The study offers new insights that contribute to the evolving understanding of media efficiency & effectiveness and how brands can better engage with aud iences across MENA.
MBC Media Solutions (MMS) hosted the second edition of its flagship event Powering Growth with Data 2.0. The event highlighted for the first time the results of its Attention Study across TV— conducted by Amplified, the global leader in attention measurement, and supported by the regional Advertising Business Group (ABG).
Bringing together senior marketers, agency teams, and data experts, the event explored how attention is reshaping media effectiveness and how brands can better harness it to drive meaningful business outcomes.
At the heart of the event was the unveiling of the first-ever Attention Study for TV in the MENA region, covering the Saudi market — a milestone for the wider industry.
Conducted between March and July 2025, the study measured 300 Saudi households across 29,000 viewing sessions on MBC Group’s linear platforms. The results revealed that 65% of ads on MBC Network channels are actively viewed, delivering 1.8 times more active attention than the global TV benchmark.
Moreover, MBC’s platforms generate four times more active attention than scrollable social platforms in the Middle East, and five times more globally. Attention levels remained consistently strong across all dayparts, driven by the convenience and quality of MBC programming, with a clear link between program immersiveness and advertising engagement.
During his opening remarks, Nadim Samara, Chief Commercial Officer at MMS, highlighted the company’s continued commitment to advancing the measurement landscape. “This is the second milestone in our data journey — one built on openness, collaboration, global best-in-class standards with local relevance, and a shared commitment to elevating the measurement spectrum for advertisers and agencies. Through our partnership with Amplified, we’ve brought global attention science to the region to provide practical data into functional action to all.”
The keynote address was delivered by Andy Brown, Strategic advisor and Chair of CIMM Attention group, who emphasized the growing shift among global advertisers toward attention-based metrics as a more predictive measure of business success. “The industry has long relied on metrics like viewability and time-in-view, but the truth is that what’s served isn’t always seen,” said Brown. “MMS’s leadership in bringing attention measurement to the region, marks a significant step forward in aligning media investment with true audience engagement.”
Mathieu Yarak, Head of Data at MMS, who presented the findings alongside Bec Brooks, Head of Operations at Amplified, said the study represents a significant evolution in MMS’s data journey. “This study proves that our platforms deliver not just reach, but real attention,” he noted. “By expanding our measurement portfolio to include next-generation metrics, we’re strengthening our transparency culture and giving the industry a deeper understanding of what truly drives effectiveness.”
Brooks echoed the sentiment, adding, “For the first time, we’re quantifying how audiences in this region actually watch, engage, and respond to advertising in real conditions. MMS’s decision to bring this level of transparency to the market puts the MENA region on the global map of advanced attention measurement, and it opens the door for advertisers to plan and optimize against real human behavior, not just impressions.”
The morning concluded with a high-level panel discussion titled Turning Attention into Action – From Data to Business Impact, featuring Amine Sadik, Marketing Operations Director at Procter & Gamble Arabic Peninsula & Levant and Chairman of ABG; Bec Brooks, Head of Operations at Amplified; Alan Azar, Regional Managing Director at Choreograph (WPP); and Andy Brown, Strategic advisor and Chair of CIMM Attention group.
Bringing both a brand and industry perspective, Sadik spoke about how collaboration and shared measurement frameworks can drive greater accountability and growth across the advertising ecosystem.
“This study marks an important step in elevating the region’s measurement standards. By putting attention at the center of the conversation, we’re moving closer to understanding real audience engagement — not just what people are exposed to, but what truly captures their focus. It’s collaborations like this that help our industry evolve with clarity, transparency, and shared purpose.”
Offering a strategic industry perspective, Alan Azar highlighted the growing role of attention data in shaping smarter investment decisions and more effective brand connections.
“We’re entering an era where attention is shaping how we plan, evaluate, and optimize media. It reinforces what we’ve long known, that not all exposures are created equal and we can now quantify it. Attention brings us closer to understanding how people actually engage with media and not just what they’re exposed to. By combining this understanding with our existing data and planning frameworks, we can make video investment more effective, reduce waste, and ultimately connect attention to business impact. This kind of work helps the entire industry move toward more intelligent, outcome-based media decisions.”
The session explored how advertisers can integrate attention insights into media planning, creative strategy, and campaign optimization to unlock measurable business growth.
Launched by MMS in 2025, Powering Growth with Data is an ongoing thought-leadership platform designed to inspire, inform and empower the industry on the future of open-source data, measurement, and media innovation.
Through partnerships with global experts and the introduction of breakthrough research like the Attention Study, MMS continues to set new benchmarks for data-driven decision-making, cross-platform transparency, and advertising accountability in the MENA region.
