Starzplay original ‘Kaboos’ becomes No. 1 show on platform in 48 hours

Streaming platform Starzplay’s first Arabic original series “Kaboos,” co-produced with Image Nation Abu Dhabi, has broken viewership records for the streaming platform within 48 hours of the premiere of the first two episodes.

Since the show’s release on Feb. 9, the platform has seen an uplift in new subscribers with many watching directly after subscribing, resulting in a 20 percent increase in engagement, according to a company statement.

Maaz Sheikh, chief executive officer of Starzplay, said: “The phenomenal success of ‘Kaboos’ within such a short time frame has been beyond what we ever could have hoped for.

“It shows that Starzplay’s commitment to delivering original, Arabic-first content has been the correct path to take.”

Filmed in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and the UAE, the five-episode series takes viewers on a journey through urban legends of the region, with spine-chilling modern takes on stories inspired by local mythology.

In the first episode of the series, “Al Ghoul,” a remote Bedouin tribe in Saudi Arabia in the 1930s is being stalked by a pack of wild hyenas that is devastating livestock and is suspected to be killing humans. When a child of the tribe is snatched in the night, a chain of horrifying events unfolds in the desert.

“Werewolf (Al-Salawa),” the second episode, is set in 1920s Egypt in the Valley of the Kings, amidst excavations of ancient Egyptian tombs. These excavations coincide with tales of rabid werewolf-like beasts claiming victims up and down the Nile. The clash between ancient practices and modern ideas polarizes the population in the remote valley.

Nearly 90 percent of users who watched the first episode also watched the second.

Ben Ross, chief content officer of Image Nation, said: “It’s always been a priority for Image Nation Abu Dhabi to create a show like ‘Kaboos’ and the viewership figures drive home the opportunity in the market to deliver even more original Arabic content.”