Cover story
‘ The best of times, the worst of times’. What’ s changed?
Chris Forrester examines the MENA media scene, with help from local experts and insiders.
Cover story
A couple of years ago in our annual review of the MENA media scene, we headlined the region as being in‘ The best of times, yet the worst of times’. For 2025, we can see plenty of very positive developments in terms of TV production, ratings and general enthusiasm for broadcasting in centres of excellence that just a year or two ago would have been almost unthinkable. But piracy remains rampant and accordingly, pay-TV seems stuck without much progress.
The month of Ramadan saw just as many drama presentations – indeed, perhaps more even more, as broadcasters tried to gain a foothold on the ever-popular telenovela ladder to success. beIN, already famous for its sports coverage, introduced a lineup of special content for the Holy Month, including three original productions from TOD Studios. These programmes were available daily on beIN DRAMA 1, beIN GOURME and the beIN OTT streaming platform. The description from beIN for its Fi Lahza( Turning
8 EUROMEDIA
Point) drama could have been applied to just about any similar Ramadan offering:‘ The series delves into a tale of love, betrayal and revenge over 30 episodes’. The show stars Ahmed Fahmy and Mirna Nour El Din, in other words, perfect Ramadan fare.
Indeed, TOD announced in March a strategic partnership with Skyworth, a major player in set-top box technology, at Web Summit Qatar 2025. This collaboration integrates Skyworth’ s state-of-the-art QVWi 4K set-top box technology with TOD’ s premium content. The QVWi set-top box is currently available in online and retail stores across the UAE and will soon be launched in Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman and Tunisia. DRAMA. One drama – whether in HD or in standard definition- is never sufficient and the Ramadan month saw just about every mainstream TV channel turning out its best-of-the-best in its attempt to woo viewers.
Away from Sports and
“ We look forward to expanding our reach by bringing more globally renowned productions to audiences.”- Ali Haidary, SES Live!
Drama, Dubai-based SES Live!( Sportainment Entertainment and Sports) has linked with local live entertainment company Ethara to beam global entertainment, in particular bringing internationally acclaimed shows to audiences in the UAE and beyond. The partnership focuses on attracting high-profile productions and enhancing fan engagement with renowned performances.
As part of the agreement, SES Live! and Ethara will introduce a diverse lineup of events, including family favourites such as Disney on Ice and theatrical performances such as Cirque du Soleil, with more major productions to be announced. By combining SES Live!’ s expertise in touring productions with Ethara’ s venue management and event delivery capabilities, the partnership aims to set new benchmarks for live entertainment in the region.
“ As the Middle East’ s leading live entertainment promoter, SES Live! has delivered some of the world’ s most renowned family entertainment experiences across the region,” commented Ali Haidary, CEO & founder of SES Live!.“ We are honoured and excited to partner with Ethara in this unique collaboration. With their unrivalled network and industry expertise, we look forward to expanding our reach further by bringing more globally renowned productions to audiences across the UAE, GCC, and beyond.”