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INTRODUCTION
Forging new ground in streaming models The MENA region is an area with a rich
many of the principal services
tradition of stories and storytellers,
saw strong growth in subscribers
but one that had formerly and for
with significant improvements in
a variety of reasons not yet fully
viewership metrics across the board.
achieved its full potential of creating
Although there is still significant
narratives that can travel the world.
room for growth in the region, as
The region is now at the cusp of
2021 makes its way out, the battle for
witnessing a sea-change as producers,
subscribers and viewer’s attention is
incumbent giants, new services
increasingly becoming more pitched.
and creatives are all increasingly
Alongside user acquisition there
investing time, energy and funds to
will necessarily have to be a focus on
forge new ground in the increasingly
limiting churn. Content has always
dominant model of streaming. These
been the fundamental driver for
streaming services are the spark in a
streaming success, but one category
combination of younger demographics,
will become of even more critical
faster technological adoption, and
importance for subscription services
democratised access, fueling a chain
trying to provide value to their
reaction that will continue to have
audiences -- Original Programming.
significant impact on the industry. The key word for 2021 is evolution
A Crowded Market
as audiences, the industry and the
The OTT industry in the MENA has
region continue to adapt to the
undergone rapid development in
fallout from the ongoing global
recent years with a flurry of new
pandemic that upended all previous
entrants, exits and relaunches. On
plans and paradigms. 2020 bore a
the one hand, there was the demise
real catalysation of digital adoption
of icflix (one of the first homegrown
with profound impact to content
services of the region) and the retreat
rights windowing and entertainment
from the region and eventual exit of
consumption globally. In the MENA
iflix (an international service from
