MIPTV – CANNES. Rotana Audio Visual (Rotana), a producer and distributor of Arabic music, movies and broadcaster of premium TV channels, has signed a TV distribution agreement with A.C.K.S BV (ACKS) of the Netherlands. The deal provides ACKS with access to broadcast Rotana’s TV channels throughout Europe, utilizing the latest IP technology and delivering the best of Arabic entertainment throughout Europe to enrich the customer home entertainment experience.
As part of the agreement ACKS has also launched a European channel, which will be offered to cable operators across Europe and which will act as a showcase channel for the bouquet of Rotana channels. The plan also is to offer the Rotana channels across Europe as part of an Arabic DTH platform.
Yousef H Mugharbil, GM of Digital Media at Rotana, added in a prepared statement: “Under this agreement, Rotana will bring to Europe premium Arabic entertainment encompassing music, movies, popular TV programs and Video-on-demand digital services. In the meantime, at Rotana we continue to embrace the latest technologies to strengthen our digital entertainment offering in order to deliver our content across all possible channels.”
Rotana broadcasts seven TV channels and provides content to TV channels, telecom operators, service providers and content aggregators. Rotana is headquartered in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, with offices in Jeddah, Cairo, Lebanon, Dubai and Kuwait. Chairman of The Board of Rotana is His Royal Highness Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal.
About Robert Briel
"In an industry that experiences rapid change and often a confusing subsequent
constant supply of news, it is often refreshing to read an insightful perspective. Broadband
TV News and its editorial team regularly provide a context and
helpful analysis to breaking news.”
Broadband TV News is the must-read publication for those working in the Business of the Multiscreen Television. We deliver news, insight and data direct to your desktop. As well as our constantly updated website you can sign-up to our Daily and Weekly email bulletins. 
Connected TV Forecasts NEW REPORT. The number of TV sets connected to the Internet will reach 551 million by 2016 for the 40 countries covered in this report from Digital TV Research, up from 124 million at end-2010. The report states that this translates to 20% of global TV sets by 2016, up from only 6% at end-2010. Published in November 2011, this 83-page PDF report is the most geographically comprehensive to ever be published.