Ramadan entertainment continues to be in high demand and has driven growth in viewership during the Holy Month, according to a recent viewership analysis by STARZPLAY, one of the region’s top 3 subscription video on demand services.
The platform witnessed a remarkable increase in viewership across the GCC markets with nearly a 70% increase in unique users compared to Ramadan 2022. UAE witnessed the maximum increase in viewership, a 62% increase in unique users in 2023 vis-à-vis Ramadan in 2022 while the rest of the GCC recorded nearly a 60% increase in unique users.
Over the years, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Ramadan has typically seen increased TV consumption and a visible shift in viewership towards Arabic content. This year too, the top performing shows in the region included Serou Al Batea, Al Moasses Osman, Kashf Mestaagel, Bab Al Hara and Harb. Drama continued to be the top performing genre while comedy satires and cookery shows remained a popular choice for viewers.
Tony Saab, Senior Vice President of Content and Strategic Partnerships, STARZPLAY added: “Ramadan is a month of family gatherings and celebrations with friends and families and a time where viewers consume a greater amount of entertainment content. Over the last few years STARZPLAY has witnessed a significant increase in streaming during the Holy Month and this year was no different. Our platform recorded nearly a 70% uplift in consumption vis-à-vis last year which is a clear indication of the increase in demand of video streaming consumption across the MENA region. The Ramadan viewership figures evidently indicate the appetite for Arabic language content in the region and therefore an opportunity for streaming services like ours to deliver even more original Arabic content.”
During the Holy Month, STARZPLAY also witnessed over a 50% increase in new sign-ups compared to Ramadan 2022, which is a testament of the platform’s compelling content roster to meet the demand for streaming in the region. The young consumers are driving subscription growth and STARZPLAY has been at the helm to deliver diverse, as well as quality, content to its audiences, with a strong focus on producing Arabic original content.
With thousands of hours of premium content including blockbuster movies, exclusive TV shows, kids’ content, Arabic series, as well as varied content via add-on channels, STARZPLAY is the number one player in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The service is available in 19 countries across the MENA for fans to enjoy quality content anytime, anywhere, and from any device.