DUBAI: OSN is expanding its Ramadan programming with premium, localized series targeted at Kuwaiti viewers, following an analysis of content trends and viewership patterns across the Middle East region.
Building on data and research, including studies conducted last year, the network identified the Kuwaiti dialect and relevant social issues as the top criteria for its new programming, which includes Arabic dramas “Al-Namous,” “Al-Rouh Wa Al-Rayya” and “Bait Al-Thull.”
“The connected household in Kuwait spends an average of 1,080 hours a year, equivalent to 45 days, consuming content through OSN,” said Rolla Karam, interim chief content officer at OSN.
“Last year, audiences in Kuwait spent an average of 84 hours consuming content during Ramadan on the OSN Home proposition in addition to 16 hours on our streaming platform,” added Karam. “This year, we are expecting this number to rise by 45 percent across all our platforms.”
Forty-two percent of OSN users have been with the network for six to 10 years, said Hani El-Kukhun, OSN chief commercial officer. This means that 65 percent of users have been with OSN for at least five years.
“These percentages are solid indicators of our consistency in fulfilling the needs of audiences across the Arab world and testament to our commitment to being the leading entertainment hub by increasing our investment in Arabic content,” he added.
Prior to Ramadan, streaming viewers spent 37 percent of their time on Western series and 19 percent on Arabic series. “We expect these percentages to flip during Ramadan with a huge spike in favor of Arabic series,” added Karam.
