Broadcasters across the Middle East and North Africa are rethinking their streaming playbooks. A new partnership between Abu Dhabi Media (ADM) and STARZPLAY marks a decisive move away from standalone OTT ventures toward strategic collaborations with established platforms—a shift highlighted in recent Omdia research tracking global media trends.
Under the agreement, ADM’s digital catalog—over 5,000 hours of Arabic entertainment, sports, and cultural programming—will stream exclusively on STARZPLAY’s ad-supported tier. The partnership allows ADM to expand its audience reach while tapping into STARZPLAY’s 2.6 million subscribers, all without the heavy infrastructure costs of maintaining a standalone platform.
A Broader Industry Pivot
According to Omdia’s analysis, broadcasters worldwide are taking similar routes. European networks like TF1, ITV, and Atresmedia have forged partnerships with major streamers such as Netflix and Disney to reach new audiences and streamline monetization. The trend reflects a growing consensus: collaboration may now be the smarter alternative to platform proliferation.
“This partnership reflects the ongoing evolution of the MENA media landscape,” said Maria Rua Aguete, Head of Media and Entertainment at Omdia. “Broadcasters are increasingly exploring collaboration rather than building standalone platforms. Working with established streaming partners allows them to preserve local content identities while reaching audiences more efficiently.”
The Rise of Ad-Supported Streaming
Omdia’s research points to the ad-supported model as a crucial growth lever in emerging markets. For consumers, it means free access to premium Arabic content; for broadcasters, it ensures a balanced revenue mix between advertising and subscription models.
The ADM–STARZPLAY deal underscores this dynamic. ADM strengthens its footprint across the MENA region through a sustainable distribution model, while STARZPLAY enriches its content library with authentic regional programming—an attractive differentiator as streaming competition intensifies.
“Collaborations between broadcasters and streamers are becoming a key foundation for sustainable media ecosystems,” Rua Aguete added. “Based on Omdia forecasts, we expect to see more similar agreements in the region over the next 12 to 18 months as local players adopt global best practices.”
Context and Implications
The timing couldn’t be better. With audiences increasingly fragmented across platforms and advertising budgets shifting toward measurable, digital-first ecosystems, hybrid strategies like ADM’s are gaining traction. The move aligns with a broader global trend: as content consumption evolves, so must distribution economics.
If the ADM–STARZPLAY partnership proves successful, it could serve as a blueprint for regional broadcasters—one that combines local storytelling with global streaming infrastructure and data-driven monetization.
