Traditional television still enjoys a degree of mass in our Arab world, culminating in the Ramadan drama season, but today we live in the era of digital platforms and on-demand broadcasting services, with all that these modern technologies reflect in viewing of an individualistic tendency that fits with the spirit of the age, where there is no place For general productions suitable for a wide audience.
The Corona pandemic has accelerated the popularity of these platforms in the Arab region, and paved the way for them to achieve a surge in the number of subscribers during 2020 and 2021. Three platforms managed to capture 60% of the total subscriptions; The Saudi “Shahid VIP” platform, the American “Netflix” platform, and the Emirati-American “Starsplay Arabia” platform, while the other competitors shared the rest of the cake, led by the “OSN+” platform.
But there are changes expected to occur with the entry of the “Disney +” platform into the picture on June 8, given that it is coming to the East with a package of advantages, which represents a real threat to the leaders of the current scene.
More than 10 years ago, the Shahid.net platform was launched in the cyberspace, as an incubator for the content of the MBC channel group that owns it, and a showcase for artworks and other programs.
The platform went through several development stages, during which it addressed its technical problems, as well as offered free and paid services to its customers, until it was re-launched in the current form in 2020, with exclusive features for “Shahid VIP”.
The paid platform has started to have original and first shows, which are shown before they are available on television and cinema screens, in addition to other Arab and foreign productions. It was also keen to provide subscription options that suit the requirements of consumers in most Arab countries, which helped it to include two million subscribers at the end of 2021.
“Shahid VIP” is currently on the throne of digital platforms in the Arab world, outperforming its Arab and international competitors, and is expected to maintain its position, reaching 7 million subscribers by 2026, according to a study I made it Dataxis company, and circulated by the Arab media.
The “Netflix” platform comes in second place in the Arab world, as is the case with local players in other regions. The giant platform came to the Arab world in 2016, following a long journey, which began in America in the late 1990s by renting DVDs by mail, and ended by controlling entertainment and streaming services globally, and its subscribers reached 221.8 million subscribers at the end of last year.
suffer “Netflix” from a decline in the value of its shares during the current period, and its first quarterly report for 2022 revealed its loss for the first time in more than a decade. It lost 200,000 subscribers in the first three months, and is expected to lose another 2 million subscribers in the current quarter.
“Netflix” attributes its loss to the intensification of competition between platforms, and the consequences of the war on Ukraine, which prompted it to stop its services in Russia, and the sharing of passwords by account holders with others. And it announced that it is currently considering imposing additional fees on those who share the password outside the home, following it had previously turned a blind eye to this “behaviour.”
As for the reason that the platform ignored, and which was highlighted by American opinion polls and economic analyzes, it is its high prices compared to the rest of the platforms, in addition to the withdrawal of important business for matters related to licensing agreements.
Just as “Netflix” faces many challenges globally, the “StarsPlay Arabia” platform is going through various difficulties in the region. It was the leader in the platform market before the launch of “Shahid” in its new dress, but now it occupies the third place.
The Dataxis study shows that the platform launched since 2015 suffers from a slowdown in the growth of subscribers, especially with the entry of new players with premium content, but the situation may change in the next stage, following two Emirati companies acquired 57% of the platform, in mid-March 2022.
On the other hand, “Disney +” stormed the Arab market following it established itself in different parts of the world, and achieved promising numbers in terms of subscriptions. The step of its establishment came at the end of 2019, with the aim of unifying its huge scattered content on digital platforms, and marketing the company’s multiple arms of products and recreational parks. The pandemic helped her reach 50 million subscribers in five months.
In general, the platform enjoys rapid growth in the number of subscribers, reaching 137.7 million subscribers in the first three months of this year 2022. But at the same time, Disney is spending huge money on developing content and supporting streaming technology, in addition to that it is still bearing the consequences of the decision Withdrawing its business licenses from competing platforms.
Disney has confirmed that it will not make profits from its platform until 2024, when the number of its subscribers ranges between 230 and 260 million. Therefore, it aims at this stage to increase the numbers at a steady rate worldwide, including the Middle East and North Africa. Therefore, it took into account to determine the cost of reasonable monthly and annual subscriptions in our Arab region, similar to the prices of “Shahid VIP”, and it seems reduced compared to “Netflix”.
Many factors are subject to the process of choosing the appropriate platform for the subscriber, including the quality of the displayed content, whether it is original productions or classic and modern works. It is characterized by diversity in quantity and quality, and mixes between fun and artistic value, and pays attention to local publications in different countries.
If we look at the “Shahid VIP” platform currently, we will find that it is an Arab library full of various productions, interspersed with foreign works as a result of its partnership with “Disney”, “Fox” and others.
The platform turned to producing original works with its new launch in 2020, and the beginning was with series such as “Every week on a Friday” and “Two Namira” to be shown exclusively on the platform, while it chose others, such as “The Game” to be presented on the platform and then the TV screen.
The people in charge of the Saudi platform are aware of the difference between television audiences and platform subscribers. That is, content that is suitable for public display and the other that is bold at the level of writing and implementation, and they tend to choose treatments that go beyond the lines imposed by societal censorship by the competent authorities, and they walk the rope lightly without causing an unpleasant commotion. Although the result is technically uneven, the boldness of the proposition is worth stopping at.
For example, “Nimra Two” presents in 8 separate episodes stories that explain romantic relationships, and explore topics of turmoil, such as homosexuality and the difference in the religion of the two lovers, simply and calmly, as is the case for the series “Every Week on a Friday,” which deals with the story of a woman who was a victim and became a victim. Executioner, in a frame enveloped in darkness and violence at times, and the series “Munawra bi Ahlha”, which was recently shown on the stage, immersed in the evils of the city, and what it hides behind its bright face.
The cinematic experiences supported by the platform seem pale compared to its series, and most of them range between average and weak, such as “Al-Harith” and “Khat Al-Dam.” In return, she buys famous Egyptian and Arab works, such as “Rishes”, “The Man Who Sold His Back” and “Sofia”.
Just as it took “Shahid” a long time to take the step of the original works, the “Netflix” platform improved its steps in the field of Arab production. Because it originally has a huge and rich content that is only surpassed by the “Amazon Prime Video” platform. Fortunately for it, the latter was slow to break into the Arab platform market.
The first step for “Netflix” was with Adel Karam’s “Stand-Up Comedy” show at the beginning of 2018. The following year, I decided to delve deeper into Arabic content; She bought 4 series consisting of 30 episodes that are shown daily throughout the month of Ramadan, and she presented her first Arabic work, the Jordanian series “Jin”.
“Jin” is the first clash between the platform and its followers in a series of endless clashes, and the starting point for accusations of destroying social values and constants.
The content on the “Disney+” platform is expected to include productions such as the documentary Howard (Howard), which follows the story of a man who saved the Disney empire, who was gay, and the series Big Shot, which includes a love affair between two girls.
The series tells the story of a group of students who travel on a journey to the Petra region and engage in intertwined relationships and metaphysical situations. Voices objected to the image he presents of teenage life, which was repeated in a less severe way with the artistically distinguished second Jordanian series, Al Rawabi School for Girls.
In the period following “Jinn”, “Netflix” produced Arab works that passed peacefully, such as the Lebanese “Dollar”, the Egyptian “Supernatural”, and the Saudi “Wasas”, even the series “Abla Fahita: Drama Queen”, which presents the satirical doll in a mold Drama did not attract much attention. Then the storm broke the silence with the movie “Ashab wa Wala Aziz”, the Arabic version of the Italian “Perfect Strangers”, on the grounds that it promotes homosexuality and infidelity and includes indecent expressions and scenes.
In fact, some critics of “Netflix” are not limited to Arabic-speaking content, but extend to other foreign works on the platform. The attackers reject its support for a culture of awakening and political correctness, forgetting that all global platforms embrace the same rampant ideas in Hollywood. Although the platform is keen on the freedom of other opinion, and produces comedy shows critical of these policies, this does not satisfy it for many.
On the other hand, the “Netflix” library includes high-level original fiction and documentaries, which are present in the American awards season, and the most prestigious film festivals in general, and the platform is keen to provide the content with important Arab productions.
After the success of “Shahid” and “Netflix” in Arab production, most of the platforms were excited to release original works to compete in the market. For example, “STARZ PLAY” is close to showing its first series, “People Legends”, following the adventure of co-production in the series “Heart of Baghdad”. The “Watch It” platform preceded her and produced the movie “Extremely Dangerous”, and series such as “Isaf Younes” and “Investigation” during the last period.
It is worth noting that there are platforms that started in parallel with the two leading platforms of the Arab scene, such as the “Vue” platform, which comes from Hong Kong. She was interested in presenting original works such as “Half-Maganin” and “Valley of the Jinn”, as well as participating in the production of Ramadan works such as “Eyewitness” and “Sultana Al-Moez”, but its spread is still limited, and most of its works are unremarkable.
The “Disney+” platform carries the nostalgia scent of enchanted worlds and characters we were attached to when we were young. She is well aware of her importance to her fans from the East, and she comes announcing a reconciliation contract with the Egyptians, especially following she abandoned their colloquial dialect in the dubbing of animated films, and preferred Standard Arabic to it. It reveals the return of Egyptian dubbing following a ten-year hiatus, with the introduction of a separate standard version.
In short, it is a family platform that is able to attract all family members.
Disney+ has a slew of classics and modern productions in its arsenal, including Marvel, Pixar and National Geographic releases. In addition to the most famous movie series, such as “Star Wars”, and series, such as “The Simpsons” and “Timon and Pumbaa”. In short, it is a family platform that is able to attract all family members.
However, Disney+ lacks variety in content in general, and avoids making R-rated works available in certain countries. The parent company is content with offering everything that is bold and mature on its Hulu platform at the moment, and wants its latest platforms to remain a safe space for as long as possible. Perhaps this approach will be admired by some in the Arab world, especially those who have reservations regarding “Netflix” trends, but it has changed.” Disney+ is off course in the future to be able to outlast its competitors.
Despite these reservations, the platform is committed to supporting identity policies, like other global platforms, and the content is expected to include productions such as the documentary Howard (Howard), which follows the story of a man who saved the Disney empire, and he was gay, and the Big Shot series, which includes a relationship Love between two girls.
The company had recently clashed with censorship authorities in Arab countries due to its insistence on including scenes in its films that serve its political correctness plan, and the result was the ban on showing the Eternals and the second part of Doctor Strange.
“Disney +” announces a reconciliation contract with the Egyptians, especially following they abandoned their colloquial dialect in the dubbing of animated films, as it reveals the return of Egyptian dubbing following a ten-year hiatus, with a separate standard version
With regard to Arab production, it is expected to include in its plan an original business that gives it more opportunity to get closer to local subscribers, similar to what it is doing in Europe now.
This will certainly pose a threat to its giant rival, “Netflix”, which is trying to find solutions to its current crises globally, as it is looking to provide cheaper subscriptions supported by ads, and expands in the development of mobile games, as well as activating the live broadcast feature in various activities, such as “stand” shows. dad”.
On the other hand, Shahid sees that the original Arabic content on the different platforms is what will determine the winner in the market, and since they excel in this field, they feel confident in front of the competitors. The platform also takes into account the production of global business as it penetrates into different regions of the world.
We contacted “Netflix” and “Shahid” to discuss their plans and the future of digital platforms in the Arab region, but the first apologized for participating and the second did not receive a response as of this writing.
The Arab viewer may feel confused by the many options and offers available to him in the world of platforms, but the competition for him will often benefit him.
