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| OSN Streaming | |
|---|---|
| Name | OSN Streaming |
| Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Dubai |
| Area served | Middle East and North Africa |
| Owner | Orbit Showtime Network |
| Products | Streaming service |
OSN Streaming OSN Streaming is a subscription video on demand service operated by Orbit Showtime Network, providing televised and digital entertainment to the Middle East and North Africa. The service aggregates licensed films, television series, and original productions from international studios, regional producers, and broadcast partners to reach audiences across the Gulf Cooperation Council, North Africa, and Levantine markets.
OSN Streaming offers curated catalogs drawn from partnerships with major studios such as Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, WarnerMedia, HBO, Showtime (TV network), NBCUniversal, 20th Century Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate, BBC Studios, ITV (TV network), Fox Corporation, Canal+, Endemol Shine Group, All3Media, HBO Max and regional producers including MBC GROUP, Rotana, Al Jazeera Media Network, Al Arabiya, OSN (Orbit Showtime Network). The catalogue includes drama, comedy, documentary, sports highlights, and children's programming from distributors like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, PBS, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, History (Canadian TV network), A&E Networks, Hulu, Netflix licensing deals, and film festivals such as Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival selections. OSN Streaming integrates content rights negotiations with agencies including Motion Picture Association, International Federation of Film Producers Associations, Middle East Film & Comic Con, and trade fairs like MIPCOM and Cannes Lions.
The service emerged as part of Orbit Showtime Network's digital strategy following satellite expansions in the 2000s involving companies like Arab Satellite Communications Organization and regional broadcasters such as Nile TV International and Dubai Media Incorporated. Key milestones included licensing agreements with HBO, Warner Bros. Television, Universal Television, and distribution partnerships with telcos such as Etisalat, du (United Arab Emirates), Vodafone Egypt, STC (Saudi Telecom Company), Orange S.A., Zain Group to deliver OTT services. Investments and corporate movements involved stakeholders like MIPTV, IHS Markit analyses, and private equity firms comparable to CVC Capital Partners shaping pay-TV transitions. Strategic shifts paralleled regional streaming entrants influenced by BEIN SPORTS, Al Jazeera Sports, MBC Action, and global entrants like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.
Programming spans licensed international series and localized productions from studios such as BBC Studios, AMC Networks, Showtime (TV network), Sky Group, Canal+, Gaumont Film Company, and regional drama producers exemplified by Egyptian Television Network, Syrian Television, and Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International. Children's content sources include Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, PBS Kids, and Sesame Workshop partnerships. Film offerings reflect catalogs from Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Classics, and festival circuits like Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival. The platform has commissioned originals in collaboration with production houses like Endemol Shine Group, Khaled Marei Productions, and regional creators showcased at events including Dubai International Film Festival and Abu Dhabi Film Festival.
The platform deploys streaming technologies compatible with devices supported by Apple Inc. (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV), Samsung Electronics smart TVs, LG Electronics webOS, Android TV devices by Google LLC, set-top boxes from Roku, and gaming consoles like Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) and Microsoft (Xbox). It integrates digital rights management from providers such as Widevine, Microsoft PlayReady, and watermarking systems used in industry events like NAB Show demonstrations. Backend infrastructure utilizes content delivery networks operated by companies like Akamai Technologies, Cloudflare, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure to optimize regional latency across data centers in proximity to hubs like Dubai Internet City, Riyadh IT hub, and Cairo ICT. Features include multi-device account management, adaptive bitrate streaming standards from MPEG-DASH, subtitles in Arabic, English, and French, and analytics informed by firms such as Nielsen (company), Parrot Analytics, and Comscore.
Subscription tiers and pricing models have been adjusted for markets across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. Payment options integrate regional gateways like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, telco billing partnerships with Etisalat, du (United Arab Emirates), STC (Saudi Telecom Company), and voucher distribution through retailers such as Carrefour, Spinneys, and Lulu Hypermarket. Promotions and bundles have included collaborations with Etihad Airways, Emirates (airline), Flydubai, and loyalty programs from banks including Emirates NBD and Qatar National Bank.
OSN Streaming competes with regional and global services including Starz, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Shahid (streaming service), beIN CONNECT, StarzPlay Arabia, OSN's satellite service competitors like Satellite TV channels, and local free-to-air broadcasters such as MBC Group, Rotana, and Al Arabiya. Market analyses reference research by PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, and McKinsey & Company on media consumption in the MENA region, and regulatory frameworks involving entities like Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (UAE), Communications and Information Technology Commission (Saudi Arabia), and cultural boards influencing content classification.
Critical reception notes praise for localized catalogs and premium partnerships with HBO, Warner Bros., and Showtime (TV network), while criticism targets pricing parity with global services, regional rights restrictions, and metadata localization compared against Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Consumer feedback has been reported in regional outlets such as Gulf News, The National (Abu Dhabi), Al-Ahram, Arab News, and industry commentary at conferences like Middle East Broadcast Centre panels and CABSAT. Analyses by Variety (magazine), The Hollywood Reporter, and Screen International have compared its strategy to global streaming transformations driven by conglomerates like Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, and AT&T (company).
Category:Streaming media systems