DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Radio and Television Corporation and MBC Group’s Shahid have signed a strategic partnership.
The agreement took place at a signing ceremony earlier today between Waleed bin Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim, chairman of the board of directors of MBC Group, and Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, CEO of the Radio and Television Corporation, under the supervision of Minister of Information Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi.
(Left to Right): Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, CEO of the Radio and Television Corporation and Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MBC Group. (Twitter: @SBAgovSA)
The agreement includes the live broadcasting of all TV channels including films, programs, series and documentaries.
The partnership is aimed at “conveying the Kingdom’s message, voice and image to the region and the world,” the Saudi Radio and Television Corporation said on Twitter.
“We are certain that the authority’s qualitative content contributes to enriching the unique media experience that our leading platform provides to the audience of millions of followers, subscribers, and those interested in the Kingdom and abroad,” Al-Ibrahim said in a statement.
Al-Harthi said that the Radio and Television Corporation’s media content would be added to Shahid along with the live broadcast of the channel, “which provides added value and additional program options for the audience.”
The Radio and Television Commission comprises several Islamic and official channels such as the TV channels Saudi Channel, SBC, Memories, Saudi Sports, as well as radio stations including Holy Qur’an Radio and Nidaa Al-Islam. It has a total of 10 TV channels and six radio stations.
MBC Group’s Shahid is dominating the regional streaming market, taking over global players such as Netflix. According to market research firm Dataxis, Shahid VIP is expected to lead followed by Netflix, with each forecasted to hold a more than 20 percent market share by 2026.
Shahid VIP had more than 2 million subscribers in 2021, with the number predicted to reach nearly 3 million by the end of this year, and 7 million by the close of 2026 — ahead of all other players.
