Shahid, joins HBO Max as GM for Southeast Asia WarnerMedia has appointed Jason Monteiro as GM of HBO Max Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He will temporarily report to Johannes Larcher, head of HBO Max International, until a new MD for the broader India, Southeast Asia and Korea region is named. In this new role, Monteiro will oversee the
Jason Monteiro.
day-to-day operations of WarnerMedia’s D2C business, taking the lead on content experience, brand, marketing, subscriber management, digital partnerships and data analytics. He will also be responsible for the existing HBO Go streaming service and the eventual launch of HBO Max in the region, and will build and lead a cross-functional
team to maximise the success of the service. Monteiro has extensive OTT leadership experience across APAC and the Middle East, most recently serving as Director of AVOD at Shahid. No date has been confirmed for the launch of HBO Max in Asia, with WarnerMedia focused on the growth of HBO Go, its existing streaming service in the region.
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PRONEWS
StarzPlay and Discovery expand ties to offer GolfTV
StarzPlay has joined forces again with Discovery, Inc. to offer GolfTV, an add-on channel for MENA golf fans. The streaming platform has been building up its live sports catalogue for popular sports in the region
like football and cricket, and with golf and rugby is making access to the niche sports category convenient. GolfTV will be available as a stand-alone channel on StarzPlay for $9.99, and existing StarzPlay subscribers
IBC2022 invites technical papers IBC has opened submissions for its Technical Papers programme for the IBC2022 Conference. The programme welcomes entries from all industry sectors across the media, entertainment and technology industry and from every discipline. At this initial stage, IBC is looking for a 300word synopsis giving a concise overview of the concept that will be the key topic of the paper, highlighting what is unique and explaining its background. The submissions deadline is February 9.
Dr Paul Entwistle, Chair of IBC's Technical Papers Committee, said: "Last year, we learnt of conversational robots, industry challenging approaches to privacy management, practical improvements to streaming systems and the standardisation of AI/ Machine learning. The technology impacting our industry is broad. So, whether your advance is futuristic, alternative or practical – in production systems, content creation, delivery or human experience, we welcome your technical/ scientific submission."
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can access it free for a year. Danny Bates, Chief Commercial Officer, StarzPlay, said: “We have witnessed impressive success in launching and live streaming sporting events such as UFC, the epic AFC Asian qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, rugby and ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, and we are proud to expand our portfolio of live sporting events to include golf. The Discovery, Inc. add-on GolfTV on StarzPlay will bring the incredible sport closer to millions of fans in the MENA region. We aim to strengthen our sports portfolio by offering more choices.”
Reem Moustafa begins filming for Arabic version of Suits Egyptian actress Reem Moustafa has started filming the Arabic version of American TV series Suits. She will co-star alongside Aser Yassin, Saba Mubarak, Ahmed Daoud, Mohamed Shaheen and Tara Emad. The series is directed by Maryam Ahmadi, with script and dialogue by Mohamed Hefzy, Mohamed Galal, Mahmoud Nassar and Nadine Badrawi. The show is the second collaboration for Moustafa and Yassin – Al-Tamanya (The Eight) will premiere soon on MBC’s Shahid.
PlayBox reports spike in demand for broadcast solutions in 2021 PlayBox Neo founder and CEO Pavlin Rahnev has announced that despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 last year, the company witnessed sustained demand for the PlayBox Neo range of TV chªnnel playout and channel branding equipment and services. He stated that orders were particularly strong in the telecommunications sector as major service providers around the world responded to the increasing popularity of terrestrial, satellite and streamed television. “We have been busy on projects ranging from system updates and expansion to the complete renovation of playout infrastructure. Demand for our AirBox Neo-20 and Cloud2TV offerings surpassed a total installed base of 19,000 branding and playout channels in Q3. Updates to our Channel-in-a-Box, AirBox Neo-20 and Capture Suite were announced during 2021, adding new features designed to make TV channel management, branding and playout easier than ever. He added that the company also anticipated an increased demand for software-as-aservice solutions such as its Cloud2TV.
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PRONEWS
Red Sea Lodge invites submissions to 2022 edition from Arab filmmakers The third edition of Red Sea Lodge is now open for submissions from Saudi and Arab directors, producers and scriptwriters until February 11. Red Sea Lodge offers a tenmonth creative and professional training programme covering five workshops that take participants through every step of the film creation process, with guidance and mentorship from industry professionals, tutors and speakers from around the world with varying backgrounds in the film industry. For filmmakers on the cusp of their big break, the Red Sea Lodge, in partnership with TorinoFilmLab, selects projects for creative and professional mentorship, development and next-level industry opportunities. Red Sea Lodge Manager Jumana Zahid said: “We are so excited to see the raw talent
Team members and delegates from the 2021 edition of Red Sea Lodge.
and ingenuity that we will uncover with the third edition of the Red Sea Lodge. The intensive training programme was created to mould a concept into a live piece of art on the cinema screen. We want to help aspiring Saudi and Arab filmmakers inspire others through the stories they tell in their films and leave their mark on the film industry locally and internationally.
Our aim is to see the Saudi film industry flourish by investing in our talents and giving them the tools and guidance they need to excel.” The programme is open to teams working on a feature film project at any stage of development. A maximum of twelve project teams will be selected, at least six of which will be Saudi, with the remainder from across the Arab
Dr Matthias Erb joins ARRI as Chairman of Executive Board ARRI has appointed Dr Matthias Erb as Chairman of the Executive Board, effective immediately. With this addition, the Executive Board will once again consist of three members. Erb is also responsible for the strategic alignment of the business, along with the Finance, HR, Legal and Quality Management departments. Dr Michael Neuhaeuser
Dr. Matthias Erb.
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will continue to focus on Operations and Technology, and Markus Zeiler will continue to oversee Business and Sales. The new configuration will ensure that Executive Board members can focus even more intensively on their respective areas while facilitating the further development of technologies and business models.
world. The 2022 programme includes five workshops, three online and the other two in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The workshops will be conducted in English, with Arabic translation available. There will also be ongoing script development sessions and producer coaching programmes. Following the intensive development process and meetings with industry professionals, teams will have the opportunity to pitch their projects to investors and financiers at the festival’s project market, the Red Sea Souk. They will also compete for the annual Red Sea Lodge Production Awards, with two winning projects awarded a grant of $100,000 each. The winners will also receive an Arab premiere for their film at the next Red Sea International Film Festival.
HBO Max appoints Turkey Director-General WarnerMedia has appointed Baris Zavaroglu as its DirectorGeneral for HBO Max in Turkey, ahead of the platform’s launch there later this year. He will be responsible for leading the D2C business in the newly created role, overseeing the launch and growth of HBO Max in Turkey, aligned with the streamer’s wider strategy in the EMEA region. Zavaroglu joins from Turkcell’s OTT and pay-TV business TV Plus, where he was GM.
PRONEWS
KSA box office registers 95% increase from 2020 to $238m in 2021: Comscore Saudi Arabia continued its exponential growth as a theatrical box office market in 2021 with revenue totalling $238m, a 95% increase compared to $122m in 2020, according to the latest figures provided by Comscore. It has now consolidated its status as western Asia’s top theatrical market in terms of gross box office revenue, surpassing the UAE’s $130m in 2021. Saudi cinemas showed 340
new films in 2021, up from 222 in 2020. The top-grossing title was Egyptian comedy Waafet Reggaala (A Stand Worthy of Men), which pulled in over $15m, the most since moviegoing was reinstated in January 2018. The top-grossing Hollywood title was Spider-Man: No Way Home with $11.2m, followed by Cruella with $9.1m and Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man with $8.3m. Egyptian comedy Mesh Ana
(Not Me) weighed in at no. 5 with $8.2m and another Egyptian film, Mama Hamel (Mom Is Pregnant), came in at no. 10 with $5.9m. The surge in box office revenue coincides with the doubling of the number of cinemas. The number of multi-screen movie theatres in Saudi Arabia grew from 33 at the start of 2021 to 53 by December 2021, according to Comscore. Saudi-owned Muvi Cinemas
Anghami collaborates with Amazon Alexa to deliver interactive experience Music streaming platform Anghami has announced the launch of its new Alexa skill, which offers users in the UAE and Saudi Arabia a seamless experience in Arabic and English. As one of Amazon Alexa’s first skill partners in the Middle East, Anghami aims to deliver a seamless localised music experience in Khaleeji Arabic for its Arabic-speaking users. Alexa understands Arabic Khaleeji dialects, Modern Standard Arabic (Fus’ha) or English. With Anghami’s Alexa skill, users can stream podcasts, control millions of songs and play music that fits their mood using just their voice. Users can also listen to Quran
Anghami hopes to deliver a seamless experience in Khaleeji Arabic.
recitals in the voice of their favourite Qari. Customers with Alexa-enabled devices will simply need to connect their Anghami accounts to access the wide range of content available on the platform by asking Alexa to play a playlist, artist, genre or podcast. Elie Habib, co-founder and CTO of Anghami, said: “In recognition of the importance of our Arabic language, this
cooperation will further enhance the experience for our customers and help to spread our culture worldwide. As part of our continued commitment to elevating the music industry and incorporating leading technology capabilities, we are thrilled to team up with Amazon to bring an innovative experience to our customers in KSA and UAE.”
operates the most cinemas, with 21 locations across the Kingdom. The aim is to increase the number of cinema screens from 430 to 2,600 by 2030, commented Bahaa Abdulmajeed, Business Development Manager at the Saudi Ministry of Investment, during the recent Red Sea Film Festival. Saudi Arabia is predicted to become a billion-dollar movie market in the next few years.
Iranian film A Hero makes Academy Awards 2022 shortlist Iranian producer Asghar Farhadi’s latest film A Hero has been Oscar-nominated in the Best International Feature Film category, after a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film last month. The film, Farhadi’s fourth, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where it won the Grand Prix. Farhadi won an Oscar in 2012 for A Separation, the first Iranian film to do so. In 2017, he won another Academy Award for The Salesman.
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PRONEWS
GlobalData predicts Netflix slowdown as more international services emerge Netflix last year commanded a 21% share of the US subscription video-ondemand market, but with competition increasing, it has been experiencing a slowdown, according to data analytics firm GlobalData. GlobalData Associate Analyst Francesca Gregory said: “We have already started to see Netflix branching out to different areas with the launch of Netflix Games in November 2021 and a costreaming partnership with Twitch. Reaching different audiences will continue to be a key strategy. I wouldn’t be surprised if the company looked to experiment with more gaming streaming platforms in the future. “Netflix experienced a slow start to 2021, following a light slate of content as pandemic production problems came to
OSN extends HBO licensing agreement OSN has strengthened its partnership with HBO and extended its exclusive licensing agreement. As part of the deal, OSN Streaming will continue to be the exclusive home of complete boxsets for HBO series including Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Sex and the City and The Wire.
the fore. Although fresh content in its Q3 boosted subscribers to 214m, competing platforms are experiencing explosive growth. Disney+ amassed 118m subscribers by November 2021, just two years after its launch. Bezos also boasted that 175m Amazon Prime subscribers had streamed content last year. “Although subscriber accounting across platforms varies, it is clear that 2022 will
be characterised by increased competition. As the number of streaming platforms increases and the market approaches peak fragmentation, SVoD platforms will use content portfolios to differentiate themselves. The trend of huge content spending will continue, with franchises that are likely to attract a loyal fanbase standing to benefit in the next year. This
MENA pay-TV revenues to drop by $1.5bn: Digital TV Research Pay-TV revenues for 20 MENA countries are set to fall by 38% between the peak year of 2016 ($3.84bn) and 2027 ($2.39bn), according to Digital TV Research. Pay-TV revenues for the 13 Arabic-speaking countries will be $915m by 2027, down from $1.571bn in 2016, and pay-TV subscriber numbers will fall from 3.70m to 3.14m for the same period.
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Turkish pay-TV revenues will be $722m in 2027, $188m down from 2016. However, the number of pay-TV subscribers will grow from 5.92m in 2016 to 8.25m in 2027. Cord-cutting in Israel will see 46% of its pay-TV subscribers lost between 2014 and 2027. Pay-TV revenues will fall from $1.15bn to $437m over the same period.
trend is already in motion, with Amazon committing $1bn on its Lord of the Rings series before a single episode has hit viewers’ screens.” Gregory concluded: “The ‘all-you-can-eat’ business model has proven popular with streamers so far. However, this means that to grow revenues, streaming platforms will need to seek new audiences. A series of strategic partnerships between video streaming, gaming and podcast companies will take place. The launch of Netflix Games in November 2021 and a co-streaming partnership with Twitch for select content is evidence of some of the ways this diversification will take place.” GlobalData said Netflix remains the undisputed leader, but competition is forcing platforms to provide more evocative content.
Candle Media acquires Faraway Road Productions American firm Candle Media has acquired Israeli studio Faraway Road Productions, the company behind hit action show Fauda. The deal was completed for just under $50m. Faraway Road Productions is set to premiere season four of Fauda later this year on Israel’s Yes TV, streaming worldwide on Netflix.
PRONEWS
BeIN Sports reports 450m viewers for 2021 Arab Cup
During the 2021 Arab Cup in Qatar between November 30 and December 18, 2021, BeIN Sports reportedly had more than 450m cumulative views. Matches were available free-to-air across the MENA region on beIN Sports 1
Ibrahim Abu Assi joins GSL Professional as Head of Broadcast GSL Professional has appointed Ibrahim Abu Assi as Head of Broadcast. Abu Assi previously worked as Broadcast Director at Sharjah Media Corporation. He has extensive broadcasting experience since 1996 and has worked with companies such as QvestMedia.
and beIN Sports 2, and on YouTube in 33 countries. According to research statistics, there were over 387m views on linear channels, with the final between Algeria and Tunisia recording the highest audience with 40m
views. Next came the Tunisia versus Egypt semi-final with 37m and Qatar versus Algeria with 32m. Egypt’s six matches were all among the ten most-watched on beIN Sports 1 and beIN Sports 2. The number of viewers on beIN Sports 1 and beIN Sports 2 on YouTube hit record levels, with a total number of 79m cumulative views for live streams. The final set an EMEA record with 2.3m concurrent viewers; BeIN digitally aired it in the MENA region and France, Turkey, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Timor Leste, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines.
Al-Nahar TV network ditches Choueiri and returns to Trenta Egyptian network Al-Nahar TV's exclusive advertising rights have been moved back to Trenta, after a year of exclusive collaboration with Choueiri Group’s C-Media. This came into effect last month. A press release from Al-Nahar TV said: “The decision was taken by the parties’ respective
managements, following a year of collaboration. In a short period of time, Trenta and C-Media have built trust between each other and with the Egyptian advertising market that will endure beyond the termination of their agreement and pave the way for future collaborations.”
E-junior completes 21 years in UAE E-junior, an exclusive children’s channel available on eLife TV, fully owned by E-Vision and a part of Etisalat, has completed 21 years in the UAE. Since its rollout in 2001, ejunior has consistently been rated as the most-viewed children’s TV channel in the UAE. It has also maintained its number one ranking in the children’s category on the eLife TV network in the region, according to Etisalat’s Television Audience Measurement (TAM) data.
Kuwait’s 88.8 radio frequency licensed to Tamdeen Group Kuwaiti mixed-use property developer Tamdeen Group has secured a five-year licence to operate the radio frequency of Q8Pulse 88.8, a major radio station in Kuwait, through a competitive bidding process run by the Kuwait Ministry of Information. The station has now been rebranded as 360 FM. Talal Alyagout, CEO of Q8Pulse 88.8, will retain his role. The station will also continue broadcasting live from 360 Mall throughout the week.
Rebecca Campbell to helm Disney's international content group Disney has formed a new international content group to expand its pipeline of content in local and regional markets and bolster its global subscriber numbers. This will be helmed by Rebecca Campbell. She will be responsible for expanding the international content creation pipeline, amplifying the company’s localised content strategy. She will continue to oversee the company’s teams in APAC, EMEA, India and Latin America.
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PRONEWS
OTT service LIVENow launches in MENA Global live video streaming platform LIVENow has launched in the MENA region to bring further growth to its media and entertainment market and bring sports, music and entertainment into the comfort of homes. The platform is now established in 35 different countries across 10 languages and 19 currencies, with over half a million registered users. It has hosted concerts
by a range of high-profile international artists including Dua Lipa, Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5, SZA, Lizzo, Gorillaz and Ellie Goulding. Sports events have included MMA, rugby, cricket, basketball and international football. With the service now available in the MENA region, it aims to reshape the way that music, sport and culture is consumed.
The first live concert was from Emirati/Yemeni artist Balqees, streamed on January 18. She has a huge global following with more than 30m online fans and premiered two tracks exclusively during the LIVENow stream. The video wall lets up to 100 users become part of the live stream, while the chat app allows the creation of instant fan communities
that can share knowledge and information across the region. In addition, the platform offers multicam options, record and send video options, and virtual hangouts where up to four friends can live-stream together. LIVENow is available across a wide range of devices, including the desktop website, iOS app and Android apps, plus Chromecast.
MultiChoice launches new channels for Mozambique and Angola Pan-African pay-TV operator MultiChoice has launched two new TV channels – Maningue Magic and Kwenda Magic – for audiences in Mozambique and Angola respectively. The Portugueselanguage channels will show dramas, telenovelas, local versions of hit reality shows, comedies, dubbed international content and homegrown music on DStv and GOtv platforms. Over the past 18 months,
MultiChoice has grown its local content offering through channel launches including Pearl Magic Prime, Akwaaba Magic and Abol TV in Uganda, Ghana and Ethiopia, as well as investing in international coproductions like Reyka and ongoing local productions like Big Brother Naija. The group produced an additional 2,692 hours of local content in 2021, up 41% year-on-year.
Egyptian actress Yousra begins filming for new Ramadan series Egyptian actress Yousra has started filming for her new role in the upcoming Ramadan series Ahlam Saaeda (Happy Dreams). The series is written by Hala Khalil and directed by Amr Arafa, who previously collaborated with Yousra on Saraya Abdeen.
Yousra stars alongside Ghada Adel, May Kassab, Nour Mahmoud and Nabil Nour Eddine, in addition to a group of other actors who will be announced later. Yousra is known for taking up television series that discuss important societal issues.
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Amazon Prime Video inks deal with Nigeria’s Anthill Studios Amazon Prime Video has signed a multi-year licensing agreement with Nigerian production company Anthill Studios. The streamer will have exclusive worldwide distribution rights to Anthill’s slate of theatrical releases starting this year, with titles including Progressive Tailors Club. Anthill Studios was founded in 2010 by Niyi Akinmolayan and is behind Nollywood hits including Prophetess, Day of Destiny and
Elevator Baby. This is Amazon Prime Video’s second exclusive output agreement with a Nigerian studio, following on from the Inkblot deal announced last month. Niyi Akinmolayan, founder and Creative Director of Anthill Studios, said: “I am really excited because with this licensing deal we can explore more story ideas, including genres new to Nollywood like sci-fi and animation, for a global audience.”
PROSATELLITE
Azercosmos and MEASAT draw up new deal for Africa
A new agreement between Azercosmos and Malaysian operator MEASAT Satellite Systems will see MEASAT utilise all Azerspace-1 C-band capacity to provide satellite services throughout Africa. Azercosmos will ensure the continued seamless distribution of broadcasting, data, video and audio services to more than 100m African
households and the reliable provision of data connectivity in rural areas and emergency situations. The agreement was based on advice from Fieldfisher, led by John Worthy, Partner and head of the Fieldfisher Satellite and Space Projects group. Worthy also advised Azercosmos on its initial collaboration with MEASAT in 2010.
“With its excellent knowledge of legal matters in the telecommunications space industry, the Fieldfisher team efficiently reflected Azercosmos’ requirements in the transaction,” commented Ilgar Abdullayev, Director of the Legal department, Azercosmos. “We are delighted to have worked closely with the Azercosmos team to secure this strategic expansion of their international reach,” commented John Worthy. “Building the foundation for the next stage of this longestablished partnership has been enormously exciting, drawing on our many years’ space experience. We look forward to seeing this collaboration flourish over the years to come.”
Euroconsult: Space economy worth $370bn in 2021 The global space economy totalled $370bn in 2021, up 6% on 2020, according to space consulting and market intelligence firm Euroconsult’s annual Space Economy report. This includes commercial space revenues and government procurement for space activities contracted to the private sector. Other spending from government organisations to conduct space activities, including internal costs and R&D, came to another $33bn.
The space economy is expected to grow 74% by 2030 to reach $642bn (6.3% CAGR), renewing its strong growth pattern following a 4% decrease in 2020 with the impact of the Covid crisis on commercial space services. The largest revenue drivers remain satellite navigation and communications, which account for 50% and 41% respectively of total market value, driven by B2C applications. In comparison, EO still
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accounts for a marginal 5% of total value but with a much higher proportion upstream. Satnav has surpassed satcom, growing from about 37% of total revenue in 2016 to over 50% in 2021, largely due to services enabled by GNSS services and related devices. In the space market value chain, service providers generated $285bn while manufacturers and satellite operators generated $25bn and $15bn respectively.
Starlink India head Sanjay Bhargava resigns Elon Musk-backed satellite broadband company Starlink’s India head Sanjay Bhargava stepped down as Country Director and Chairman of the Board “for personal reasons”, he stated in a January 4 LinkedIn post. Bhargava managed SpaceX’s India operations for three months, having been named Country Director in October. Starlink’s India subsidiary was incorporated on November 1 and the company is in the initial stages of setting shop in India. It has been looking to provide satellite broadband services through low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites from December 2022. Starlink has faced regulatory issues for the past few months, with industry players such as Reliance and Delhibased NGO Telecom Watchdog raising an outcry against its taking pre-orders without a commercial licence to provide satellite internet services. The Department of Telecommunications raised an issue as well, which caused the company to suspend and subsequently refund $99 pre-orders.
PROSATELLITE
EgSA produces educational satellites for Egyptian universities Egyptian Space Agency celebrated the production of the country’s first educational satellites (Space Keys) along with several dignitaries last month in Egypt. Space Keys was conceived to enhance space innovation across 32 engineering and science colleges across Egypt, and received support and funding from EgSA and the Egyptian Academy of Science and Technology. Space innovation laboratories are scheduled to be opened at each Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University, Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport,
and Helwan University. Dr Khaled Abdul Ghaffar, Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said: “The initiative falls within the framework of the joint space programme between the EgSA and Egyptian universities to consolidate space technology in different universities, leading to a progressive plan for sustainable development by 2030. To this end, it is necessary to implement projects and create affiliations with different parties to ensure that the goal is met.” He hailed the project as a key avenue to create
synergies between the government and universities and to raise students’ level of awareness of space technology. He also pointed out that the Egyptian space programme introduced by the government aims to build human and scientific capabilities, help in infrastructure and industrial development, build space missions systems, engage in outer space exploration and foster cooperation with foreign space agencies. Egypt has entered into cooperation agreements with numerous countries and organisations with exceptional experience
Manjula Sriram joins Iridium as VP and CIO Iridium Communications Inc has appointed Manjula Sriram as Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO). Reporting to CFO Tom Fitzpatrick, Sriram’s new role includes leading Iridium’s IT business as it implements information systems to support both distributed and centralised business operations. Sriram joins Iridium with more than 12 years of senior IT management experience. As VP and CIO, she will drive the strategic and tactical planning, development, evaluation and coordination of
Manjula Sriram.
Iridium’s technology roadmap, and provide the vision and leadership necessary to drive the company’s IT infrastructure into the future.
This includes overseeing the implementation, maintenance and compliance of the entire enterprise-wide technology, security and billing systems. Sriram has a degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University, and is currently working on a second master’s degree from Arizona State University in Cybersecurity Policy.
in several space fields. Furthermore, it has partnered with several universities and research institutes that align with the objectives of the National Space Programme and the development of the right human resources in different space fields. Dr Al Qousi, CEO of EgSA, added that the AfDev satellite project will be introduced to five African countries that have joined the agency (Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Sudan), to implement the African development satellite project to measure and monitor climate change.
SES names JohnPaul Hemingway as CSPO John-Paul Hemingway, the new SES Chief Strategy and Product Officer, is charged with translating the firm’s corporate vision into strategic action for its networks and video markets. The role brings together the Corporate Strategy, Product, Commercial Operations, Fleet Development, Innovation, and Marketing & Communications teams. With this appointment, SES is eliminating the role of SES Networks CEO while retaining the focus on its video and networks businesses. The resulting organisation is flatter, leaner and more customer-oriented.
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An NFT-starring sitcom – conceived, designed and produced in Dubai – has gone viral online and made $1m even before its official screening. BroadcastPro ME, in an exclusive interview with The Red Ape Family (TRAF) founders, finds out how an intoxicating mix of NFT, comedy, art and animation is electrifying the entertainment space
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Late last year, the industry witnessed a global first with the premiere of the first episode of an English-language sitcom titled The Red Ape Family (TRAF), starring NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Created by Dubai animation house Zaini Media, the show has created a virtual stampede in the NFT community to buy the episode, which was restricted to 333 tokens. The lucky owners will also have a share in the profits should the rights be secured by a broadcaster or a streaming platform in the future. The Red Ape Family is not just a marketing gimmick with NFT characters. The stars of the show are the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club apes, with other NFTs to feature through the series either as characters or featured art. The pilot episode, coscripted with American social media personality Wynton Harvey, is set in 2130. The Earth is dying, but not all is lost as four bored apes and their dog end up in Mars after stealing an ultrarare golden NFT from the Louvre in Paris. After a dramatic arrival, they are summoned to the Muskville Council, where they meet its devious director, voiced by Indian TikToker and Instagrammer JustSul, who sends the
“It’s great because you’re writing something in collaboration with your community, and the people who invested in you and the people who are fans of the show” Hashem Zaini, CEO, Zaini Media team off on a crazy intergalactic treasure hunt. The show looks like any traditional animated programme, except the characters are all
An artist at work at Zaini Media in Dubai Media City.
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NFTs. Some have been created by the TRAF team, while others have been obtained through licensing deals. The brainchild of Hashem Zaini, an animation expert and CEO of Zaini Media, and NFT specialist and TRAF co-founder Youssouf Bedraoui Drissi, TRAF’s first episode raked in a million dollars without going through the standard pipeline of pitching a story, knocking on several doors for funding or waiting for someone to buy the broadcast rights. Instead, the TRAF team approached the NFT community. The rest is history. Just as we were off to press, we heard that the second episode had also sold out even before its official screening on Apple TV and the like. Subsequent episodes of the 10-part series will be 22 minutes each and are due for periodic releases. Zaini and Drissi started out by buying some of these digital collectibles from different sellers on the Ethereum blockchain. They made them characters in a story, animated them and gave them life. Once the episode was created, the team sold the whole episode as 333 NFTs – reportedly a world first – to offer their buyers more “utility”. Drissi elaborates. “NFTs started as art that people were selling virtually. I got into it in late February of 2021. We initially started collecting NFTs that were just images, along with their IP and commercial rights, and decided to make a sitcom out of them. So, a red monkey with a red cap has now became more than just an image – they were prominent characters in a TV show. Eventually, we expect them to have their own Instagram and Twitter accounts and believe they will have utility in the metaverse, where they may be approached by big brands like say McDonald’s or Pepsi, as these brands are also watching the NFT space.” TRAF brings together a magic combination: Zaini’s expertise in production and Drissi’s knowledge of NFTs. “Hashem has been here for more
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than 10 years and is well versed with the animation industry. A major part of this production has been done in Hashem’s studio. I understand NFTs and how to tokenise this, how to build NFT projects and manage a project and a community. It’s way more than just animation and selling it. There’s a lot of sales, marketing, legal and financial work involved. For the last three months, we’ve survived on three to four hours of sleep each night to make this happen. And we did it,” Drissi says proudly. In November 2021, the team premiered the first episode of TRAF at Capital Club in Dubai, though it was sold out before its release. Episode
1 was eight-and-a-half minutes, Zaini says, and of the 333 tokens available, 220 were sold to community members and the rest offered to lucky viewers and distributed between the founders and project members. “Each token for the episode sold at approximately $4,000 and we raised a million dollars. Multiple people now have the same episode, but we retain the IP,” explains Zaini. “But by limiting the number of tokens, buyers become part of a small exclusive membership club. It’s something that is rare and so people want to have access to that community or those perks and utilities. Those who bought episode 1 get a code to buy episode 2 at half the price, and most of them have. They know it’s a good deal, as they can resell it at the original price and make money.
It’s a whole ecosystem of people; some are there for the long haul while others just want to buy and sell quickly.” With the success of episode 1, the stakes are a lot higher for the second one. The team has now roped in well-known American writer, director and screenwriter Adam G. Simon to script the story, with Wynton Harvey co-writing it, though there will also be a collaborative community effort where “you can enter a casting call to have your own NFT in the show and you will be paid for licensing your NFT to us”. “The beauty of this show is that we write it together with our community,” explains Zaini.
The whole family features in one of the episodes alongside other NFTs and a mini Trump.
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The Red Ape Family is officially the first NFT project to be broadcast on TV, according to the team.
“They make recommendations to bring a particular NFT project into the plot and we work with our scriptwriters to incorporate some of that. We have seven main characters and six guest characters that are going to be recurrent in the show. We will also have other guests based on what our community tells us they want to see. “It’s great because you’re writing something in collaboration with your community and the people who invested in you and the people who are fans of the show. Then we also get approached by other NFT projects and they say, ‘Can we be part of your show?’ We say, ‘Yes, we can work something out. Let’s pick a good character and let’s sign an official partnership between these two big NFT projects.’ So more people get to see it and hear about us.” One way in which the TRAF team has amplified its presence quickly
is by bringing onboard prominent American music artist 2 Chainz as executive producer. “2 Chainz has been tweeting and Instagramming about this project a lot, so we get his demographic of followers and everyone in the US that loves 2 Chainz to look into our project. He’s giving us a lot of advice and helping us make the right decisions, because he’s very experienced in this field. When you start to have a product that is famous, you need to do the right things all the time so you don’t hurt your own brand. 2 Chainz has been awesome on that front. Another major thing with 2 Chainz is that he’s giving us access to his connections as well. He is very connected with other rappers, boxers and singers in the US.” This snowball effect of advertising among celebrity figures in US media has offered TRAF greater exposure. But why would anyone want to purchase a TV episode that the whole world can freely watch, and how is it exclusive if 333 people have claims to it? Drissi highlights the concept of a show’s utility in the world of NFT. “The Simpsons comes with one utility – you watch it and you’re entertained. In the NFT space, when
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you tokenise something and put it on the blockchain, you have to add extra utility to it because you’re asking people to invest in you and your idea. TRAF has more than the utility of entertainment; it now also offers financial gains and that is its USP.” “For instance, those who purchased tokens from TRAF are entitled to a 25% share of the profits received from any deals signed with streaming services or a broadcaster. Additionally, episodes can be sold in secondary markets and tokenholders are promised 2.5% of royalties from such purchases.” Broadcast rights are being negotiated as we do this interview, Drissi tells us. In fact, just as we were going to press, the team signed up with RONIN, a Canadian content development company that will be distributing TRAF through its SocialClubTV platform and making it available on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, rad.live,
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Struum and PLEXTV, among others. “We have NDAs signed with some others, so I can’t reveal names. But we are not doing direct deals with Amazon Prime or Netflix themselves, although we anticipate distribution on Amazon Prime and other CTV networks once season 1 of TRAF is completed. We’re looking at what is best for our community, because no one is coming with a big chunk of money from the beginning saying, ‘We’re investing in you because we want to put you on OTT platforms.’ It’s more like, ‘Let’s work together on advertising’,” explains Drissi. In the meantime, the team is ramping up its marketing efforts on several different levels to continue gaining exposure in the NFT space, though little has been done within broadcast. “We’re talking to some famous media in the US to be featured there. We will be on the big screens in Times Square. There’s a big budget for marketing dedicated to making the show well-known to everyone. Even with all this, there are a lot of people who still don’t know about us, although we are becoming big in the NFT space,” Drissi adds. As part of a marketing strategy, TRAF held some giveaways related to the success of the first episode that benefited community members financially. “We also held some giveaways. We would release a video with some cues to find in it and those who could identify them would get $2,000. That way, we get people engaged, they start coming to our platform to talk to other members, and that’s how you build the community and everyone around you.” Besides such organised giveaways, they partnered with other NFT projects for giveaways. “The Mutant Ape Yacht Club is an NFT project that was built by the same team that did the Bored Ape Yacht Club, which I would say is the largest NFT project ever. [As of Jan 4, 2022, the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs had passed $1bn in
“A red monkey with a red cap has now become more than just an image – they are prominent characters in a TV show” Youssouf Bedraoui Drissi, co-founder, The Red Ape Family total sales.] They created mutant characters, some of which we hold as NFTs and will bring to our show. The less expensive mutants cost around $53,000 and we gave away some to three randomly picked winners and they were really happy. We also gave away one Bored Ape that costs over $275,000 to one
lucky winner from our community.” A fellow NFT project based in Dubai, Party Ape Billionaire Club, has also partnered with TRAF. “We signed a partnership deal with them to have their apes in our show and we also own some of those NFTs. We bought them in the beginning and then started discussions to put Party Apes in our show and animated them, and they became even more famous. It’s been a great journey with them because their community joined our community to talk together and be excited about seeing Party Apes in our show.” There were other financial benefits for episode 1 token holders through resales. “When we sold out episode 1, people continued buying our episode as NFTs on the secondary market. Whatever is sold on secondary markets has royalties on it. 2.5% of those royalties is given back to people who invested in us. So for them, it’s a passive income by just holding our episode because most of them bought it even before seeing it.” Zaini believes that there is still much left to do in terms of marketing. In the meantime, the team is now focused on creating a full season so they can then pitch it to the likes of Netflix and other big streaming players, as well as broadcasters. They are ambitiously aiming for one episode a
Members of the team at Zaini Media.
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month and seeking famous voiceover artists for their characters. “Our next challenge is to continue to grow organically. When you’re making a show you can start voicing NFT characters with voice actors that you know, but with time you need more famous actors to be in the show. They require bigger brands. They want to see Nike and Adidas in your show. Continuing to grow organically can be a bit difficult sometimes, because you need to continue
pumping budget into marketing so more and more people can know about you,” he adds. By episode 4, Drissi and his team hope to have merchandise available. “There will be some cool sneakers and of course t-shirts and hats with the logo of TRAF with some monkeys. Some of our token holders will be able to get them either for free or half-price. Others who don’t have tokens but like the merchandise will be able to buy it on our website or through a third-party website.” While the industry welcomes opportunities to monetise content, there is widespread
The TRAF team are ambitiously aiming to release one episode every month.
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concern that NFTs are leaving behind a huge carbon footprint. Drissi agrees but adds that TRAF intends to make some responsible moves to offset its carbon footprint. “The carbon footprint generated from minting NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain is high. There are no doubts about that. TRAF decided to offset its carbon footprint by having long-term plans of planting trees in different countries. We are currently looking at partnering with projects that will allow us to proceed with our offset plans. “Let’s also remember that some blockchains (like WAX) are carbon-neutral and that ETH (the largest blockchain used by NFT creators) is making moves to reduce the impact in 2022. “It’s also worth mentioning that NFTs are a technology that will be used in the long run, not only by art and entertainment project creators, but also by lawyers, governments, ticketing companies, the luxury industry to stop the counterfeit market, universities and so on, which means that we are looking at a technology that is going to be more energy-efficient in the future, similar to the early days of cars too – early models were far more damaging to the environment but the technology evolved. In addition to that, smart contracts save tons of paper yearly, and with the adoption of the blockchain technology, we will see more improvements in the future.” While one is not certain that the environment is top priority in the NFT space just yet, any pioneering efforts on this front from popular communities like those built by TRAF could potentially set the stage for more players to follow suit by reducing their carbon footprint. Sarah Nathan and Vijaya Cherian
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E-COMMERCE STRATEGIES FOR STREAMING SERVICES
While the entertainment industry is abuzz with how streaming services have altered the viewing experience forever, these players remain newcomers in the e-commerce space. Pure e-commerce players have been tacking the same challenges that streamers are now addressing for years, and there’s plenty we can learn from them – as we discovered at a recent MENA OTT panel discussion hosted by BroadcastPro ME. Keith Fernandez sums up the discussion While streaming has proliferated in the MENA region, it has a fair distance to cover if it is to become the default mainstream option. While the SVOD market grew by 36% in 2020 and is forecast to reach 45.6m regional subscribers by 2026, traditional pay TV looks set to retain its majority over the short to medium term, according to market research firm Dataxis. OTT and SVOD revenues are only likely to overtake DTH and IPTV services in 2024, crossing $1.9bn across the region. Additionally, as competition rises over the next few years, OTT players will need to contend with several challenges, including improving reach, enhancing monetisation and fostering sustainable growth. “The media industry has been going through a transformation in recent years. All players, whether local or global, are forging ahead with their streaming services directto-consumer (D2C). The challenges they are facing are no different from the challenges that pure e-commerce players are addressing on a daily basis. Yet e-commerce players are way ahead of the game [compared to] streamers when it comes to addressing the specific challenges of this region,” media and telecom expert Bachir Boumediene said at a recent MENA OTT conference hosted by BroadcastPro ME.
He chaired a panel of entrepreneurs from across the e-commerce sector to share actionable strategies of benefit to OTT players. Mehdi Oudghiri, co-founder and co-CEO of eyewear omnichannel platform Eyewa and former co-Managing Director of grocery delivery company FoodPanda, was joined by Hosam Arab – founder and CEO of buy-now-pay-later fintech Tabby and founder of online retailer Namshi – and Mohammad Fattal, founder and CEO of the Alfan Group, a digital network of influencers and content creators. Here are some of the major takeaways. Reinvent the customer journey with trust at its core Digital-native industries such as OTT are fortunate to be able to track the customer journey from start to finish. But delighting those customers and retaining them with a smooth experience that keeps them coming back is a different proposition. Eyewa first determines what customers value and works backwards to make their journey frictionless, Oudghiri said. “Early on when we started, trust was the main issue, particularly since no one knew what Eyewa was. So we created policies and offered services that allowed
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customers to feel comfortable.” Cash on delivery was a significant early attraction for customers. Following the Covid-19 outbreak, the company went one step further, launching a 30-day return policy with no questions asked. “At a strategic level, the way we think about it is, we need to be customercentric as an organisation.” Eyewa walks the walk in two ways. Trust and fairness are two of its central values, and they inform every business decision, including those made by frontline staff interacting with customers. “We don’t question our customers, we accept their claims are right,” Oudghiri said. Similarly, when it comes to fairness, the company proactively offers customers any ongoing deals and discounts even if they are unaware of them, because it’s the fair thing to do. The second strategy is to allow employees high levels of autonomy in decision-making, with a view to improving customer satisfaction. “Throughout the organisation, we push our team members to
go out of the way to delight the customer. So if a customer comes in, that employee who interacts with him has the ability to make a decision to make sure that they have a great customer experience.” A broadcast operator might communicate trust by accepting a customer’s right to modify or even refund packages at any time, as well as by empowering helpline staff to incentivise unhappy consumers with freebies. Fattal calls this focusing on happiness. Alfan works to please its creators in different ways: by finding and generating revenue from additional platforms, or through PR exercises that improve brand value. Although there may be no immediate pay-off, customer satisfaction leads to long-term relationships. Focus on a seamless customer experience Trust can also improve the customer experience, Arab said, speaking of his experience with Namshi. “How do you remove friction completely from the customer’s journey and ensure it
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is seamless and convenient? The reason you’re working to delight the customer is not just because you want to be a nice guy. You’re doing it because that creates longterm business sustainability.” Arab offered an example of this strategy at work in the retail returns process. Customers can face more friction online than offline, because there are many steps involved, from requesting and arranging returns to waiting for refunds before making new purchases. “We brought that down to a single-click exchange rather than a return, where a customer can request a return and immediately request a new size or a different product while doing that return, so the driver comes in with that new product and takes the old product away.” One way broadcasters can minimise mistakes, delays and setbacks for customers is by improving administrative functionality within the app and offering a similar singleclick approach to subscriptions
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and add-ons. WhatsApp interactions can similarly reduce friction around phone calls. Prepare for the omnichannel customer environment Streaming players can draw a lesson from the way retailers are building omnichannel commerce environments. The business effects of the pandemic initially destroyed brick-and-mortar retailers, but their departure has led to more accessible rents for start-ups and independent brands. At the same time, vaccine roll-outs and increased adaptability to a
“It’s really about ensuring that it is not one-size-fits-all. We don’t just collect data for the sake of having it, but to ensure that every customer has a very, very personalised journey from the time of acquisition to post-acquisition” Hosam Arab, founder and CEO, Tabby
Covid-as-usual scenario are seeing customers throng spaces that offer a physical experience – whether these are malls or events such as Expo 2020 Dubai, which has attracted 8m visitors in three months. But customers now expect an omnichannel experience. Retail brands must be able to deliver the same levels of convenience and personalisation in stores as they do online, and the journey between both must be seamless. “We have had much easier access to great locations in some of the malls both in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. That has allowed us to start scaling our retail footprint a lot faster,” Oudghiri said. Eyewa attempts to stand out from traditional retailers by bringing its online approach to the brick-andmortar world. “We look at our store the same way we look at our online platform. We map every single aspect of the customer’s journey in the shop – where they stop, and what visual merchandising they look at. We collect all that data and try to optimise in-store conversion rates in the same way we do online. At a basic level, that means that if a customer comes in to the store to make a purchase, that information is going to be stored and he can make his next purchase online much more easily. The key is to deliver a true, seamless omnichannel experience where the customer wants it. The journey doesn’t stop in the store or online.” Some streaming services already do this, allowing customers to pick up where they left off on a different device. Here too, consumers expect brands to interact with them across different devices and networks, including wide-format TVs, web and mobile apps, and social media channels. “For streamers to maintain that kind of same look and feel and experience from a customer journey perspective is really important and a challenge that is still being addressed today,” Boumediene said.
“If you think about AI, hyper customisation is one of the keys to higher e-commerce conversion” Mehdi Oudghiri, co-founder and co-CEO, Eyewa Head off competition with strategic and early action Arab and his team are taking that strategy one step further, by building customer trust while delighting in challenging legacy players in the banking sector and staying true to its own brand identity. In line with its positioning as a better, more convenient alternative to credit cards and traditional banking, Tabby actively works to resolve pain points associated with account applications by simplifying the list of documents required and reducing waiting times. “We said, let’s ensure we are providing as seamless a journey for the consumer as possible. Now, obviously, that comes at the expense of risk. The reason banks have a complex process is because they want to minimise the risk to the extreme. For
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them, it’s at the expense of a good customer experience. We turn that completely on its head and assume a higher risk by requiring fewer details from our customers to ensure we provide the most convenient payment method online,” Arab said. The fintech company looks at a consumer’s behavioural data instead of relying on credit data alone. It considers how often the consumer is buying, the age of their online profiles, and other metrics that paint a complete picture of an individual rather than reducing them to a set of numbers, as Arab put it. While such a composite
“The reason TikTok is blowing up again is because they customise the content towards what you consume. And the same with other social platforms. Streaming platforms have already begun to do that” Mohammad Fattal, founder and CEO, Alfan Group
may not be as accurate as one created by a bank, Tabby believes most consumers have good intentions. “There is an outlier that is looking to outsmart you and defraud you. Do we build our business around that cohort? Or do we build a business around the majority of our customers, who generally have good intentions and just want a convenient experience? Do we solve for that bigger cohort and work to control those with bad intentions over time?” For broadcasters, the takeaway is in understanding how to prevent churn and improving ROI on acquired customers. Opportunities could lie in providing more payment flexibility to end customers and providing periods of grace, for example, or in more immersive and localised content. Leverage technology to deliver personalised content The future lies in hyper customisation, pointing to developments in the US, said Oudghiri. Eyewa is working to ensure it collects collect data at every touch point, to personalise the journey to the customer’s past behaviour. “If you think about AI, hyper customisation is one of the keys to higher e-commerce conversion,” he explained. “So that the customer sees products that are adapted to his needs, and it’s a lot easier for him to find what he wants and complete his journey as quickly as possible.” At Tabby, data helps tweak the discovery journey. The company tracks customer behaviour across a wide range of retailers, so that over time it can show them similar types of products relevant to their experience. “It’s really about ensuring that it is not one-size-fits-all. We don’t just collect data for the sake of having it, but to ensure that every customer has a very, very personalised journey from the time of acquisition to post-acquisition,” Arab said. Alfan’s Fattal pointed out how customisation has paid off for social media platforms, where the echo
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“E-commerce players are way ahead of the game [compared to] streamers when it comes to addressing the specific challenges of this region” Bachir Boumediene, media and telecom expert chamber is well documented. “The reason TikTok is blowing up again is because they customise the content towards what you consume. And the same with other social platforms. Streaming platforms have already begun to do that.” With broadcast already experiencing a revolution in widespread OTT availability and evolving consumer needs, technology has changed how content is produced and delivered. It can also be leveraged to personalise the customer experience. As Boumediene pointed out, a recommendation engine built using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can help OTT players up their game and deliver better as businesses.
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Expand your storyline beyond your product universe The ubiquity of mobile devices has led to a multi-layered environment where consumers interact with two or more screens at once. Like so much else, this trend has been accelerated by the pandemic. Around 67% of respondents use mobiles while watching television, Global Web Index data shows. For broadcasters, Boumediene advised using a content-seeding strategy to build a storyline that expands the universe of each streaming app. Tapping into social media networks augments brand identity in new and different ways that may not be possible within the OTT app. Piggybacking on current trends can deliver big returns, Fattal added. He offered the example of TikTok star Addison Rae. Although she only joined the
network in 2019, her rapid success on the platform saw her sign deals with Spotify and Netflix the following year. The success of her Netflix debut, He’s All That, led to a multi-picture deal. Fattal said that while Rae’s first Netflix show was criticised, in part because of her inexperience as an actor, the data vindicated the decision. “When you look at the data, a lot of fans loved the content and wanted more … so we ended up seeing more of her shows being requested. Jumping on trends and responding to current movements or messages quickly is doing very well.” Pivot to lifestyle Positioning your company as a lifestyle brand goes a long way to generating organic growth, Fattal said. The focus here is to associate the brand with an aspirational image and identity, rather than merely marketing its strengths and benefits. He offered the example of ‘Netflix and chill’, the viral catchphrase
that inadvertently ended up boosting the OTT player’s appeal among its target demographic. It has since been embraced by the brand, most recently in a line of Chilleez merchandise. While still largely a guerrilla marketing tactic, it can also pay off in other areas, such as with influencers. “If you’re able to kind of play in with your story of what lifestyle you are trying to target and consider how you can associate yourself with that lifestyle, you’ll become an easy part of the narrative for creators and influencers. Once you become a lifestyle brand, things are going to be super simple, super amplified, and that organic growth for you comes right away.” The world’s broadcast players have long been inspired by Netflix – but there’s clearly a lot more to learn.
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WOMEN ON A MISSION
Powerful female voices are emerging on the MEA film landscape, and their stories are receiving recognition and applause across the globe. Canon brought together a small group at Expo 2020 to share their experiences and shine a light on how other aspiring filmmakers can get a break in the industry An independent filmmaker’s journey can be long, lonely and arduous, and to stick to that path often requires grit, determination and passion. For a female filmmaker, that road can be pitted with even more challenges. But fortunes change, and the world is gradually witnessing the rise of more female filmmakers bringing fresh perspectives and new dimensions to storytelling. Filmmaking has become a tool for empowerment. Canon recently brought together three accomplished female filmmakers from the MENA region – Emirati director and UAE Content Director for Expo 2020, Nahla Al Fahad; Egyptian director and grandniece of Youssef Chahine, Sara Shazli; and Nigerian filmmaker and Executive Director of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), Chioma Ude – to shine a light on their personal experiences and offer advice to female aspirants on how they can create a space for themselves in this industry. Each panellist painted a different picture of how female filmmakers are received in their respective country. Nahla Al Fahad, CEO of Beyond Studios and a director of commercials, drama series, documentaries and music videos, said she has been fortunate to live in the UAE at a time when the leadership is backing up its statements on inclusivity by identifying and supporting ambitious Emirati women in all sectors, especially filmmaking. Al Fahad is well respected in the Arab world. Her first documentary, The Tainted Veil, won four international awards and was a Best Documentary Feature nominee at the 88th Academy Awards. She received tremendous support from Sharjah Media City in producing her film 218, which did extremely well at the box office. She is currently filming her new documentary Leila, which chronicles the experiences of a middleaged Saudi-American woman’s journey through life as a bi-racial, multi-cultured woman growing up in the Kingdom, and how moving between the two cultures has impacted her as a woman. Elaborating on the support she has received in the UAE,
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Al Fahad said: “The UAE has taken a positive step in terms of maintaining the gender balance in different sectors and are taking extra steps to empower women across different sectors. Anyone who is talented or passionate about a subject has the opportunity to pursue their dream either abroad or in the UAE. I could do 218 because of the support I received from Sharjah Media City and because of the trust they had in me. The UAE Is still new in terms of filmmaking. When they see someone in a new industry, they give you the support to shine.” In comparison, Sara Shazli, daughter of filmmaker and producer Marianne Khoury and grandniece of the legendary Youssef Chahine, said her experience in Egypt has been more challenging. “Even though Egypt has the largest commercial film market in Egypt, the share of opportunities for women is considerably small. It is embedded in the Egyptian mentality in general that women are better placed at home. But it is starting to open up more and there is a realisation that women bring a different sensitivity and a different perspective, and we have seen some women-led films make a great impact in the local market. But we do not yet have the same opportunities, although we are getting there.” Shazli, who studied different aspects of filmmaking in France and Canada and later specialised in directing fiction in Cuba, seems to be doing more female-centric films, with documentary Jo and Isabel, which received the Best Short Film award at the Cairo International Film Festival in 2020. She is currently working on her personal feature documentary – Searching for Woody, which revolves around her search for a beloved Ethiopian nanny who left Egypt – and her first fiction feature – Nour, about a 16-year-old girl growing up in Cairo. Her critically acclaimed recent movie Back Home was made during the pandemic. Perhaps being part of the Youssef Chahine lineage has worked in her favour? Shazli disagreed, saying no favours have been bestowed on her. In fact, her work is always up
PROWOMEN
for comparison with that of her grandmother, making it challenging to do something independently. Chioma Ude has enjoyed a more professional journey, with the Nigerian film market being more progressive. Nollywood releases 2,500 films a year and has women in senior leadership positions within the industry. However, Ude, who has made eight web series and is executive producer of four films, with four more in pre-development, said this was not always the case. “In Nigeria in the ‘90s we had a lot of famous female actresses who were popular and powerful and demanded equal pay. The market decided to come together and ban these women from making films. That’s when women realised that they didn’t have a lot of females in positions that mattered, and many of them gradually moved into filmmaking. “Today the biggest film festivals, production houses and award ceremonies in Nigeria are run by women, and it has put us in positions where we can help impact other women positively. I became conscious of the training processes we had, and every year I would ensure we had a certain number of women as well training. And today we have a lot of women behind the camera.” Ude recently raised $50m with the help of Pan African Capital, a film production equity firm. The inspiration behind this came when Ude joined forces with Moroccan producer Khadija Alami, owner of Morocco’s Oasis Studios, to make a big-budget film. The realisation that there were a lot of good projects out there that did not see the light of day due to lack of funding inspired her to raise capital for projects applying through the film festival. “To make big films and co-produce or get some big names in there, people need funding. That’s when I thought we should raise some capital. $50m was not easy to make. Some of it will go towards the production of films that are approved by the festival
“The UAE is still new in terms of filmmaking. When they see someone in a new industry, they give you the support to shine” Nahla Al Fahad, Emirati director and UAE Content Director for Expo 2020 and the rest will go towards training,” she said, adding that panel discussions like this make her cognisant of her responsibility to empower other women and make a greater effort to train talented newcomers. “As a filmmaker, you are not always consciously doing things to make a point – because like everyone else, we are just doing a job. But by attending such panel discussions, I became aware of the impact I can create as a filmmaker and the role we
can play in empowering other women. As a filmmaker and director of a film festival, I have an immensely powerful responsibility on my shoulders to support the dreams of other women who want to pursue filmmaking. It is through such endeavours that we can come together to make a meaningful difference to the society.” Incidentally, the panellists had interesting tales about how the lockdown inspired their storytelling abilities. Shazli’s film Back Home, a festival circuit hit, was in fact inspired by Covid. “I travelled to Egypt from Cuba two weeks before the pandemic for a shoot and then the lockdown began, so my crew couldn’t come and my film was cancelled. I was in my apartment alone with my parents and we were all really bored. So I just took out my camera and documented our life every day for four months, not really knowing where it was going. But I filmed to survive, because we stayed a month and a half without going out of the apartment, and in Cairo living in an apartment without any balconies can be suffocating. At some point, I realised I actually had a film and began editing it.” Nahla Al Fahad called 2020
Each filmmaker brought a different experience to the panel, but they unanimously expressed a desire to help empower other women in the industry.
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“my most productive year”. “I directed 218 during the pandemic. I spent June and July – the two hardest months in the UAE – shooting, and it was released in May 2021. During the lockdown, I was inspired by the pandemic and wrote a script. I started off with a script for a short film, but eventually it became a feature, which I plan to film in 2022 after the Expo. “In 2018, I was part of the American Film Showcase in California, where I was in this intense filmmaking course with another 12 filmmakers from around the world. When the pandemic hit, we decided to come together and create a documentary
“Today the biggest film festivals, production houses and award ceremonies in Nigeria are run by women, and it has put us in positions where we can help impact other women positively” Chioma Ude, Nigerian filmmaker and Executive Director of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF)
to reflect the impact of Covid on us. There were filmmakers from Georgia, Peru, China, Nigeria and so on, and we ended up having a full-fledged documentary made by these 12 filmmakers that is due to release soon.” For her part, Ude was inspired to script more local stories. Do female filmmakers naturally gravitate towards making films with women as protagonists? Shazli said that in her case this has not been deliberate. “After doing many short films, I came to realise that most of my stories are about women. I have had very strong women in my life, and I think it comes naturally to me to share their stories. I didn’t realise, however, that I was making a point about female empowerment – but I think that is the beauty of it, to spark a conversation about change and empowerment.” Ude cited King of Boys as a powerful Nigerian political thriller with strong female characters. She herself made an action short called Seven, screened as part of the panel discussion. “In Nigeria we focus so much on comedy that it was beginning to irritate me. People consume what you feed them, but Nigeria has so much more to offer than just comedy. I made an action film just to change the narrative and drive a different message home,” she said. Like Ude, Al Fahad is in a position where she can influence decision-making and empower women. She played a big role in mentoring participants as part of the Emirates Entertainment Experience, a Sharjah Media City initiative that brought together over 3,000 aspiring filmmakers, 800 of them women residing in the UAE. “As part of this initiative, 30 different versions of the same script were made by different groups of participants, and it was really great to see so many women come forward. In fact, we had eight females leading as directors in different groups.” Social media has helped, all three said. “The power of social media should be leveraged by every filmmaker. One area of social media that remains under-utilised is crowdfunding. Aspiring filmmakers should look at these innovative tools to promote their work,” said Al Fahad. In a social media-driven country like
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“We have seen some women-led films make a great impact in the local market. But we do not yet have the same opportunities, although we are getting there” Sara Shazli, Egyptian director Nigeria, Ude remarked that eliminating social platforms from marketing campaigns would be a big risk. “My advice would be for everyone to explore the benefits of social media without overwhelming themselves.” The discussion concluded with each panellist sharing their tips for success with the audience. Ude recommended keeping the focus on “topical, authentic stories from one’s own region”, Al Fahad emphasised “the power of collaboration and networking”, and Shazli advised women “to not be deterred by the past but to move forward, have faith in themselves, their scripts and their work”. “We can achieve great things if we come together to empower each other by sharing our knowledge and resources,” she concluded. PRO
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PROSTREAMING
CREATING KIDS’ CONTENT – IT’S NOT CHILD’S PLAY
Producing and distributing children’s content has been their forte for the last decade. Now the founders of Jordan’s PG Studios have launched a MENA streaming service for kids, aiming to provide entertainment that keeps in mind the cultural sensitivities of the Arab world Progressive Generation (PG) Studios founders Ahmed Al Masri and Feras Al Kiswani, who have produced and distributed children’s content since the launch of their company in 2011, decided to go direct-toconsumer (D2C) with the launch of their new streaming service PG Kids on January 1. The SVOD service, available at a monthly subscription of $5, is powered entirely by Red Bee Media’s managed OTT services.
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“We started this company with a seed fund of $1,000 here in Jordan back in 2011,” explains Al Masri. “In the last four years, we have ramped up our operations and expanded into Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman. Our aim was to become the equivalent of Disney in the Arab region and produce content that inspires and educates children. We worked hard to build a strong team and produce competitive children’s content, and we collaborate with all the big international
PROSTREAMING
names to build a global brand. “We have been selling our IPs to more than 35 TV stations here in the MENA region since 2011. Now we have moved from a B2B business model to B2C. It’s something we have been planning for the last three years. This happened because of many factors – the nature of children today and the changing technology. The pandemic helped to accelerate this decision. PG Kids is one of the biggest online platforms for children, and we provide a safe platform for them.” PG Studios claims to own the biggest library of original children’s content in the MENA region, with a portfolio that includes full series and songs in both Arabic and English. PG Kids has content that typically caters to two age groups – between three and six, and between six and ten. Popular programmes include The Friends, Roko & Sharshoor, Mr. Labeeb, Our World and Child of the Sun. With most of its content being animated shows, PG Studios has incorporated educational messages into its entertainment. “On the whole, our focus is on entertainment, but we do have some specific edutainment programmes. Some of our content features ethical
“The total valuation of original content on PG Kids exceeds $27m and 15 years of hard work. We currently have 115,000 minutes of original content. It is almost 100 full series and 200 songs in three languages – Arabic, English and French” Ahmed Al Masri, founder, Progressive Generation Studios problem-solving of issues such as sexual harassment, but in a child-friendly way.” PG Studios has been licensing its content to third parties, but it revisited its contracts three years ago when planning its streaming service, to ensure rights were only provided for linear TV. “The total valuation of original content on PG Kids exceeds $27m and 15 years of hard work. We currently have 115,000 minutes of original content. It is almost 100 full series and 200 songs in three languages – Arabic, English and French. All our content is in Arabic, with 20% of it also currently available in English and 5% in French. The content available currently on the PG Kids streaming service is 50% of the total content we
have. It’s a massive library and we have enough for the next six months. “The contracts for the content we have licensed to third parties will conclude by the end of 2023. They have been done in phases, so the rest of the content we own will also slowly move back into our platform by 2023.” In the meantime, PG Kids is ramping up its efforts to source other children’s content for its platform through its own original content and collaborations with other producers. The firm has 27 employees in Jordan, with a branch in Turkey that manages the creation and animation of our shows. “We plan most of the concepts here in Jordan but have 60 fulltime employees in Turkey who are responsible for the animation. We have also trained more than 300 fresh graduates on the animation programs that we have in 2D and 3D, maintaining the syllabus that they have in the universities. In the meantime, we have also signed many partnerships with other producers in the MENA region to give us exclusive content, and revenue will be shared between us and them. We hope to sign with some international studios also in the future. Our R&D shows
The team in Jordan, where most of the concepts are planned.
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PROSTREAMING
us that many producers are willing to put their content on our platform at this stage, and we know that the big international names will follow when they see some results on the ground,” Al Kiswani explains. As a children’s content producer, PG Studios regularly consults with child psychologists and experts when creating and producing content. “We collaborate with specialists in children’s upbringing and psychology. In addition to directors and producers whose expertise is children’s content, we collaborate with technology providers like Adobe, Autodesk, Dolby Digital and Red Bee, of course.” Masri explains that the rationale for founding a kids’ content channel stems from the current market’s lack of adequate content. “It’s a blue ocean. In total, Arabic content in the MENA region comprises less than 2.7%, and children’s content is less than 1.3% of that. Also, most of the children’s content that TV stations here carry are from international studios. We don’t have a lot of localised content for the MENA region. We know five big names here in Jordan that have closed in the last three years.
From left: PG Studios founders Ahmed Al Masri and Feras Al Kiswani.
“It seems like it’s not a profitable industry, but globally it’s a huge industry. In the global market in 2019, more than $7bn was spent on children’s content, and with the pandemic, all the matrices have doubled regarding online
“We have trained more than 300 fresh graduates on the animation programs that we have in 2D and 3D, maintaining the syllabus that they have in the universities” Feras Al Kiswani, founder, Progressive Generation Studios
PG Studios has a big team in Turkey, where most of the animation is created.
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content. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry, especially when linked with merchandising for the characters and original designs. Also, children spend nearly 35 hours per week watching and playing with smart devices.” But producing content is not cheap, of course, and the ROI may not be rewarding enough to stay focused on children’s content for most players, says Masri. “Here in the MENA region, if you want to produce a series the cost is exorbitant compared to, say, an IP from China. Here the copyright by itself exceeds $50k for a series, while you could get it for a tenth of that price from other markets. It depends on the type of content and on the language that you are using. So most people don’t invest in IPs. This region is also still developing the expertise to produce great animation.” PG Studios is currently in the process of marketing its streaming service primarily to parents. “We need to reach out to the parents, because we know the child will not reach the platform as a direct customer. Here, we have direct and indirect customers. The payers will be the parents, so they must see a value in our platform. We are offering a platform that is safe for children, especially here in the MENA region, and ensuring it is suitable for children of all kinds and diversities in the global market. Our findings show
PROSTREAMING
us that a lot of parents in the region and abroad are not comfortable with the content their children can potentially access on other services. Some have specifically said they don’t want their children to engage with YouTube’s and Netflix’s system of entertainment.” PG Kids hopes to target this audience and is looking to attract “more than 10,000 subscribers by
the end of January” and 150,000-odd subscribers by the end of the year. No doubt, there are challenges. “Penetrating the B2C market is not easy. We are always careful to look at cultural sensitivities before buying content. Here in the MENA region, we also face a lot of copyright issues. If you do not have strong technical support for your content, copyright can be a concern, but Red
Bee has addressed this for us.” PG’s five-year plan is to “produce hit content and be open for other producers to collaborate with us and produce successful shows that appeal to children across the world”. In keeping with these production goals, the media house hopes to have 80% of its content available in English and 30% in French by the end of 2022. PRO
Red Bee Media powers PG Kids When PG Studios decided it was time to gather all its original content in one place and offer it directly to audiences across the MENA region, it decided to go with Red Bee Media to make this possible efficiently. “Three years ago, when we decided to go ahead with PG Kids, we talked with more than four solution providers like Red Bee and some other big names. We did give developing our own online platform some thought, but we realised that we would not be able to manage all the technical challenges that would appear – the updates and upgrades of the system,” says Al Masri. “Red Bee helped us set up a good SVOD service, with broadcast-quality streams and precise personalisation and recommendation functionality, allowing us to offer an excellent user experience for both parents and kids.” Houssam Al Khaled, Head of Sales and Operations at Red Bee Middle East, elaborates on what it can offer. Red Bee’s managed OTT services enable brands and content owners to launch a fully-fledged streaming offering rapidly and easily. It supports all content formats, including live, linear, catch-up and on-demand, low-latency streaming, as well as a full range of monetisation options (such as ad-funded, subscription, pay-per-view and vouchers). All content is protected through Red Bee’s advanced geo-blocking and digital rights
management (DRM) functionality. As an add-on, Progressive Generation Studios also offers merchandise related to its original content through PG-merch.com. Red Bee offered comprehensive support not just with the technical aspect, but with the red tape as well. “We realised that if we wanted to go global, we needed to partner with a strong name to manage the red tape more efficiently. As a newcomer to OTT, for instance, we would face many problems regarding copyright with Apple and Android devices. They would not give us the licence that we have today for
children’s content,” explains Al Masri. “It’s very difficult to make kids’ content and put it online. Apple and Android have many restrictions regarding this, as well as Google, and although we would have gone by the book, there will still be some hurdles. Red Bee already knew how to address this with their expertise.” PG Studios decided to focus on its core strength. For a monthly fee, Red Bee manages the website, the user interface and all things related to streaming. Al Khaled says: “If you are Netflix, Amazon or Disney, it makes total sense to build core competence in creating and managing a secure, flexible, global streaming platform. But no one should underestimate the risks, costs and long-term deep-pocket commitment needed in going alone. Working with an established service platform will enable us to focus on driving market success rather than building and operating technology. You will get to market much faster. You will be able to adapt more rapidly to changing needs. You can align your costs on a usage basis with revenues to create an overall healthy investment case," adds Al Masri. Red Bee's Al Khaled agrees, adding that the availability of such OTT services are helping content owners and creators all over the world transform their business model, reach larger audiences and monetise their assets in new ways.
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PROPRODUCTS
ARRI expands Orbiter line-up with new accessories ARRI has expanded its accessory range for the Orbiter LED luminaire with the introduction of the Orbiter Docking Ring, the new Orbiter Bag-o-Light, Orbiter Glass Cover and Orbiter Dome Mini. The Orbiter Docking Ring is an accessory enhancement which expands the lighting designer and DP toolbox even further. With its Quick Lighting Mount (QLM) system and the large number of different optical lighting accessories from ARRI, the Orbiter is a versatile luminaire. Since the Docking Ring allows the Orbiter to be compatible with third-party equipment, it helps to minimise new investments. Its optical design helps to boost the performance of older tools in output, optical performance and homogeneity. Now, users can apply their already-owned optics on the Orbiter as an alternative to ARRI optics, while
still benefiting from the ARRI lighting. The adapter connects without any additional tools onto the QLM of every Orbiter. The Docking Ring is automatically recognised by the luminaire and the light output is automatically adjusted for the performance. The tool allows the attachment of a wide range of compatible optics from
various manufacturers, including projection optics, Fresnel and Cyc-optics, up to a weight of 7.9kg. The Docking Ring is lightweight (~1kg) and very compact (246mm x 225mm x 86mm), which makes transport easy. Orbiter Bag-o-Light can be attached to Orbiter’s 15° Open Face optic and is designed
for close-up applications in motion picture and photography. When inflated, it is 2m long with a diameter of 22cm and weighs less than 0.86kg. It transforms the light output from the standard 15° ARRI Open Face optic on the Orbiter into soft light. The Orbiter Glass Cover is a compact, lightweight optical accessory. With its ultra-translucent glass, the Glass Cover allows full, unrestricted light output without impacting colour temperature or quality. It is suited for near-distance applications with limited available space where much light is needed. The Orbiter Dome Mini provides omnidirectional light at a high intensity. Compared to the Dome optic, the Dome Mini is smaller and lighter. www.arri.com
Sennheiser launches HD 400 Pro studio headphones Sennheiser has launched HD 400 Pro headphones designed primarily for people who are into audio production and audio mixing. They feature an open-back design and velour earpads, and the company claims they are extremely lightweight. The unit includes both coiled and straight detachable cables, to adapt to different user preferences. HD 400 Pros have a frequency response range of 6 to 38,000 hertz, giving music producers complete control over their mix. Sennheiser’s 120-ohm transducers feature a diaphragm made of a special polymer blend, which combined with driver
magnets produces a clear and well-defined bass. The distortion is less than 0.05% (measured at 1kHz, 90dB SPL). In addition, the open-back
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design ensures a natural propagation of sound, unimpeded by the acoustic structures required in closedback designs. The ear cups
have velour earpads and adjustable headbands that match the shape of the head. HD 400 Pro headphones can be used with Dear Reality’s headphone monitoring plugins, which create a virtual mix room with carefully designed acoustics due to advanced spatial audio technology. They have already been integrated into the Spatial Headphone Compensation feature in dearVR MIX; dearVR MONITOR integration will be released by the end of this year. HD 400 Pro headphones are available now and retail at $272. www.sennheiser.com
PROPRODUCTS
Nxtedition announces flexibility with nxt|cloud Nxtedition, a specialist in broadcast microservices, has enhanced its platform for production and playout with nxt|cloud, a full nxtedition deployment that runs on public clouds. Previously, playout in nxtedition used the switching, layering and real-time rendering power of CasparCG to achieve high production values using COTS hardware. This latest development has seen nxtedition develop a fully containerised, Linux version of CasparCG, providing the same playout functionality, flexibility and quality as a scalable, elastic and secure microservice in the cloud. The architecture of nxtedition is entirely built-in JavaScript. The developers of nxtedition were previously deeply involved with CasparCG, the open-source
broadcast graphics platform now widely used around the world. The nxtedition solution contains all the elements required for broadcast, from ingest and transcode through asset management and archiving to delivery to multiple platforms, automatically repackaging news stories for social media. The fully virtualised architecture means systems can be built to
precisely match the individual workflow requirements, with the appropriate level of resilience and large reduction in complexity that microservices bring. This centralisation of content for users allows more productivity and speed with the content to repurpose it for broadcast, OTT, digital, social, podcasts and radio. Adam Leah, Creative Director at nxtedition, said: “With nxt|cloud
we can offer an identical experience in the cloud: the same quality, the same functionality, the same user experience, the same responsiveness. That includes sophisticated addedvalue features like localisation. Private cloud on-premise is the pragmatic choice for most broadcasters when it comes to production. We designed nxt|cloud to also provide new and existing on-prem clients with a hybrid cloud solution for disaster recovery. By using seamless replication, not only are the playout channels mirrored from the ground, but the scripts and media are mirrored too. If the client has an emergency, then the entire team switches to the cloud and carries on where they left off.” www.nxtedition.com
Miro Cube offers more colour with the launch of Miro Cube 2
Miro Cube has launched Miro Cube 2, a follow-up to the original that Rosco announced back in 2014. These are small, lower-power draw fixtures that can be used for a variety of applications. The Miro Cube 2 is available in four models: 4C – RGBW, 4CA – RGBA, WNC – Tunable White, and UV365 – Blacklight. The Miro Cube 2 4CA is an RGBA fixture that features
a phosphor-converted amber chip for creating warm tones. The fixture also produces a warm white light – as low as 2,200K – that features a full-colour spectrum and a high CRI. The Miro Cube 2 4C is an RGBW colour-mixing fixture for producing bright and bold colours, while the Miro Cube 2 WNC is a tunable white fixture that features a mix
of warm, neutral and cool LEDs to produce white light with a colour temperature range of 2,700-6,000K and colour rendering (92+ CRI). The Miro Cube 2 fixtures have a variety of options when it comes to beam spread, and all feature a Ludicrous Mode which intelligently redistributes the fixture’s power to maximise output. By using ROSCO’s patented
Miro Cube heat management system, Miro Cube 2 fixtures in Ludicrous Mode can produce high output. The Miro Cube 2 also features two dimming modes, Master Dim Mode and NO PWM Mode. Miro Cube 2 fixtures can be controlled via RDM compatible DMX and 0-10VDC, and a mobile device using ROSCO’s myMIX app which interfaces with the new myMIX Connect accessory. Using myMIX and myMIX Connect, users can select a colour temperature, choose from up to 54 True Rosco Colour gel matches, or create their own custom colour. us.rosco.com
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PROGUEST
“Video providers should consider leveraging nextgeneration technology to enhance viewer experience”
Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand This is an exciting time for video providers in the Middle East. Growing customer appetite for paid content has incubated new (and potentially very lucrative) opportunities, as long as providers are successful in navigating an increasingly competitive and fast-evolving environment. Valued at more than $30bn in 2020, the Middle East media and entertainment market is expected to rise to more than $47bn by 2026. Mordor Intelligence LLP reports that a lot of this growth is being driven by new pay-TV and OTT players populating a market previously dominated by free-to-air directto-home (DTH) broadcasting. An increase in the popularity of SVOD and AVOD services presents some interesting opportunities for the MENA region. Until recently, there were concerns that the growing variety of OTT players would eventually result in saturation and increased user churn. However, there is potential to not only steer consumers towards signing up for a tailored selection of OTT platforms (according to their preferences) but also to help them engage more meaningfully with the services they choose. As MENA moves towards a more pay TV- and OTT-dominated landscape, how can broadcasters and content providers seamlessly connect audiences with content and new experiences, while extending monetisation opportunities?
Maximise your data All video service providers have access to insight about their audience; many are using it to some extent, but few are truly maximising its potential. If done comprehensively, the collection of high-quality data should enable you to fully understand your audience and their consumption preferences and habits. This should also empower you to take a more personalised approach to content recommendations, adverts and even the entire user experience. Not only does this maximise value for advertisers on an ad-funded service, it also delivers a much more seamless experience for consumers, helping to increase engagement and reduce churn. A successful data strategy needs to make sure that the insight captured is also properly leveraged to serve the overarching business strategy and objectives. What this looks like will vary for each provider, depending on unique challenges and opportunities. Leveraging social watching, XR functionalities and other tech Video providers should consider leveraging next-generation technology to enhance viewer experience. Social watching has proven particularly popular during the pandemic, with consumers forced to socialise in virtual settings. Beyond Covid, it will still offer a way for viewers to watch and interact together, regardless of where they are located. This could go some way to bringing back the social aspect of viewing content where families used to
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gather together in front of the TV, rather than all consuming on separate screens. Another way to differentiate is through the use of immersive technology, using things like extended reality (XR) functionalities to build an entire experience around the video content. Not only does this increase engagement, but it can also open up potential new revenue streams. Imagine enabling your viewers to purchase virtual assets within an XR experience, for example. Find new business models Diversifying revenue streams beyond traditional models will become important. Subscription services are currently on the rise, but as market competition tightens, it will become more challenging to monetise services through this method alone. For some providers, this might mean transitioning to a completely ad-funded model; for others, it can be about taking a hybrid approach which leverages both SVOD and AVOD options. It can also be about exploring entirely new revenue streams by incorporating things like shoppable TV experiences into your offering, giving consumers a frictionless path to purchasing merchandise associated with specific content they are consuming. As the media landscape continues to ramp up, new players and incumbents alike need to find new ways to engage and excite viewers if they are to maximise the potential of consumer interest, especially for paid and subscription services. Alex Wilkinson is Head of Sales & Marketing EMEA, Accedo.
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