ISSUE 126 | JANUARY 2021
Licensed by Dubai Development Authority
IN THE BUSINESS OF NEWS
Asharq News raises MENA standards with new content strategy, state-of-the-art IP infrastructure and a young workforce
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PROINTRO
GROUP Managing Director Raz Islam raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5471 Managing Partner Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 4 375 5472 EDITORIAL
Welcome
Editor Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 55 105 3787 Assistant Editor Shifa Naseer shifa.naseer@cpitrademedia.com +971 (4) 375 5478 Sub Editor Aelred Doyle ADVERTISING Group Sales Director Sandip Virk sandip.virk@cpitrademedia.com +971 (0) 50 929 1845 +44 (0) 773 444 2526
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This is an emotionally charged month for the world. We thought we were finally giving Covid-19 the boot – but just as we thought we were getting there, the UK has announced a further shutdown with a new strain of the virus threatening to create more havoc. But the UAE has not panicked. Instead, it has announced free Pfizer vaccines for its nationals and residents alike. But the threat of a new strain of the virus isn't doing much to restore confidence in cinema goers, and a lot of studios have slowly been taking matters in hand by taking the streaming route. Disney, for one, has announced that it will make some of its new movies available online at the same time or, in some cases, even prior to theatrical releases. In fact, of the 100 new projects Disney plans to release in 2021, as announced at its Investor Day, 80 will appear on its streaming service first. And why wouldn't it make such a decision? The company has exceeded 137m global paid subscriptions across its streaming services and has revised its target to hit 350m subscriptions by fiscal 2024. Covid-19 may have helped accelerate the adoption of
streaming platforms, but the studios have also seen huge benefit in continuously introducing new content on their streaming platforms. The fact that fresh new content is coming on streaming platforms first cements its position firmly in the world of entertainment. By eliminating the middle men, rights buyers and the like, it has become easier for studios to showcase their works on their own platforms. In the MENA industry, we have several streaming platforms and one wonders if the audience is big enough to justify having so many. Consolidation may be on the cards. We will have to wait and see how things pan out in 2021. In the meantime, a brand-new news channel has launched from Dubai. Asharq News has been making waves not just for its programming grid but for bringing fresh thinking into news production. You can read all about it in this issue. Happy New Year.
Vijaya Cherian, Editorial Director
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ISSUE 126 | JANUARY 2021
Licensed by Dubai Development Authority
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IN THE BUSINESS OF NEWS
Asharq News raises MENA standards with new content strategy, state-of-the-art IP infrastructure and a young workforce
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PROCONTENTS
Inside this issue 05 NEWS Sam Barnett returns to MBC Group; Premier League extends beIN partnership to 2015; DMI renews contract with Choueiri Group; Yas Creative Hub preps for Q4 2021 launch; Midwich acquires majority stake in NMK Group; Empire Cinemas opens in Saudi Arabia with Flexound Augmented Audio; new appointments; and more
January 2021 YAS HUB GEARS UP FOR 2021 LAUNCH
16 COVER STORY: A TOUR OF ASHARQ NEWS CHANNEL The newly launched Asharq News facility in Dubai is not just a visual treat for visitors; it is also a reflection of openness and transparency, as well as the futuristic element that the channel hopes to promote through its design, its young workforce and the implementation of a full-IP infrastructure
ASHARQ LAUNCHES WITH IP FACILITY
16
05 FILMING WITH MARWAN HAMED
MARKET TRENDS IN PRODUCING SPORT
26 UNDERSTANDING
EGYPTIAN FILMMAKER MARWAN HAMED The award-winning director talks about the rise of the horror genre and his upcoming film Kira & El-Gin
32 VOX POP: STAYING
AHEAD OF THE GAME Technology providers on new market developments in sport and how broadcasters are still bringing world-class entertainment to screens
26
32
THE NEWEST LAUNCHES IN BROADCAST
2021 PREDICTIONS FOR MENA TV AND OTT
38 PRODUCTS New launches in the market
40 GUEST COLUMN What’s in store for the GCC video & broadband market in 2020? Aravind Venugopal offers some insights
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BeIN Sports to continue as official MENA partner for Premier League until 2025 The Premier League and beIN Media Group have announced a major new rights deal that will see BeIN Sports as the Premier League’s official MENA broadcast partner until 2025. The deal is for the 2022-2025 rights cycle and means beIN Sports can broadcast all 380 matches live each season across all 24 countries in the region. beIN Sports has been the Premier League’s broadcast partner since 2013.
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “Dedicated coverage of every match in the Premier League, as well as comprehensive support programming and digital content, has helped to further grow interest in our clubs and we look forward to continuing our fantastic partnership with beIN.” Chairman of beIN Media Group Nasser Al-Khelaifi added: “We are delighted to
Sam Barnett back at the helm of MBC Group
Sam Barnett.
Sam Barnett has returned as CEO to MBC Group, where he spent more than 17 years before announcing his exit as Group CEO in December 2019. He will succeed Marc Antoine d’Halluin, who will now stay on as Advisor to the Board. Majid Al Ibrahim has also been announced as a Board Representative to assess, oversee and facilitate the implementation of new initiatives and mandates. These key decisions were made by the Board of Directors under the chairmanship of Waleed Al Ibrahim. The decisions were made to keep pace with the acceleration of opportunities in the digital media and OTT markets, and to deliver on the Saudi Kingdom’s Vision 2030 media agenda.
renew our long-established and trusted partnership with the Premier League through to 2025. This deal demonstrates that rights holders who do the most to protect their intellectual property also do the most to protect the value of their media rights. beIN is proud to be the Premier League’s official partner across all 24 countries in the Middle East & North Africa, and we look forward to inspiring
and exciting the millions of Premier League fans in the region both in the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup and for many years beyond.” Premier League action will be broadcast live and exclusively by beIN Sports in both Arabic and English via its dedicated portfolio of 19 sports channels, together with special programming presented by some of the biggest names in world football.
DMI renews contract with Choueiri Group’s MEMS Choueiri Group’s Middle East Media Services (MEMS) has renewed its long-standing exclusive media representation contract with all Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) platforms for another five years, from 2021 to 2025. The partnership focuses on realising new heights of growth, development and regional media leadership across all facets of Dubai’s flagship media group.
Ahmad Saeed Al Mansouri, DMI CEO for TV and Radio, said: “MEMS has served as key partners to DMI for over 20 years now. With numerous challenges and uncertainty shaping an all-new media ecosystem, we are confident that Choueiri Group’s leadership within the regional market is perfectly aligned with our needs. We look forward to working with MEMS team to navigate this
crucial period, where we hope to realise our most ambitious growth and expansion plans to date.” Choueiri Group Chairman and CEO Pierre Choueiri added: “As the Group continues to invest in data science, state-of-theart research tools and ad-tech innovations, our investments are all focused on delivering benefits and success for our media partners and publishers.”
The teams from DMI and Choueiri Group.
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PRONEWS
Abu Dhabi’s Yas Creative Hub to open in Q1 2021, set to triple jobs in M&E sector
The size of 40 football pitches, Yas Creative Hub will provide production facilities, connected technology and flexible workspaces for partners to create videos, graphics, animations, digital content and more on-site.
Twofour54 Abu Dhabi has announced that Yas Creative Hub, a home for Abu Dhabi’s media, gaming and entertainment sector, will open its doors with a diverse group of global companies, SMEs and freelance professionals in Q4 2021. The Hub aims to accelerate the industry’s anticipated growth, with the number of professionals working in the field in Abu Dhabi expected to triple to 16,000 over the next 10 years. The 2.9m sqft sustainable development creates a gathering place where industries such as content creation, broadcast media and advertising will sit side by side with innovation sectors such as visual effects and video game development.
The size of 40 football pitches, Yas Creative Hub will provide production facilities, next-generation connected technology and flexible workspaces, allowing partners of any size to create videos, graphics, animations, digital content and more onsite. It will also be home to a gaming Centre of Excellence that provides the game development industry in the region with unparalleled on-the-ground support to students, professionals and small businesses throughout the Middle East and Africa. The Hub will be integrated within a fully walkable, landscaped campus that includes parks, cafés and restaurants, wellness facilities, an outdoor amphitheatre, rooftop
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terraces and direct pedestrian access to Miral’s iconic Yas Bay Waterfront and Etihad Arena. It has been designed by MZ Architects, the creators of Aldar’s HQ. Construction work is 75% complete and on track for the official opening of phase one of the campus in Q4 2021, when twofour54’s existing community of over 600 companies and 5,000+ professionals will relocate to the new campus. CNN, Ubisoft and Unity Technologies are among the companies already confirmed to join Yas Creative Hub next year. HE Mohammed Al Mubarak, Chairman of twofour54 Abu Dhabi, said: “We are experiencing an exponential expansion in the creative
industry. New technologies have enabled an explosion of content and platforms, transforming what it means to be creative and giving each of us the power to create and consume content. Yas Creative Hub will be a driving force in the evolution of Abu Dhabi’s own creative economy, bringing together a large and diverse community of skilled professionals in a stunning campus development purpose-designed to spark innovation and collaboration.” Michael Garin, CEO of twofour54 Abu Dhabi, added: “Yas Creative Hub brings to life the essence of Abu Dhabi’s creative ecosystem: connectivity, flexibility and community. It will be a flagship destination where creative businesses and entrepreneurs will create an agile workplace that suits their business and their team, join a vibrant community with shared aspirations, and turn good ideas into a game-changing reality. “Yas Creative Hub will be the home to a powerful cluster of creative sector giants, harnessing non-stop access to technology, content, creativity, talent development opportunities and a gateway to a huge regional audience with an insatiable appetite for quality content. Given the changing circumstances driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, we are pleased to say that Yas Creative Hub is the newest office of the future, rather than the last office of yesterday.”
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AV distributor Midwich Group acquires majority stake in Dubai's NMK Group Midwich, a specialist audiovisual distributor to the trade market with operations across the UK and Ireland, continental Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, has entered into a binding agreement to acquire a majority stake in NMK Group, which includes NMK Electronics Enterprise, NMK Middle East FZE and Edge Electronics Trading LLC. Based in the UAE and Qatar, NMK is a value-added distributor of AV products and represents Midwich’s entry into the Middle East market. Currently based in Dubai, NMK was originally founded in Sharjah in 1987 by Nicolaos
Kyvernitis. NMK Group will continue to be led by the existing management team, who will retain a stake in the business, comprising Alex Kemanes (Managing Director) and Constantinos ‘Dino’ Drimakis (Director – Business Development), both mentored and trained by the founder. After serving 33 years in the regional audio industry, Nicolaos Kyvernitis will retire from the business following a period of transition, post-completion. With the Middle East one of the fastest-growing AV markets in the world, the deal further expands
Midwich’s geographical footprint, enabling the Group to extend the support it can provide to customers and vendors internationally. The investment also further delivers on Midwich Group’s strategy to grow earnings both organically and through the selective acquisition of strong, complementary businesses. The deal follows the acquisition of US distributor Starin Marketing Inc earlier in the year. Stephen Fenby, Midwich Group Managing Director, commented: “This is an exciting day for the Midwich Group. It not only marks the
Empire Cinemas makes a strong comeback with Flexound Augmented Audio
The seats for this project were supplied by Ferco International Seating.
Empire Cinemas has opened a premium cinema with Flexound Augmented Audio in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The technology adds the sensation of touch to sound and offers a superior immersive experience. The theatre in Al Andalus Mall, with 142 seats,
opened to the public last month with the premiere of Wonder Woman 2. “Empire Cinemas is the first cinema operator in the region to have installed augmented audio technology seats through its association with Flexound Augmented Audio, the leader in its field,”
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commented Gino Haddad, CEO of Empire Cinemas. “The East Asian cinema market indicates that audiences want to return to the big screens. We give the cinema operators a high-value competitive audio advantage over the in-home entertainment,” Flexound Head of Seated Entertainment Jessica Wang-Kärnä added. The technology requires no wearable accessories. No remix or recoding of the content is needed. The seats for the project have been supplied by Ferco International Seating, which has Flexound certification for four of its seat models.
Group’s entry into one of the fastest-growing AV markets in the world but also means we now have a presence in all major global territories. This means the Midwich Group has a truly global footprint and ensures we are able to support our customers across all key geographies. NMK has built a strong reputation for service, and its value-add model is an excellent fit with Midwich’s global offering. We are looking forward to working with Alex, Dino and the rest of the NMK Group team to support their growth ambitions and to further enhance our group proposition.”
StarzPlay and Huawei strike new deal A new partnership between StarzPlay and Huawei will see UAE and Saudi Arabian residents who buy or preorder a Huawei Mate 40 Pro smartphone receive a free 12-month subscription to the streaming platform. This is the first promotion between the two companies.
PRONEWS
Nextologies offers tech support for Rotana launch on Shahid platform MBC Group has chosen solutions provider Nextologies, which boasts the world’s largest broadcast video delivery network, to provide broadcast-grade signal transport and technology services for eight new live Rotana channels that have launched on MBC’s OTT platform Shahid VIP. This has the largest streaming library of Arabic content in the world, and in recent months expanded its offerings to include linear channels covering many genres, targeting every member of the Arab family. Nextologies’ services, in addition to signal transport, will include
transcoding and ingestion into Shahid’s CDN from various origination points in the Middle East. Earlier this year, Nextologies helped launch a few channels on Shahid VIP and the additional Rotana services now bring a total of 35 live linear channels to Shahid VIP subscribers
across the MENA region. Elie Kawkabani, Managing Director of Nextologies FZ LLC in Dubai, stated: “I am thrilled to expand our relationship with such a prestigious brand as MBC to help them grow their streaming platform Shahid VIP. Nextologies’ global
network, commitment to the region and speedto-market capabilities allowed the channels to be up and running quickly and efficiently and were a perfect fit for Shahid’s needs.” Dominic Farrell, Chief Technology Officer, MBC Group, added: “After speaking with many technology providers, we chose Nextologies due to their local experience in the MENA region as well as their global capabilities, especially when it comes to linear channels. They were able to streamline the launch process for us and deliver a cost-effective and reliable solution.’’
MBC Academy launches initiative to foster writing talent in Arab world MBC Academy, the educational and training arm of MBC Group, has announced the launch of Fikraty (‘my idea’), an initiative aimed at discovering and fostering writing talent from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world. A special fund of $250,000 has been contributed by MBC Group Chairman Waleed Al-Ibrahim, to be invested in the best projects submitted to the initiative by young creative producers.
The Fikraty talent programme encourages aspiring writers to bring their ideas to life through the written word. It will later collaborate with MBC Group and its streaming platform Shahid VIP to transform top submissions into full drama TV productions on the network. Jana Yamani, Executive Director of MBC Academy, said: “The launch of Fikraty is born out of our ethos of supporting new talent from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the
Arab world and beyond, as well as searching and presenting unique content, particularly in the field of TV drama. "It’s immensely important for us to discover and nurture promising talent from the Arab world. We promise to offer them the right support, investment and appropriate platforms to see how their ideas can transform from a small idea to a fullyfledged TV title. “We look forward to discovering these talented
young men and women, working with them and helping them shape their writing into professional scripts. The wider group is ready to collaborate with the candidates accepted into Fikraty and MBC Academy by bringing the work they present onto our channels and platforms. Our mission is to have Shahid VIP become the leading destination for high-end Arabic-language scripted content, whether provided by leading producers or promising newcomers.”
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PRONEWS
Qube and Scrabble bring electronic delivery to Middle East cinemas Qube Cinema and digital cinema solutions provider Scrabble Entertainment have brought electronic delivery to cinemas in the Middle East with the installation of Qube’s WireTAP, a cloud-connected, in-theatre appliance that allows automated delivery of DCPs and KDMs directly over the internet. Exhibitors connected to the network include VOX
Cinemas, Cinema City, Flix Cinemas, Roxy Cinemas, Mukta A2, Reel Cinemas, Cine Royal Cinemas, Oscar Cinemas, Empire Cinemas, CineCo, Star Cinemas, Cinepolis, Muvi Cinemas and other independents. Over 60% of theatres in the region are already equipped with WireTAPs, with the remainder, including Novo Cinemas,
MBC’s MMS arm seals exclusive ad sales deal with Al Arabiya MBC Group has secured an exclusive contract between Al Arabiya News Network and MBC Media Solutions (MMS), a new in-house commercial advertising and sales unit launched in partnership with Engineer Holding Group (EHG). MMS will exclusively sell ads and sponsorship across all of Al Arabiya's TV channel and digital platforms, starting January 2021. Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Chairman, MBC Group, said: “As part of our commitment to provide our clients with an integrated solution, we are very happy that MMS is able to add the Al Arabiya News Network to its offering."
Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Chairman, MBC Group.
expected to be covered in the coming months. Most of the region was shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the first half of the year, but distributors have used the network to deliver big tentpoles and library titles across the region as theatres have reopened. The electronic delivery is automatic and contactfree, with a significantly
reduced carbon footprint. Qube and Scrabble have introduced the electronic delivery of films in Saudi Arabia as well, and Qube Wire has helped enable rapid modernisation and expansion of cinemas there. 75% of KSA theatres are connected to Qube Wire, as well as the country’s censor board, the General Commission on Audiovisual Media (GCAM).
Exclusive documentary on Khorfakkan to debut on Sharjah TV A behindthe-scenes documentary that provides an exclusive look at the making of the historical film Khorfakkan aired on Sharjah TV last month while the film premiered in cinemas across the UAE. It details the grand scale of the film, which is set against the backdrop of the Portuguese invasion of Khorfakkan in the 16th century, when the natives resisted the Portuguese and retained their freedom. The film is based on a book written by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and
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The Khorfakkan shoot,
Ruler of Sharjah, titled Khorfakkan’s Resistance Against the Portuguese Invasion of September 1507. It details the events that shaped the history of Sharjah and the region. The documentary, produced by Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, also depicts the Ruler of Sharjah’s role in ensuring the authenticity of the film
by overseeing aspects of the production process, including the choice of locations and costume design. It details the process behind creating the authentic sets to represent the historic city as it used to be, and how the crew created models of ships, boats and weapons of that period. Khorfakkan is directed by Maurice Sweeney and Ben Mallaby.
PRONEWS
Kramer Electronics debuts in UAE Israel-headquartered Kramer, a player in the Pro AV global market, is launching its solutions for the first time in the GCC. The technology giant specialises in Pro AV solutions, with offices in more than 30 countries currently serving more than 100 countries. Kramer has entered into a distribution agreement with Abcom Distribution LLC, a premier provider of customised business technology distribution specialising in audio-visuals, which will represent the firm exclusively in the UAE.
OSN appoints SRM as exclusive commercial distributor UAE content licensing management company SAWA Rights Management (SRM) has been appointed as the exclusive partner of OSN for business in the UAE. As part of the agreement, SRM will manage all the commercial licensing for OSN for business across the Emirates. Hotels, hospitals, cafés, restaurants, compounds, camps, businesses and other commercial properties looking to provide entertainment for their customers can now avail of the OSN channels through SRM.
The team at GITEX in Dubai.
Sam Bonomo, Executive VP at Kramer, said: “The last eight months have seen the world transform its video and audio use, with the rise of hybrid
working and blended learning methods. These technologies now power the way we work, learn and socialise. Our signal distribution
solutions bridge the worlds of traditional Pro AV and IT to facilitate high-quality, flexible and secure video and audio communications, and will bring game-changing opportunities to the region.” Pradeep Kumar, GM at Abcom Distribution, added: “We are honoured to be the exclusive distributor of Kramer solutions in the UAE. Israel is renowned for developing world-leading technology solutions, and we are proud to be the first to bring Kramer’s products to the professional audio-visual and IT markets in the UAE.”
Abu Dhabi Media Qvest buys 55% stake in OnPrem signs MoU with Israel’s i24News Abu Dhabi Media and Israeli international news network i24News have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will see both media companies collaborate on multiple fronts including shared reporting and library content, as well as production exchange. The MoU will enable both media houses to provide shared news reporting through correspondents in the UAE and Israel, with a focus on Arab-language news reports and interviews. The two entities will also exchange content such as national reporting, documentaries and archival materials, in addition to technical cooperation in news and television broadcasting technology.
Senior executives from the companies.
The Qvest Group has acquired 55% of the shares in OnPrem Solution Partners LLC, a consultancy firm across the media and entertainment supply chain in the US. The contract was signed last month. The acquisition brings an experienced team of more than 250 consultants to deliver solutions in areas such as digital media supply chain, IP
and rights management, data and analytics, customer experience design, salesforce and programme management/ PMO to the Qvest Group. OnPrem’s expertise in business and technology consulting, especially its focus on the digital media supply chain, hopes to complement and extend the Qvest Group’s portfolio and lay the foundation to gain a foothold in the US market.
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PRONEWS
Turkuvaz Group upgrades with Lawo Turkish media company Turkuvaz Media Group has commissioned a new media centre facility in Istanbul, with Lawo as a technology supplier. System integration services for this key broadcast installation are supplied by Lawo’s partner in Turkey, Radikal Elektronik Ltd Sti. The company operates nine TV channels and four radio channels, with 12 12m-tall studios measuring 2001,500sqm, and five 6m-tall studios measuring 100350sqm in the TV complex. The TV buildings also contain ten studio control rooms, six producing in 4K and four in HD. The Turkuvaz IP infrastructure includes several networked Lawo mc² mixing consoles and crystal radio consoles linked with a sophisticated central routing system, as well as a V_matrix video processing system equipped with Lawo C100 softwaredefined processing blades.
At the facility in Turkey.
In addition to renovating the broadcast studios, a new OB van equipped with Lawo IP networking was rolled out in November 2020, with the overall project completed in December. The newly-modernised studio control rooms are customised for their individual tasks – news, 4K video post-production, HD sports programming, a shared HD SCR – integrated by an IP infrastructure built upon Lawo systems. This renovation promises efficient, flexible IP
LaLiga signs up Mondia as partner for Europe, MENA and APAC LaLiga has signed mobile technology company Mondia Group as its technology and commercial partner for the creation of LaLiga Xtra, its first subscriptionbased mobile platform, to offer exclusive sports content. Through an agreement with Orange Group, the platform will be made available
in the coming months to the operator’s MENA customers. This is the initial roll-out of the platform and Mondia will continue to distribute the offering through other partnerships across the globe. Users of LaLiga Xtra will be able to choose daily, weekly or monthly subscription packages.
workflows, including remote production capabilities for futureproof operation with the highest quality standards. Lawo equipment installed during the upgrade includes eight new 48-position mc²56 mixing consoles fitted with the unique dual-fader option to provide 80 total faders, giving Turkuvaz operators direct surface access to large numbers of audio channels. Audio connectivity comes by way of DALLIS stage boxes; a central routing matrix with 8,192 x 8,192 mono
crosspoints was built using a Nova73 HD router. In addition to an mc²36 console providing allin-one functionality, the audio set-up includes six radio studios with Lawo crystal mixing consoles and companion Compact Engines. The media centre’s video and audio processing is handled with eight V__pro8 video processing units and Lawo’s V__matrix software-defined IP core routing, processing & multiviewing platform, fitted with two C100 processing blades to perform SDI IP encapsulation and de-encapsulation. The networking fabric of the new Turkuvaz facilities connects the DALLIS units to the Nova73 central router via MADI, with RAVENNA linking router and console cores. AES67 / ST2110 networking with video devices between console cores and router are also implemented.
Synamedia appoints Jean-Francois Pigeon as GM and SVP for EMEA Synamedia has appointed Jean-Francois Pigeon as GM and Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). With experience in developing and growing technology businesses in North America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA, Pigeon joins Synamedia’s executive team to drive growth and expand customer relationships across EMEA,
with overall responsibility for sales and delivery. Previously, Pigeon spent 20 years at Nokia/ Alcatel-Lucent, most recently as Vice President and GM for a global MEA account. Following the merger between Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent in 2016, he was responsible for the integration of the 5,000-strong global sales organisation.
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PRONEWS
Electrosonic completes construction on new production facility in Dubai Electrosonic, an international AV and technology services company, has completed the planning and construction of its brand-new production facility and regional hub in Dubai, to provide direct and enhanced local support to clients in the Middle East. The new production site is an important regional hub for the Middle East – Electrosonic will no longer have to rely on production from the EMEAUK facility, providing a faster, more responsive service to local clients and reducing time to project execution. The Dubai facility is comparable in size to the company’s substantial production units in the UK and the US, giving Electrosonic the capacity to handle large-scale projects in the region with local resources. The new facility
The Dubai facility is comparable in size to the company’s production units in the UK and the US.
is up and running, already completing the first system build for one of Expo 2020’s most technologically advanced pavilion sites. The new facility will serve as an expansion hub to the region. Over the last ten years, the demand for forward-thinking and creative technology solutions has only increased.
Electrosonic already has a core resident team in Dubai, with extensive experience in the region, and plans to bring in more talent as part of an ambitious programme to double permanent staff numbers. The Electrosonic team will continue to work with local contractors and vendors, creating integration with the local supply chain
and providing a valuable economic boost to the region as the facility and the business scale up. The combination of local Electrosonic expertise and an ecosystem of trusted supply chain partners and contractors means the company can provide a seamless end-to-end service for Middle East clients, with the confidence that the people providing the service are best-in-class. The Dubai production facility is the first stage in a more extensive programme to create a single source for designing, building and supporting great experiences in the region. The next phase will see the addition of a design studio so that Electrosonic’s multi-skilled teams can work as a single unit.
Choueiri Group consolidates operations under CG Digital, restructures Choueiri Group has consolidated some of its digital operations under a single operation: CG Digital. The group will also channel its investments into four key areas: Content and Creative, E-Commerce, Performance and Data, and Consultative and Servicing. The initiative will be spearheaded by Michel Malkoun, who will transition from being Chief Operating Officer (COO) at
DMS to becoming the Chief Growth Officer (CGO) on a group level of CG Digital. DMS meanwhile, will fall under the leadership of Ziad Khammar as COO. He will also continue to simultaneously lead Spread. A press statement said: “At Choueiri Group, we have remained focused over the last decade on establishing the full potential of our digital arm DMS. While our
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efforts have succeeded in injecting a new culture across the Group, where the knowledge and appreciation of digital has been instilled across all of our functions, companies and regions, we now need to push even further ahead. “While publisher representation remains at the core of what we do, our positioning needs to be extended to capture the accelerating market
shifts caused by the recent economic, political and pandemic crises. “Traditionally, brand building has served as the main driver of our industry. But today, performance has become equally important. This is evident from the rise of e-commerce, which has surged as a result of the pandemic. This transformation will only continue to become more prevalent into the future.”
PRONEWS
Cairo International Film Festival successfully concludes physical event The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) successfully wrapped up its 42nd edition in December, under very tight health measures. Despite its being a difficult year for most international events, the three top European film festivals took place – Berlin, Venice and Cannes. CIFF was the finish line event for international film festivals worldwide. During the closing ceremony, Mohamed Hefzy, CIFF President, said the festival sold 30,000 tickets during this exceptional edition, compared to 40,000 tickets last year, and most showings were sold out due to the health restrictions that limited seating to 50%. He hailed this, given all the imposed restrictions, and said the festival had screened 150 movies last year, but only 85 movies in only five theatres at only one venue this year. The conclusion could be that CIFF drew proportionally more moviegoers despite the restrictions. Under the new presidency of Hefzy, the festival has begun to take a more defined image, flicking the dust off one of the oldest film festivals in the MENA region. The movie choices this year subtly took on a more intellectual or political style, drawing some comparisons with the Berlin Film Festival. Whether intentional or not, I believe the festival brought to the fore several important global issues facing humanity.
The Long Live Captain crew in Cairo.
The Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film went to the British movie Limbo, directed by Ben Sharrock and starring Egyptian-British actor Amir El-Masry. It revolves around the dilemma of Syrian refugees and their asylum quest in Europe. At the closing ceremony, there was a special mention of Gaza Mon Amour, the second feature by Palestinian writer-director twins Tarzan and Arab Nasser. The movie has a strong sense of place, plus a sparing but condensed political touch. It is worth mentioning also that the festival highlighted women’s roles and issues at the domestic and international levels. Several women-themed movies were screened and received awards. The Bronze Pyramid Award for best first or second work was given to Egyptian documentary Lift like a Girl, directed by May Zayed, which depicts a 14-year-old weightlifter
who achieves her dream of becoming a champion. The Best Actress Award went to two outstanding artists, Elham Shahin and Natalya Pavlenkova. In Curfew, Shahin plays a mother recently released from prison. From Egyptian director Amir Ramsis, the film addresses deep-seated family issues between a mother and her daughter during a 2013 curfew in Egypt. The Russian film Konferentsiya, starring Pavlenkova and directed by Ivan Tverdovsky, is set against the backdrop of the 2002 Dubrovka Theatre terrorist attack in Moscow. Sponsored by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, CIFF aims to draw attention to important global issues, rather than offer only entertainment. To this end, a special new award from the National Committee for Combating Illegal Immigration and Human Trafficking is given to the movie that best addresses
human trafficking, as part of a new collaboration aimed at raising awareness of serious global issues. Along the Sea (Umibe No Kanojotachi) from Japanese director Akio Fujimoto received it this year. The Japanese-Vietnamese co-production portrays the struggles of three young women from Vietnam. CIFF, nonetheless, remains a glamorous event with lively, entertaining red-carpet premieres and celebratory opening and closing ceremonies. The Cairo International Film Festival, despite the pandemic, brought a defined personality to its programming menu, shining the spotlight on human issues around the world. It was a reminder that there are irreplaceable corners of the movie business, and of the need to honour the people working in it. At the end of the day, this is an industry of glamour and interaction. Human achievements still need to be recognised collectively. At a time when the movie industry has slowed down, CIFF celebrated it with individuality, bringing hope that normalcy is on the horizon. In a year of turbulent change, film festivals worldwide came as an assurance that human meet-ups are still valid and human achievements still need to be acknowledged. Rasha Shokr is a freelance writer based in Egypt.
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IN THE BUSINESS OF NEWS
News channels in the MENA region follow a set formula in terms of delivering news. In an exclusive interview with Vijaya Cherian, Asharq News GM Dr Nabeel Al Khatib and CTO Omran Abdallah share how they hope to move away from the traditional set-up with a younger workforce, a state-of-the-art all-IP facility and a content strategy that aims to reach beyond the usual adult male audience to a younger, more female crowd It has been two years in the making but Asharq News, owned by Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), finally went on air in November 2020, boasting one of the finest IP facilities not just across MENA but globally. With a special emphasis on business and an exclusive content agreement with Bloomberg, as well as the aim to reach out to a younger audience, Asharq seems poised to cater to the information needs of a generation of digital natives. Under the leadership of General Manager Dr Nabeel Al Khatib, a seasoned journalist and ex-Al Arabiya executive, the news organisation launched its digital platform from its Dubai International Financial Centre facility in the thick of the global lockdown in April 2020. Five months later, Asharq News was ready for broadcast. A greenfield project, suppliers from all over the world participated to bring this channel to fruition. New York-based designer ClickSpring Design was roped in to conceptualise and design the look and feel of the entire facility, which takes up the fourth to seventh floors of the building. German systems integrator Qvest
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Media took charge of the entire broadcast and IP infrastructure, collaborating with 25 other solution providers, while Canadian company Astucemedia helped with the graphics and design elements of the linear and digital channels. “It took us almost a year to conceptualise this entire facility, our content and technical strategy, and see how we wanted to differentiate ourselves from the 18 other news channels that currently operate in this region,” Dr Al Khatib tells BroadcastPro ME. “Omran, our CTO, said we need to take the IP path, and although I was worried that it was a big risk, I believe it was worth it.” He proudly scans the floor, with several LED ribbons lining the walls of the facility. “We started scouting around for a place in Dubai in April 2018, and seven months later we occupied this building at DIFC. Our suppliers complained that this would typically have taken them two years to complete. But we were under pressure to launch soon. Unfortunately, once we occupied the building and did a dry run, it was the beginning of 2020 and with Covid-19,
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From left: CTO Omran Abdallah and General Manager Nabeel Al-Khatib.
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Dr Nabeel Al-Khatib is a renowned journalist, who served in senior roles at Al Arabiya before joining Asharq News.
it became increasingly difficult to bring talents from around the world. “While we had the option to wait until conditions improved, we went ahead and launched our digital platform in April. By August/ September, the new station was ready and here we are today.” A journalist who started his career on the streets of Palestine, scouring the market for breaking news, before moving to Al Arabiya and moving up the ranks, Al Khatib has an impressive understanding of the workings of a news organisation in its entirety. From content generation to management and delivery across multiple platforms, he is well versed with different areas of the business, including the brands and suppliers that have integrated the technology at Asharq. “Running a news organisation is totally different from being a journalist, but starting my career on the streets has helped me to make
“It took us almost a year to conceptualise this entire facility, our content and technical strategy, and see how we wanted to differentiate ourselves from the 18 other news channels that currently operate in this region” Dr Nabeel Al Khatib, GM, Asharq News
Vast arrays of fine pixel-pitch LED tiles span the full length of two sides of this 350sqm news studio.
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better decisions. My experience at Al Arabiya in terms of the editorial workflow, training staff, establishing a news organisation and so on was like building a ship on the beach. Before you set sail, you have to fully understand the requirements that will take you on the rough seas – because once you are out there, the opportunity to make changes and improvise is limited.” Thus began the quest for the right technology to drive the entire news organisation. Helming this part of the project was Chief Technology Officer Omran Abdallah. “When Dr Nabeel asked me to lead this project, I recommended we go with pure IP and the SMPTE 2110 standard, because it is now being adopted more widely in Europe and the US. Of course, we knew this would not be as easy as the suppliers make it sound when they are sitting in a panel discussion. It’s not just about the knowledge
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This is one of the two galleries at Asharq News, and it controls the studios in both Dubai and Riyadh.
or the skills; it’s also double the price of a baseband installation, although maybe in the long run it may be cheaper and several technologies are not fully there yet. But we wanted to be a front runner and the suppliers collaborated with us on this,” says Abdallah. Tendering began in February 2018, even before the building in DIFC was identified. “We occupy the fourth to the seventh floors in this building and it’s around 5,300sqm of space.” The mandate was to create a futuristic and open environment that allowed greater interaction between the various teams in the news organisation. “We wanted the news people to mix with the operations and graphics teams so everyone had a better understanding of what the other did,” explains Abdallah, adding that Clickspring helped create the design in accordance with that objective. Al Khatib echoes this approach in the selection of talent, target audience, choice of content and so on. “There are 18 news channels here and all of them target 40+ males. Don’t females and younger people watch news? So why have they been left out by the news channels? We aim to reach out to not just males but young adults and female audiences as well through our news. This is why we have invested heavily in young talent, with the average
age of our staff being around 36 years, and we have a big social media team. The new generation influences the decisions in many of the countries in the region today, and it is important to speak and engage with them,” he says. As a result, a large space on the seventh floor is dedicated to social media, with a special set for this
“We wanted the news people to mix with the operations and graphics teams so everyone had a better understanding of what the other did” Omran Abdallah, CTO, Asharq News
purpose. The floor incorporates a newsroom on the north and the south of the building, in addition to a radio room specifically designed for social media. The social media set-up includes a dedicated studio and a set with two cameras for customised interviews. “We use social media extensively to reach out to more people,” says Abdallah. But the part that fascinates everyone in terms of technology is the full-IP build at Asharq and the fabulous design of the entire facility. A walk to the fifth floor leads us to two beautifully designed studios, one 350sqm and one 250sqm. “Clickspring did this entire facility in phases, including our two studios as well as the virtual studio on the sixth floor,” says Abdallah, giving us a tour of the building. One studio is primarily designed for Asharq News, and the other serves the business component of the channel. Both studios have corresponding control rooms and galleries, though they can be interchanged according to the needs of the station. Both studios boast several fixed and moveable Barco video walls, movable LED screens and LED
Asharq News has two galleries and control rooms with which it can control any of the channel's five studios in Dubai and Riyadh.
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With transparency an important design element, Asharq mandated open newsrooms.
floors. The 350sqm studio has an impressive moveable video wall of 8K resolution. Vast arrays of fine pixel-pitch LED tile span the full length of two sides of this news studio, for a mutable cityscape vista regardless of weather. The main anchor desk also tracks in 270 degrees, supported by a sub-floor Igus cable management system. Complemented by eight additional fully automated, radially tracking ceiling mounted displays, the studio facilitates an unprecedented level of flexibility for programme directors. A cylindrical LED column wrap also frames shots into or from the open newsroom adjacent to the studio. “You can move the eight LED panels all together to make a massive video wall, and we can also separate them if need be and this is a regional first,” explains Abdallah. A similar approach was taken by Clickspring with the studio dedicated to business news. Unique to this studio is a recessed, circular, floor-mounted LED display which can support AR graphics that blend the boundary between physical and virtual. The studio’s lighting system is
“Until August 2020, it was just three of us on the engineering team. And today we have around 50 engineers on the team, most of who are very young” Dr Nabeel Al Khatib, GM, Asharq News also noteworthy, as the first use of the ETC DataTrack Backbone outside the US. This product allowed Clickspring to integrate lighting positions seamlessly into areas which would otherwise require a traditional – and less visually appealing – pipe grid, cabling and sporadically placed junction boxes. Through the alignment of ceiling conditions in both the studio and newsroom environments, producers are given more on-air production opportunities throughout the entirety of the facility. Additionally, the 775 individual, variable colour temperature LED theatrical lighting fixtures work in conjunction with an integrated, programmable window shade system, for maximum daylight control of the newsroom backgrounds on-air. Each of these studios is wired for
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seven Sony 4K IP cameras, a vision mixer, a 4K vision mixer and an SSL audio mixer, based on the Dante protocol. Although the news station does not use 4K yet, the technology at the facility allows it to go live with 4K for a limited number of channels should the need arise. The control rooms can control one or both studios at the same time, and the two galleries can be swapped as necessary to support all three studios. The bigger studio is equipped for augmented reality (AR), with a standard Stype tracking system and a Redspy camera on a Jimmy Jib. The fourth floor also houses a 120sqm virtual studio that supports AR and includes a shared control room. A big part of this project was the IP implementation, and Abdallah credits German systems integrator Qvest Media with designing and implementing a 100GBit/s-capable, all-IP media infrastructure that supports the SMPTE ST 2110, NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 standards and offers sufficient bandwidth for a future UHD/4K upgrade of the production infrastructure.
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One of the benefits of the IP infrastructure is that Asharq's galleries can control its five studios at the same time without physical intervention.
The audio-over-IP implementation supports IEEE, IETF and AES67. Since the network consists of customary IT components, it forms the basis for both the redundant broadcast video network design and the seamlessly integrated office IT. “They did a great job, and we worked with them for a long time for the high-level design and to ensure we finally achieved this result,” says Abdallah. A few systems run the show at Asharq, with Lawo’s VSM (Virtual Studio Manager) system serving as the overall IP production layer, controlling the video backbone (Evertz) and managing the audio IP streams (Dante Audionate). The VSM controls and monitors (partly via SNMP) most of the production devices, like the Sony vision mixer and cameras. The entire system was built with redundancy in mind. A VSM Boxing feature has also been implemented to ensure disaster recovery and to realise a studio switchover via a single button push of a hardware/software panel. “It’s the core control system for the whole facility,” explains Abdallah. For the design and construction of the media infrastructure, Qvest
Media coordinated with more than 25 manufacturers as part of its vendor management, to form a seamless live news workflow. A central component to accelerate this news workflow is multi-cloud management platform qibb, which integrates feeds from all external news agencies – Reuters, AFP, AP, Bloomberg and so on – into the news production workflow so that they can
“The new generation influences the decisions in many of the countries in the region today, and it is important to speak and engage with them” Dr Nabeel Al Khatib, GM, Asharq News
The virtual studio at Asharq News is based on Zero Density with the unreal option and Viz4 engines.
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be routed easily to the journalists. As a cloud application layer, qibb is used to orchestrate and monitor the cloud applications relevant for news production: newsroom system Avid iNEWS, production platform Avid MediaCentral | Cloud UX, social media aggregation and research from x.news and Burli NewsHub, and social media publishing from Wildmoka. This allows incoming news feeds to be curated and routed to the responsible journalists easily, and the smart networking of best-of-breed components creates a unique and revolutionary live news workflow. An important element of the implementation was the look and feel of the channel. Here, Montreal-based Astucemedia, a real-time broadcast graphics and data integration specialist, helped build the news channel’s robust graphics infrastructure and create a sophisticated brand identity for Asharq News, including sonic branding. The Canadian company’s designers and engineers worked closely with Asharq’s creative and technical teams to deliver advanced graphics for AR, touchscreen and videowall (including floor), as well as the sprawling atrium inside the DIFC facility across the four floors, with 26 layers comprising 1,527 LED tiles. Alongside financial graphics, Astucemedia’s solutions for Asharq News cover finance,
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Omran Abdallah says the choice to go with a full-IP setup was incredibly challenging but worth the effort.
weather, sports, social media and other news streams, as well as standard graphics elements such as channel ident, menu boards and tickers. In addition, the broadcast technology provider delivered a world conflict scenario application, where the presenter can use the touchscreen and illustrate the scenario in the studio via AR. Astucemedia, which already has a long-standing relationship with Bloomberg, provided Asharq News with a robust data platform to support more than 40 stock markets around the world with 10,000-plus security subscriptions for real-time updates. The data platform displays live quotes, intraday tick-by-tick and minute data for charting, including candlesticks and heatmaps. The team worked closely with Steven Cheak, Director of Brand, Creative & Digital at Asharq News, to incorporate the brand into the shows and the digital platform,
“I recommended we go with pure IP and the SMPTE 2110 standard, because it is now being adopted more widely in Europe and the US. Of course, we knew this would not be as easy” Omran Abdallah, CTO, Asharq News
and Astucemedia’s multi-year agreement with Asharq News will ensure it provides roundthe-clock support for the news channel’s data infrastructure. “Astucemedia has equipped Asharq News with state-of-the-art digital infrastructure that is unique in the region, especially in terms of the latest graphics, augmented reality and virtual reality systems, as well as a motion-tracking system that allows high fluidity while displaying visual content. They were the ideal choice to execute our pioneering vision for leveraging artificial intelligence to offer unmatched user experience in the Arab world,” explains Al Khatib. Other key elements of the implementation include Vizrt for the AR- and VR-capable graphics solution and studio automation; Telestream for transcoding; Interra Baton for automatic quality assurance; x.news for efficient cross-
Unique to this studio is a recessed, circular floor mounted LED display, which can support AR graphics that blend the boundary between physical and virtual.
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The main Asharq News studio includes an anchor desk that can track in 270 degrees, supported by a sub-floor Igus cable management system.
platform news research in social media channels and via agency tickers; video all-in-one solution Wildmoka; Pebble Peach Dolphin for ingest and TX-playout; and Oracle DIVA for archiving. Avid contributes several software components and forms the backbone of the news workflow with the MediaCentral platform. The network has also invested in Grass Valley LDK 86 cameras (upgradeable via licence to 4K), Kahuna vision mixers (Kahuna 9600) and multiviewers, each connected directly via SMPTE 2110. Pebble Beach Systems, which had already worked with Bloomberg UK to deliver a similar system, was mandated to build a modern 2110 NMOS-compliant set-up capable of providing the dynamic and complex switching required for a business news channel. Its real benefit is that it is future-proof and flexible, using the latest technology advances to build a complex pipeline (transmission chain) encapsulated in a redundant server pair with no compromise on reliability. A key advantage is that this allows extra features (adding subtitles, ad replacement
“There are 18 news channels here and all of them target 40+ males. Don’t females and younger people watch news? So why have they been left out by the news channels?” Dr Nabeel Al Khatib, GM, Asharq News workflows, additional keyers or I/O) to be simply added from a single user interface. Using older technology, this would have been costly, requiring additional hardware and taking months to design and implement. “We have engaged the best players in the industry to work with us, and Asharq News is the first to implement complete IP technology – the future of the broadcasting industry – on an ST2110 TV broadcast system scale,” explains Al Khatib. Abdallah has a lot to be proud of, having taken much of this journey with just a few team members and Al Khatib. “Until August 2020, it was just three of us on the engineering team. And today we have around 50 engineers on the team, most
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of who are very young.” Al Khatib seconds this, proudly adding that this was the channel’s objective. “65% of our workforce are below the age of 35. It is important for us to train the younger generation, and we have a very senior staff on the top to direct them. We also have a much more balanced workforce with 45% women and 55% men.” Asharq was also the first to go live from its studio in Media City in the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh, where Al Arabiya also has a studio. “We have a studio there as well, with four cameras, and it is currently being controlled from our gallery in Dubai. We have a twogig link between Dubai and Saudi Arabia and have plans to build more studios there,” confirms Abdallah. With established veterans at the helm, a strategy of attracting millennials and the new generation of digital natives, robust investment from its parent company and an exclusive content agreement with global media houses such as Bloomberg, Asharq News seems to have the right formula to run a successful operation.
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Clickspring's role in designing Asharq's media facility in DIFC As lead designer of the project, Clickspring not only produced the look and functionality of the on-air broadcast studios, but also master-planned the facility’s entire 5,300sqm space – high-end offices, briefing rooms, editorial spaces, newsrooms and an array of areas dedicated to technology infrastructure, occupying four floors connected by a dramatic central atrium. Clickspring was supported by industry partners Mystic Scenic Studios, Eastern Lighting Design and Lamar Johnson Collaborative, vital to the execution of scenic fabrication, broadcast lighting and architectural support respectively. Transparency is critical to Asharq’s editorial mission and communicating that ideal both aesthetically and functionally within the built environment was important to the success of the project. Unifying four separate levels of the existing building with a dramatic and sculptural central staircase was an early design decision that informed the remainder of the project. Ribbons of curved LED bands are mounted on glass fins around the perimeter of the atrium, gradually decreasing in density from top to bottom. Global stock market ticker data scrolls continuously within the installation’s displays, but any image or
colour can be displayed. Also critical to transparency is the unique organisation of the two main studios and their adjacent newsrooms and control rooms. Avoiding the limits of traditional ‘black box’ studios, Clickspring opened the studios to their newsrooms while integrating the control rooms into the on-air look as well. These decisions required careful attention to acoustic and editorial workflows but serve to visually reinforce the ideals of openness and accessibility both internally and on-air.
Extensive use of custom, high-performing acoustically rated glass wall assemblies can be found throughout the project, bathing the interior spaces with light while also maintaining visual sight-lines between teams. To create visual simplicity, the two glass channels that hold each pane are recessed into the raised sub-floor and dropped ceiling, creating a full-height seamless connection. The sweeping central stairs and atrium unify the vast programme areas both horizontally and vertically.
The stairway connects common amenities including cafés, training rooms and briefing rooms as anchor functions that promote interactivity and connection. Clickspring also designed both studios to include the ceiling-mounted displays and the like. Of all the studios integrated within the Asharq News facility, the set dedicated to current affairs coverage is decidedly the most intimate. However, its central location and proximity to the highest level of the main atrium make it a natural locus for news and buzz. Backlit dimensional mashrabiya patterns gradate from transparent to opaque behind a mobile seating platform, bookending a robust curved LED display integrated flush within the scenery. This open production space holds critical real estate, adjacent not only to the VIP reception but also to the main green room and hair and makeup dressing rooms. Special acoustic considerations were undertaken for this studio, as it is also used by the radio and podcast production teams. Maintaining visual openness while also protecting the high-performance requirements of the audio spaces is a noteworthy aspect of the design.
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PROINTERVIEW
BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF CONVENTION
A new wave of filmmakers has emerged in the Arab world over the last decade or so, few of them with more critical acclaim and financial success than Marwan Hamed. The award-winning Egyptian talks to Shifa Naseer about being a modern-day director, the rise of the horror genre, and his upcoming film Kira & El-Gin To outsiders, it seems obvious that Marwan Hamed, born into a media family, would choose to work in the same field. His father, Wahid Hamed, was a prominent producer and scriptwriter for Egyptian cinema, and his mother, Zeinab Sweidan, a well-known journalist. Despite being exposed to filmmaking from an early age, however, the path was neither obvious nor easy for Hamed. “Back in the ‘90s, it wasn’t common to enter the film industry. It was a high-risk business then, and it still is. It is not an easy profession. But I thought I would be lucky to have my hobby as my profession, and if not this, I would not be successful in anything else,” he says. After graduating from the Higher Institute of Cinema in 1999, Hamed began his career as an assistant director on Souq Al Motaa (1999). The film revolves around Ahmed, who works in a printing press and decides to travel to earn a living. What sets Hamed apart from his peers is his experimental bravery, especially with literary adaptations. The first feature film he directed was The Yacoubian Building, based on the Alaa Al Aswany novel, in 2006. It is reported to have been the most expensive Egyptian film ever made, and generated over $4m around the world, screening at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival and the Marrakech International Film Festival. Today, Hamed is an established filmmaker in Egypt, with a number of award-winning projects to his name. His most recent film, Blue Elephant: Dark Whispers (2019), is a sequel to his 2015 thriller The Blue Elephant, a box-office hit
that grossed more than EGP 102m ($6.4m) in the Arab world. The film is based on a 2012 novel by Egyptian writer Ahmed Mourad. It tells the story of Dr Yehia, a psychotherapist at Al Abbasia Hospital who treats the criminally insane, and whose best friend becomes a patient. Trying to help him, Yehia unravels mysteries he never thought existed. “It was a great hit, and the plot of the horror/thriller novel was not very common at the time in Egyptian cinema. We decided to adapt this novel into a film in 2014, but there was uncertainty over how the audience would receive the film, since the horror genre wasn’t that popular with the masses at the time. To our surprise, it was a huge hit. “The success encouraged us to make The Blue Elephant 2. The sequel was a challenge, as we had to live up to the expectations of the audience who had grown quite attached to the film.” The sequel continues the story of Dr Yehia, who meets with a new inmate in the psychiatric hospital. This time, his life is turned upside down after the inmate predicts that the death of his entire family is only three days away. “The sequel also proved to be a hit. If you add one and two, the series was successful not only in Egypt but also the entire Arab region,” says Hamed. The budget of the film was around $4m. Hamed used an ARRI Alexa camera for The Blue Elephant: Dark Whispers, while for The Blue Elephant, he used both Red EPIC and ARRI Alexa. Visual effects for The Blue Elephant were created by BUF, a French visual
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Hamed's 2015 thriller The Blue Elephant raked in $6.4m at the box office in the Arab world.
effects and animation giant. The Blue Elephant won nine awards at the 41st Egyptian Film Association Festival, with Hamed bagging Best Director and Best Film awards. At the 2015 Luxor African Film Festival (LAFF), the film was awarded the Grand Nile Prize for the Best Long Narrative Film. The same year, it received the Special Jury Award at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF). Hamed is currently shooting Kira and El Gen in Egypt, though filming has been paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The release date has yet to be announced. Hamed says: “I’m not going to talk much about this film, since we are yet to complete it. It is based on a famous novel called 1919, written by Ahmed Mourad, and revolves around the 1919 revolution in Egypt. Around 30% of the film will be in English, because the film is about a revolution that happened a hundred years ago in British-occupied Egypt.” He has a big production team, Hamed reveals. “It really depends on which scene we are shooting. For instance, some scenes require a lot of extras on set so it could extend to a thousand on one day. On other days, it could be limited to less than
“In the late '90s and early 2000s, a lot of filming, especially TV commercials, took place [in Egypt]. We were introduced to a lot of foreign crews. My ability to converse in English helped” Marwan Hamed, Filmmaker a hundred. It keeps on changing.” Hamed is known for his successful adaptions of sophisticated literary works. Asked what genre of film he most enjoys making, he remarks: “Whatever takes me out of my comfort zone; anything that puts me in a position where I can discover something new and experimental
The Blue Elephant won nine awards at the 41st Egyptian Film Association Festival.
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is where I like to work.” Hamed graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema in 1999, making six short films while studying. To afford this, he worked part-time. “Making short films needed a certain amount of money and as a student, you don’t have that. I used to study in the morning and work as an assistant director in my free time to make money. One of the most important things we got to do there was a chance to make a film. That’s not something you get to do unless you are in a film school, especially in the '90s when films were mostly 35mm.” With multinational companies expanding in the Middle East and the advertising industry changing, Hamed gained a lot of work experience. “Advertising started booming and marketing changed. To shoot commercials, the multinational companies brought directors from all over the world to Egypt. In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, a lot of filming, especially TV commercials, took place. We were introduced to a lot of foreign crews that came to shoot in the country. My ability to converse in English helped.” In those days, processing 35mm footage was expensive. “There was no digital then. The video did not have the quality digital format has now. So it was a privilege to be able to work and finish a cinema project.” The most difficult part of
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The range’s own transmitters are designed for any application on stages or in the field of broadcasting. There is a choice of the bodypack SK 6000, the mini-bodypack SK 6212 and the handheld transmitter SKM 6000. Over and above this, the series is compatible with the Digital 9000 series and the camera receiver EK 6042.
PROINTERVIEW
Marwan Hamed says he has worked with the same team for most of his projects.
filmmaking, according to Hamed, is figuring out if something you find interesting will be interesting enough for the viewer as well. “The important thing is, whatever I pick up – a subject or topic or film – can it reach an audience or not? I always try to make something interesting for the audiences.” Hamed usually works with the same team, feeling that having familiar people around makes filmmaking more convenient and efficient. “It is not easy to find a creative team you can work with multiple times. It is very rare that you have a team where everyone understands each other and has the same vision. I have had the same costume designer for all my films, and I think she adds value to all my works. I've been working with the same writer for the past six films. I have worked with only three or four art directors and, throughout my career, with only
“There is demand for Egyptian cinema, but are we appealing enough to the younger audiences? They have a lot of choices now. I think Egyptian cinema is trying to stay young and constantly trying to appeal to the young audience” Marwan Hamed, Filmmaker
Behind the scenes on a shoot with Marwan Hamed's team.
30 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2021
two directors of photography.” However, he and his team are conscious of the fact that they could fall into the trap of being repetitive. “Each of us, individually, wants to produce something that is different and unique.” As production style has changed over the years, distribution has evolved with it. With the rise of OTT platforms like Netflix and Shahid, the audience has also become more aware of the films being produced, Hamed notes. “There is a demand for Egyptian cinema and people like watching Egyptian films, regardless of what is being shown. But with all the OTT platforms, audiences are also aware of international cinema and the quality of work there. With this, they also understand if it’s a fresh idea or not.” The future of the cinema business, not just in Egypt but across the world, is grim now. “With Covid-19, theatres and the
PROINTERVIEW
A still from The Blue Elephant.
cinema industry have been hit, but the television industry and OTT platforms thrived. Our business depends on making people step out of their homes to spend two hours of their time in theatres, buying not-so-cheap tickets. So, we have to make sure that when people come to theatres, they really have an enjoyable and memorable experience,” says Hamed. He thinks the younger generation is more difficult to please. “There is demand for Egyptian cinema, but are we appealing enough to the younger audiences? They have a lot of choices now. I think Egyptian cinema is trying to stay young and constantly trying to appeal to the young audience.” Hamed does not focus on making local or global films; it is the process of filmmaking that is important to him. “In every film, there must be some sort of experimentation, because we don’t know what is going to work or not going to. So I don't think about whether the audience is Egyptian or Arab or international, or whether a film makes it globally or not.” Hamed believes he has a duty to raise awareness through his films. “I think cinema is the real medium of expression that can help break stereotypes. But, of course, you have a responsibility towards your society – to raise awareness about issues that are seldom spoken of. For instance, sexual
harassment is something that is being discussed now in a powerful way.” On the government not doing enough for independent filmmakers, Hamed notes that independent cinema needs to be free from state control. “I think independent cinema in Egypt has been very successful. These films managed to get funds from film festivals, and from local independent
“Whatever takes me out of my comfort zone; anything that puts me in a position where I can discover something new and experimental is where I like to work” Marwan Hamed, Filmmaker
Egyptian and Arab producers. Independent filmmakers should be able to discuss unconventional topics. If you are dependent on the government, it puts filmmakers in a box,” he says, referring to Egypt’s censorship laws. Hamed has successfully carved out a space for himself in Egyptian cinema. In over 20 years, he has made short films, feature films and ads, and in 2007 he co-founded production house Lighthouse Films. Filmmaking is his source of income, and he manages to secure funding from local Egyptian producers. “That is why it is important for me that the film reaches an audience, because it is a way for me to secure funding for the next film.” His advice to aspiring filmmakers: persevere. “We are in an era where anyone can shoot films on phones, upload them on YouTube and get an audience. The legendary filmmakers, actors and producers did not always think they were making great films, but they didn't stop. They just continued to make films – because the excitement of not knowing how people are going to react to your film is part of this business.”
Shooting in progress for The Blue Elephant.
January 2021 | www.broadcastprome.com | 31
PROSPORTS
STAYING AHEAD OF
THE GAME As the world deals with the new normal, with sports events still being held behind closed doors or before a much smaller crowd, BroadcastProME asks technology providers about new market developments and how broadcasters are still bringing world-class entertainment to our screens
32 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2021
PROSPORTS
Gal Oz Co-founder and CTO of Pixellot The new technologies and trends in broadcast coverage centre around automation. This is especially conducive to the ability to create a lot of content. A major revolution is underway because of the level of personalisation that is now possible. Data tagging lets you get straight to the parts that interest you, whether it be the player or fans or even coaches. Now, a high level of customised views is readily available. Personalisation drives social interaction while monitoring and analysing data can influence what is being shown based on what is seen as interesting, by analysing the data from tweets, shares and so on. In addition, viewers can now choose to plug into different running commentaries to suit their tastes and choice of coverage colour and flavour. Other technologies can add virtual audience sounds that make remote coverage without fans sound like games that are played in front of a large audience. The technologies are all fulfilling the importance of bringing remote broadcasts and maintaining safety. Production crews want to stay safe and the leagues want as few people
and as little external interaction as possible. Producing a highquality sports production safely is a huge challenge today. Automation changes that around completely. The other big challenge is how to provide coverage – or even increase it – when budgets are tight due to lack of income from tickets, concessions and media rights. Automatic remote production solves that by offering uninterrupted remote filming and broadcasting, enabling continued coverage of games and income from viewership packages and sponsorships. By using data and graphics that are automatically put on screen, coverage is rich and informative. Viewer data can help customise content or relevant content according to age and interests. Clearly, the automation revolution is democratising sports in a big way by providing coverage to teams and leagues who did not have any before. Under today’s restrictions, not being covered would be a death sentence on semi-pro and lower leagues. Instead, they now are beginning to enjoy coverage like they never had before.
Srinivasan KA Co-founder, Amagi
“A major revolution is underway because of the level of personalisation that is now possible. Data tagging lets you get straight to the parts that interest you, whether it be the player or fans or even coaches. Now, a high level of customised views is readily available”
Sports broadcast is gearing up to provide an immersive experience for viewers as well as for sports analysts and commentators. The introduction of augmented reality (AR) on camera is now allowing unique sports production capabilities. For instance, depth-based camera tracking provides a mechanism to add realism to an AR-driven production, where a presenter can interact with the virtual surroundings and provide a 360-degree assessment on a variety of parameters – players’ technique, position, playing options and other what-if scenarios. Furthermore, the introduction of imaginary visual guides such as ball tracking, offside marking, overtaking distance and many such game-specific insights are becoming popular and will soon become standard sports production features. Another interesting development is in real-time face and object recognition technology in sporting action. It is aiding player identification, mapping player positions and offering cues to commentators, among other benefits. There is also a great interest in using physics engines to support sports simulation, be it ball trajectory mapping or visual and
January 2021 | www.broadcastprome.com | 33
PROSPORTS
The automation revolution is democratising sports in a big way by providing coverage to teams and leagues who did not have any before, says Gal Oz.
“The evolving technology trends enabled by IP as a foundation on the one hand, and products with more granular architecture on the other, have allowed customers to leverage virtualised deployments and foster more efficient production models for sports� responsive effects such as object collision, to make the broadcast more realistic, analytical and insightful. Broadcasters using data to enrich coverage of sports across multiple platforms is already beginning to unfold. For example, broadcasters are integrating with technology suppliers to provide viewers with analysis of player or object speed, as well as interactive sportsperson profiles creating virtual fan teams to chat online and comment on games as they happen. In advertising, we will see more emphasis on personalised advertising based on viewer profiles, contextual advertising based on real-time events and interactive advertisements that can trigger shopping and brand engagement. As the threat and impact of the pandemic continues, remote management of live sports production and broadcast is one of the biggest challenges facing broadcasters as sporting events resume. Remote camera controls, integrating commentary from geographically distributed teams, in-home video and audio mix/selections are some of the issues broadcasters are grappling with. Further, given that most of the sporting events are being held in front of empty stadiums, it is creating a cascading effect where broadcasters have to reduce the overall cost of production,
innovate on new business models, and get creative with advertising and packaging the broadcast. Broadcasters are quickly adapting to the demands of the current reality. As they embrace the cloud, they will be able to unify workflows across broadcast TV and OTT platforms and create a wider distribution while keeping costs low.
James Stellpflug SVP Markets, EVS Broadcast The markets of live production and sports were under extreme pressure in 2020, with the prolonged shutdown of sporting events and the new constraints on current
34 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2021
production operations. While this has inevitably impacted some of our businesses, we have also seen substantial investments in EVS’s core technologies, especially in the solutions that enable more flexibility in live production and facilitate remote operations. The evolving technology trends enabled by IP as a foundation on the one hand, and products with more granular architecture on the other, have allowed customers to leverage virtualised deployments, connect operational staff with web-based interfaces and foster more efficient production models for sports. Remote production has taken centre stage, and delivering solutions that provide more flexibility has become paramount. EVS launched a Live Production Anywhere programme at the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak to highlight the best practices in the industry in terms of remote operations, providing key insights into how to continue broadcasting even under such unprecedented and challenging circumstances. Through IP-based tools and softwaredefined technologies that create more distributed production workflows and flexible business models, the industry can establish a new normal for the production of live sporting events.
PROSPORTS
Andrew Bond Sales and Marketing Director, ETL Systems Last year has certainly been a disappointing year for sport fans who love seeing the action live, with events across the world forced to take place either behind closed doors or cancelled altogether, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This led to a surge in demand for events to be streamed live into people’s homes, with producers and programme editors seeking new ways to provide the best possible viewing experience.
Take Formula 1 as an example. The cars are now fitted with numerous micro-cameras providing viewers with a whole range of perspectives. Outside broadcast (OB) vehicles now house highfrequency RF switching systems, ensuring that if any of these cameras encounter a failure, they can easily switch and the live stream continues. This multitude of feeds does, however, require a strong signal and these signals all need sorting, switching and processing, so it’s important that broadcasters invest and upgrade to new technologies that offer high quality and reliable coverage. Despite sports fans missing the buzz of a stadium or racetrack, never before have we been this in touch via remote channels. Sports fans continue to celebrate (or commiserate) with friends and family over social media, with many of the live commentators also operating from remote locations or in different studios from where the action is taking place, making reliable bandwidth even more of a priority.
Bea Alonso Director of Product Marketing, Dalet In broadcasting, it’s all about producing more content faster and at lower cost, so any technology that allows sports broadcasters to deliver compelling content to audiences across multiple platforms is key. The acceleration towards cloud infrastructure, especially this year, is bringing flexibility and elasticity so that OpEx investments can expand and decrease with the need of sports coverage.
Sports fans today look for personalisation across multiple platforms and devices, so managing content data properly to deliver personalised sports experiences is essential, says Bea Alonso.
January 2021 | www.broadcastprome.com | 35
PROSPORTS
Dalet is pivoting its strategy to power agile workflows and remote workforces with SaaS and multi-tenanted offerings that are truly poly-cloud (that is, they can work across a range of cloud providers, both public and private, as well as hybrid). In these times of uncertainty, where live sports broadcasts can change from one week to another, technology solutions need to be quick to deploy and easy to use. Sports fans today look for personalisation across multiple platforms and devices, so managing content data properly to deliver personalised sports experiences is essential. Examples of this are flexible metadata that can be automatically packaged and served differently for
“The acceleration towards cloud infrastructure, especially this year, is bringing flexibility and elasticity so that OpEx investments can expand and decrease with the need of sports coverage�
each outlet (social content displays different data and video than SVOD), tags based on specific teams, players, action shots, emotions and, of course, languages – for example, transcripts that can be translated to multiple languages to reach global audiences. Social distancing and local regulations now have to be taken into account when it comes to planning any sports coverage, plus the uncertainty of whether an event will actually go ahead despite careful resource planning. The interesting part is that these challenges have actually introduced great solutions, with distributed workforces now producing live sports broadcasts from their living rooms. The broadcast tech industry has risen to the challenge and has forever been transformed in 2020. The live sports industry is working hard to continue despite the global crisis constraints, without audiences and with reduced production teams on location. This determination has brought about great collaboration between sports organisations (teams, leagues and federations) and technology providers, resulting in ingenious solutions.
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Mark Davies Director of Products and Technology, TSL Products Power management solutions are vital to any facility, especially those operating in live, high-stress environments. By using virtualised and configurable infrastructure management solutions, operators can monitor all aspects of a facility, OB truck or network from a centralised point. For sports broadcast applications, in particular, operators need to be able to work in the most efficient manner possible. Recent demand calls for software-based solutions for remote device control, where virtual or hardware devices act as 'glue' devices that help disparate subsystems communicate while maintaining a seamless workflow. For broadcasters moving between multiple production locations where connectivity may be unknown, they need the ability to provide a choice of communication paths back to the station. This is especially beneficial for sports broadcast applications as these events are commonly presented at a range of facilities. With the rise of PTZ and remote cameras being used for sporting events as the lockdown continues, broadcasters are realising the benefits of deploying virtual panels to provide sports broadcasters with complete control of cameras located anywhere. This maximises quality and eliminates errors by ensuring personnel only have the controls they need.
Technology And Art Combined! One of our latest projects. A 30 camera UHD/HDR OB van for a German customer. A good example that an OB van can be a perfect production tool and a piece of art at the same time. Looking forward to seeing this one on the road!
www.broadcast-solutions.me
PROPRODUCTS
On Air with Aviwest’s new streaming solution
Sennheiser enhances audio with vocal mics
The Aviwest BeOnAIR, an all-in-one live streaming package, enables video professionals to produce, transmit and distribute highquality, lowlatency video content over aggregated cellular, Wi-Fi and public IP networks. It is suited for any type of mobile use, allowing users to stream and store live interviews and events, and forward recorded content from anywhere. The solution is composed of the company’s ultra-compact bonded cellular AIR220 transmitter, its MojoPro mobile
Sennheiser’s newly launched vocal microphones, the MD 445 and the MD 435, offer vocalists the ability to cut through the mix while retaining the natural quality and detail of their voices. The MD 445 microphone combines a direct, head-on sound with a tight supercardioid pick pattern, providing maximum isolation from other on-stage sound sources. Its acoustics have been tailored to modern stage set-ups. At the core of the acoustic design is a voice coil made of light-weight aluminiumcopper. Dynamics are wide at 146dB(A), and the microphone can handle sound pressure levels of up to 163dB/1kHz. The cardioid MD 435 has been made for top-end live sound and broadcast productions. The large-diaphragm microphone features wide dynamics of 146dB(A) and can handle sound pressure levels of up
app, and a cloud receiver and distribution gateway service with unlimited data traffic. It offers a large set of interfaces and functionalities, including live and autorecord, forward, progressive store and forward, four audio channels and multiple streaming protocols (RTMP, RTSP, SRT, SST, TS, HLS). With BeOnAIR, operators can simultaneously share content to a worldwide audience across multiple online media and social networks such as Twitter, YouTube and Twitch. www.aviwest.com
to 163dB/1kHz. It features a proximity effect and promises to be very tolerant of sound hitting the capsule at different angles. It reproduces vocals clearly and confidently, even in loud live settings. Both microphones have a metal casing and a shockmounted capsule to protect them from structure-borne noise. A hum-compensating coil protects them against electromagnetic interference. www.sennheiser.com
Ross Video offers clarity with Lucid platform for virtual solutions As part of the Ross Live
direct market feedback and
season two programme,
ensuring that the increased
Ross Video has launched a
sophistication of our virtual
new solution called Lucid
solutions doesn’t translate
that changes the way virtual
into increased complexity
solutions are configured and
for operators. We have an
controlled. It replaces the
impressive roadmap planned
previous UX solution from
for virtual solutions, but
Ross and will now be the
every future development has
primary configuration and
to be underpinned by ease
control interface for all Ross
of use, speed of operation
virtual studio and augmented reality applications.
and flexibility. We have solutions from Ross. Highly
layouts based on personal
already beta tested Lucid
dynamic and offering new levels
preference or production stage.
with a variety of different
interface, Lucid is the first Ross
of flexibility, this new interface
Gideon Ferber, Director of
product to feature the new
allows operators to design
Ross Virtual Solutions, says:
Aura visual language that will
their own customised layouts,
“This is a big step forward
be a key aspect of many future
as well as save and recall
for Ross – we’re taking
Featuring a new user
38 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2021
customers, and everyone has loved what they’ve seen.” www.rossvideo.com
PROPRODUCTS
Aveco and Spectra Logic combine forces for new MAM launch Automation company Aveco
advantage of cloud services
looking for affordable and
the Aveco ASTRA MAM
and storage major Spectra
where it makes sense.
scalable storage based on
solution, allowing direct
open standards on tape,
search and recall of assets.
Logic have jointly announced
“With Spectra BlackPearl
a fully integrated media
seamlessly integrating storage
object storage disk or cloud,
asset management (MAM)
management workflows
to ensure their content will
MAM is to provide a centralised
and archiving solution,
(including archive) into the
outlive its storage medium.”
platform for all content used
which has been fully tested,
Aveco Astra MAM solution,
certified and put on air.
users can now directly search
MAM provides a common
control, and to give operators
Based on the Aveco ASTRA
and recall assets regardless
database and a set of tools
a simple yet powerful way
MAM and Spectra BlackPearl
of which storage medium
for all ASTRA applications.
to accomplish everyday
Converged Storage System,
they reside on, whether
Having all tools tightly
tasks,” says Pavel Potuzak,
users can manage and
on-premise or in the cloud
integrated around a common
CEO of Aveco. “Spectra
protect content seamlessly,
within the MAM,” comments
MAM system enables lower
BlackPearl integration
from ingest, to production,
Hossein ZiaShakeri, Spectra
costs, better interoperability
builds on this goal by adding
to archive and distribution.
Logic Senior Vice President
and simpler workflows.
in powerful and scalable
Lifecycle management,
of Business Development
BlackPearl provides a modern,
archiving for a complete
automated tiering and cloud
and Strategic Alliances. “This
simple portal to a multi-
ingest-to-archive solution.”
connectivity enable end users
is the optimum solution
tier storage architecture
to manage costs and take
for media organisations
and fully integrates into
At its core, the Astra
“Our primary goal with Astra
in production and master
www.spectralogic.com
Shure makes waves with DuraPlex
Panasonic announces 4K PTZ for live shoots
The DuraPlex is a subminiature (5mm) omnidirectional lavalier and headset microphone which features Shure’s first IP57 certification rating. It comes with a 1.6mm cable which has the durability of TwinPlex, Shure’s premium line of lavalier and headset microphones. Developed for film and TV, theatre, broadcast and corporate presentations, DuraPlex consists of the DL4 Omnidirectional Waterproof Lavalier mic and the DH5 Omnidirectional Waterproof
Panasonic’s newest release, the 4K Integrated PTZ camera AWUE100W/K, is designed for 4K 60p/50p shooting with 12G-SDI output. It supports a range of video transmission protocols, including bandwidth NDI, which allows low latency transmission of high-quality live video over a single LAN cable, and SRT, which has strong security suitable for unstable network environments. The camera also supports shooting for live video distribution and FreeD, which can connect to an AR/VR system without an encoder.
Headset mic. It comes complete with the accessories needed to support simplified usability, including a carrying case, snap-fit and foam windscreens, a single tie clip and a presence cap. The easy-to-conceal form factor and ultra-lightweight, easily mountable design allows quick applications, costume changes and discreet placement under wardrobe with no impact on sound quality. www.shure.com
This new addition to Panasonic’s professional PTZ camera line-up comes with a 1/2.5-type MOS sensor for those who want to shoot high-quality 4K/UHD 60p videos. Apart from 24x optical zoom, the inclusion of iZoom enables super-resolution zooming of up to 28x in 4K mode and 36x in HD mode, allowing distant subjects to be captured clearly. www.panasonic.com
January 2021 | www.broadcastprome.com | 39
PROGUEST
“With the increasing availability of linear channels via OTT platforms, at considerably lower prices than pay TV, we expect pay-TV subs to further contract in the medium term”
The Year Behind and the Road Ahead – Perspectives on GCC pay TV & online video The GCC media and telecoms industry is at a crossroads. The impact of Covid-19 has been widespread, with revised IMF data indicating that GCC economic activity in 2020 will have contracted by 5-10%, more than the initial forecast contractions of 1-7%. However, a recovery is expected in 2021, with real GDP growth for the region projected as 0.6%-3.1%. The telecoms and pay-TV sectors bore the brunt of the pandemic in 2020. While the media sector (particularly FTA and pay TV) primarily targets affluent locals and Arabic-speakers, the expat population’s size and its relative contribution is significant, as is its contribution to domestic consumption. Covid-19 had an adverse impact on employment and disposable income across this expat segment, along with displacement, with a knock-on effect on both pay TV and telecoms. While the fixed broadband sector has been relatively insulated from economic woes, given its utility status in the UAE and low penetration in KSA, mobile services, particularly prepaid, experienced subscriber declines. While a gradual return to 2019 levels is expected, the path will be slow for many markets and operators. The slow pace of innovation by payTV operators, high prices of services (versus SVOD) and the proliferation of broadband (and hard-bundled triple-play services) have contributed to the decline of DTH pay-TV services. While IPTV has maintained subscriber
growth, this has been driven primarily by hard-bundled triple-play services. As telco revenues and margins come under pressure, we believe telco operators will be forced to re-examine their content costs and pay-TV strategies. As a result, a breaking of the hard bundle remains a distinct possibility. Furthermore, with the increasing availability of linear channels via OTT platforms, at considerably lower prices than pay TV, we expect pay-TV subs to further contract in the medium term. OTT services continue to proliferate, as existing and new platforms reposition and reinvent. Notable platforms include OSN Streaming and Shahid VIP, both of which gained significant traction before and during Covid. Key drivers of online video sector growth include low-cost pricing; telco partnerships, including hard bundles; and the availability of premium local and global content online, including increased investment in exclusive originals. While telco partnerships are revenueaccretive and broaden the customer funnel, the longer-term success of OTT video platforms will rest on their ability to retain customers, manage subscriber acquisition costs (SAC) and increase lifetime value (LTV). In the absence of any of these three key pillars, telco partnerships are likely to provide short-term benefits only, and in the long run could commoditise the SVOD sector, as seen in other regions. The OTT/SVOD battle is gaining momentum. MPA estimates that over
40 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2021
15 players actively operate in the GCC today, with 5.4m subscribers (across direct and wholesale) and $300m in aggregate subscription revenues. In the medium term, market consolidation is likely. The GCC is unable to support 15+ platforms, with many competing in the same customer segments. Given the significant opex/capex required to build and run a successful platform, the potential launch of global platforms such as Disney+, HBO Max and others could further upset regional dynamics and drive regional consolidation. MPA estimates that the total GCC video industry – free TV, pay TV and online video – generated revenues of $1.6bn in 2020. This is a 13% year-on-year decline, with pay TV alone contracting by 38%. This trend will continue into the foreseeable future, with DTH remaining a platform of choice in households that either do not have access to high-speed broadband or primarily comprise older people. A repositioning of DTH services to low-cost/low-ARPU is an option. By 2025, we project GCC video sector revenues to climb to $2bn, buoyed primarily by online video. We also project that online video subscription revenues (generated from SVOD services) will overtake pay TV in the medium term. Aravind Venugopal is VP of Media Partners Asia (MPA). These insights are sourced from MPA’s inaugural report on the GCC video sector, ‘GCC Video & Broadband Distribution 2020. Current Prospects & Future Opportunities Across Online Video, Pay TV & Telecoms in the GCC Countries’.
DEFY THE ELEMENTS. OmnidirectiOnal WaterprOOf Subminiature micrOphOne DuraPlex subminiature lavalier and headset microphones are consistent, long-lasting, and resistant to dust, dirt, water, and sweat. Offering professional-quality audio for film, broadcast, speech, theater, and performance applications, DuraPlex is perfect for everyday situations but excels in the harshest environments. Capture every moment with confidence. Rain, or shine.
shure.com Š 2020 Shure Incorporated. See shure.com/trademarks.