Discovery has entered into an agreement with the SVOD service Starzplay to launch discovery+ in 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Commenting on the development, Kasia Kieli, president & MD EMEA at Discovery Inc, said: “The launch of discovery+ across MENA represents a major step toward adding 18 additional countries and territories to the global expansion of the platform, giving customers options to access the content that they love and have come to expect from Discovery”.
Maaz Sheikh, CEO and co-founder, Starzplay, added: “The unprecedented growth of online streaming has driven the need for compelling content that provides real value for subscribers. As the region’s pioneering and homegrown SVOD platform, we have been building in strategic partnerships to offer more online content and varied choices to our subscribers. We are confident that the discovery+ add on will be welcomed by the MENA audience and we look forward to growing this partnership further”.
Francesco Perta, senior business development and distribution director, Middle East, Africa, Turkey and North East Europe at Discovery Inc, said: “Our vast content library gives us a running start to serve fans directly in markets across EMEA, and the world, in ways that are relevant, compelling and tailored to each market. Our partnership with Starzplay is another example of how we are scaling our DTC businesses by leveraging our combination of competitive advantages – content ownership, brand strength and the biggest global footprint in media”.
Now live everywhere MENA subscribers can access the Starzplay app, including via Apple TV, to watch thousands of hours of Discovery-owned content in a dedicated braded area for a small additional subscription, anytime, anywhere and from any device.
Danny Bates, co-founder and CCO of Starzplay, said: “As a leading regional video streaming service, our core strategic focus involves seeking out ways to drive customer satisfaction as we continue our growth trajectory across MENA. The decision to enter the content aggregation space adds to our proposition as a one-stop-shop for premium content, offering our subscribers quality, choice and convenience. Discovery offers the best-in-class real-life entertainment content portfolio and adding discovery+ to our offering continues to drive value to our platform”.
Starzplay is available to download online and via respective iOS and Android app stores, with access to discovery+ for just AED/SAR15 per month, in addition to existing subscription packages. All new and existing subscribers can also access discovery+ with a seven-day free trial period.
