MBC Group, the Saudi-backed media venture that operates as one of the largest entertainment companies in the Middle East, will bundle Netflix with its own app Shahid through the streaming marketplace MBC Now.
The bundle will allow those purchasing subscriptions through MBC Now to take advantage of a bundle offering that pairs Netflix’s on-demand movies and TV shows with similar content from Shahid, and to access live entertainment, news and sports channels from MBC’s linear networks portfolio.
Netflix is the largest streaming service in the Middle East after it became available in most countries there in 2015, but it has faced increased competition from MBC and other domestic entertainment companies in recent years.
“This groundbreaking partnership is one for the books,” said Fadel Zahreddine, the Group Director of Emerging Media at MBC Group. “To have two streaming giants – Shahid and Netflix – come together under one platform is something never seen before in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and wider MENA, and we’re very excited for what’s to come.”
MBC Now is a relatively new streaming service in the Middle East — it debuted just five months ago, and is an attempt to bring linear TV channels to a younger, more-affluent audience that prefers to watch content on streaming platforms.
“We’re thrilled to have MBC Group join forces with Netflix to bring its content to our audiences under the convenience of a single subscription,” Bhanu Chaddha, the Director of Distribution and TV Products at MBC Group, said in a statement on Monday. “This collaboration is part of our ongoing commitment to provide unparalleled global and local experiences for our audiences in the region. This is definitely the future of streaming and content consumption.”
The bundle offered through MBC Now is similar to those made available in the U.S. by wireless and Internet providers like Verizon and Comcast, which use Bango’s Digital Vending Machine technology to offer unique bundles that include Netflix and other services, but Netflix does not directly endorse or market those offerings.
Netflix did not specifically endorse those bundles when they were launched. Last year, company executives shot down the idea that the streaming service will offer direct bundles of its own, saying the app was already “a go-to destination for entertainment” that rivals peers like Disney Plus and HBO Max.
Overseas, things are a different story, especially in places where linear TV continues to thrive. Earlier this year, Netflix and French media giant Canal Plus announced a deal that unlocks access to Netflix’s content with a subscription to Africa’s biggest pay TV provider. In Europe, Netflix will integrate live channels from TF1 Group, allowing French subscribers to watch live entertainment and sports from TF1 alongside Netflix’s original and licensed content.
