Digital streaming platform offering more original programming for Middle East

MARY OOMMEN - While it might seem like ancient history to most, it was really not so long ago that families gathered around a television to enjoy an episode of their favourite show or rented DVDs when they ran out of options to watch on cable TV channels. Today however, popular on-demand streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime have changed the way we look at entertainment. People can now stream content instantly to any device, anywhere. Not only do streaming platforms like Netflix offer audiences a huge library of content, including movies, documentaries and TV series, they do it at a very attractive price; plus, there is the added advantage of not having their favourite shows interrupted by tiresome commercials. A decade after it took the world by storm and made binge-viewing a pop culture phenomenon, Netflix finally made its debut in the Middle East and Oman in 2016, as part of an aggressive 130-country roll-out. While there were those who welcomed this move, there were others who questioned just how serious Netflix was about creating original and worthwhile content for the region. Production houses and local actors from the GCC began keenly following proceedings as Netflix began testing waters with its new Original Netflix Series, titled ‘Jinn’, a Jordanian production. Unfortunately, it was greeted with near-unanimous negative reviews and widespread disapproval since its release in June this year as people believed that it portrayed an unrepresentative view of society in the region. Authorities in Jordan, angered by the content of the show, have tightened regulations on filming. They in fact, now demand to see a full script rather than a synopsis before granting permission and are levying significantly higher fees. Despite the storm it raised, Netflix is continuing with its plans for creating original content in and for the region, by recently announcing that its second Middle Eastern original, Al-Rawabi School for Girls, a drama set in Jordan with an all-female Arab cast will be released soon, followed thereafter by a series called Paranormal, based on the bestselling Arabic horror books by late Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. In the past two years, Netflix has managed to get a foothold into the Middle East with over 1.7 million users. However, local players like Dubai-based subscription video on demand (SVOD) service called Starz, is giving them a run for their money and followed a close second by achieving the 1 million subscriber milestone last year. Simultaneously, the past two years have seen pay TV revenues decline in the Middle East and North Africa region, according to Digital TV Research’s latest ‘Middle East and North Africa Pay TV Forecasts’ report. In many ways, the current upheaval and disruption in the cinema and television space is similar to that of the 1980s, when the introduction of cable networks led to an explosion of viewing options. By providing on-demand content, creating compelling original programmes, using user data to better serve customers and letting customers consume content in the way that they prefer, Netflix is forcing cable companies to change the way they do business. Even production companies are rethinking strategy. Disney is debuting is own streaming service called “Disney +” later this year. AT&T Warner Media and NBC Universal have both announced plans to launch their own services as well in the next couple of years. In the two-and-a-half years since Netflix launched in the Middle East, the total amount of global content available to audiences in the region has increased by 172 per cent, with over 100 new projects originating in 16 countries. As audiences continue to consume content, it is clear that the global online subscription video market will only grow. In fact, it is estimated to reach $125 billion by 2025, according to a report by Grand View Research, while the Middle East and North Africa online subscription video sector alone is expected to surge 50 per cent by 2020, according to global research firm IHS Markit. In 2018, it stood at almost 25 per cent of the Pay TV sector in the region. This confirms the paramount trend that consumers follow content and are willing even to subscribe to multiple platforms simultaneously in order to watch their favourite shows and movies. Streaming services have broken down traditional barriers, democratised content and are uniting audiences who clearly prefer the flexibility of being able to watch what they want when they want to.