beIN Media Group has expanded its partnership with Synamedia to transform subscribers’ viewing experience with new, immersive capabilities that deepen viewer engagement across 24 countries in Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
In a broadcast TV world first, one of the new features allows sports fans to watch two live matches simultaneously on a single screen.
beIN chose Synamedia to redesign the user interface (UI) and enrich the user experience (UX) on its various platforms – beIN TV and beIN TV VIP hybrid DTH and IP 4K Kaon set-top boxes – in time for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The new experience runs on Synamedia’s Infinite cloud TV and it is protected by Synamedia’s security solutions and services. As part of the project, Synamedia also deployed a new headend.
As well as watching live matches in parallel, the new features include restart-TV to pause and resume live content, recording up to four programmes while watching a fifth, and direct access to YouTube – with integration of other third party streaming apps planned. The UX supports Arabic, English, French and Spanish languages.
With beIN TV services, subscribers can watch exclusive sports matches and events, including the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League and La Liga. They can also access extensive movie and TV series catalogues, as well as exclusive premium channels.
Commenting on the development, Saleem Shah, STB technology manager MENA at beIN said: “With all eyes on beIN as the official broadcaster of the World Cup in Qatar, we needed a technology partner who could deliver a future-proofed platform with stand-out features to captivate viewers during the tournament and then evolve with more innovation over the long term. Our long-standing partner Synamedia proved to be head and shoulders above the competition, delivering the wow factor we wanted within a tight timeframe and on budget. Importantly, we now have the platform to launch several other unique breakthrough features in the coming months”.
Lucy Norris, EVP broadcast technology and chief customer success officer at Synamedia, added “beIN continues to anticipate market needs and transform its services to cement its position as a leading global sports and entertainment provider in the region. We have been technology partners for nearly a decade and look forward to innovating together with beIN to deliver the best viewing experiences, protect revenues, and open up additional revenue streams”.
