Latest news with #RomanShimanskiy
Campaign ME
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
du and Yango Play team up to deliver premium streaming, music and gaming to UAE customers
Yango Play has partnered with du to bring an exclusive entertainment offering to customers across the country. Through this collaboration, Yango Play is now available on du's select Home Plans via My 'Favourites', giving customers access to premium entertainment content. This collaboration elevates the entertainment experience for du customers in the UAE, offering a seamless mix of streaming, music, and interactive gaming in one super app. 'We are thrilled to join forces with du to offer a truly comprehensive entertainment experience that extends beyond streaming,' said Roman Shimanskiy, Chief Executive of Yango Play. The exclusive video content lineup includes seven highly anticipated Arabic titles, spanning gripping dramas, comedy, and family-friendly entertainment. Four of these titles are available exclusively on Yango Play, bringing compelling, culturally relevant stories that resonate with audiences across the region. In addition to premium series and movies, Yango Play offers an extensive music library, personalised playlists, and a diverse selection of casual and interactive games, ensuring an immersive entertainment experience tailored to every user's preference. Shimanskiy continues, 'With an unmatched mix of movies, series, music, and gaming, Yango Play is redefining digital entertainment in the region. This partnership with du allows us to make premium content more accessible to users across the UAE.' Karim Benkirane, Chief Commercial Officer at du said, 'At du, we believe in going beyond traditional boundaries to elevate the experiences we offer our valued customers. Our collaboration and year-long journey with Yango Play manifests this vision by bringing families together and enriching lives across the UAE.' As part of its commitment to delivering added value to its customers, du is offering a 12-months complimentary subscription to Yango Play on select home plans. Through this partnership, both brands aim to make high-quality entertainment more accessible to audiences across the UAE.
Business Insider
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
A look at Africa's streaming market: Barriers, breakthroughs, and what the future holds
As Africa's digital landscape continues to evolve and expand, the region is becoming a promising market for the streaming industry. With its large, youthful, and increasingly connected population, the continent offers serious potential but presents a unique set of challenges for global and local players. Success in this region will depend on deeply understanding how people connect, consume, and create — and designing experiences that meet them where they are. We spoke with Roman Shimanskiy, Managing Director of Yango Play — the first AI-powered entertainment superapp in Africa and the Middle East. As the strategic lead behind its regional launch, Shimanskiy brought to market one of the fastest-growing streaming platforms in MENA, combining personalized video, music, and interactive experiences through AI technologies. In this interview, he shares his insights about the current state of streaming in Africa — and what it will take for the market to move into its next phase of growth, through the lens of someone building global products and watching Africa's market potential unfold. BI Africa: Can you give us an overview of the streaming landscape in Africa today? What platforms are popular, and what are audiences looking for? Roman: Africa is a vast and remarkably dynamic continent. What makes it truly unique is its population: young, digitally curious, and highly engaged. Millions of people actively seek content daily, which brings a massive opportunity for streaming platforms and digital entertainment apps. Despite strong audience interest, subscription-based streaming in Africa is still in its very early stages. Traditional formats — especially radio and television — are still the dominant sources of content in many regions. Traditional channels like radio and TV still dominate much of the content landscape, while platforms such as YouTube and social media have already carved out massive audiences. Still, the potential is hard to deny. We're seeing a classic 'hockey stick' trajectory — steady growth now, with a possible sharp rise over the next 5 to 10 years. The key question is when that inflection point will arrive. BI Africa: What are the biggest challenges holding back faster growth? Roman: In my opinion, there are three main barriers. The first is infrastructure — fast, affordable, and reliable internet is still not widely available, especially outside major cities. The second challenge is access to devices. Streaming relies on smartphones, smart TVs, and other capable hardware, but a large portion of the population still lacks the devices needed to support high-content platforms. Then there are payments. Cash still dominates in many parts of Africa, and digital payment systems — whether through cards or online wallets — are not yet mainstream. That makes subscription monetization very difficult. Most digital services in Africa today rely on advertising for revenue. Mobile money wallets, often tied to telecom operators, are growing in relevance, but the ecosystem is still maturing. Plus, mobile wallets are often unsuited for recurring subscription models, as they usually require manual top-ups and don't always support automated billing. And of course, large-scale piracy remains a major issue. It is extremely widespread, and changing the situation will take time. It will require not only economic readiness from users to pay for content, but also a shift in society's attitude toward piracy, seeing it as something socially unacceptable. This slows down both the development of the subscription model and the broader perception of digital services as something valuable and worth paying for. BI Africa: So what are the biggest growth drivers on the horizon? Roman: The upside is massive. For one, there's far less competition. In Europe or the US, you fight ten companies for one user. In Africa, the field is much more open. The continent has an incredibly rich musical culture; it is a deeply musical continent — people are constantly listening, creating, and sharing. That makes it an ideal market for streaming, especially audio platforms and creative tools. YouTube is hugely popular for that reason. It offers accessibility, discovery, and — importantly — monetization. BI Africa: What makes YouTube so popular in Africa? Roman: YouTube is dominant in the African streaming landscape for two main reasons. First, as a user-generated content platform, it allows anyone to upload — an ideal fit for regions with vibrant creative communities but limited formal infrastructure. Then, it provides creators with a path to monetization. Whether you're recording a song, filming a vlog, or producing a short drama on your phone, YouTube offers access to an audience and the potential to earn money without needing labels, licenses, or intermediaries. As a result, much of Africa's music, which often isn't formally licensed, bypasses platforms like Spotify or Apple Music and instead finds a home on YouTube or SoundCloud. BI Africa: Beyond music, are there other regional strengths that make Africa a unique opportunity for streaming? Roman: Absolutely. Nigeria is a great example. Nollywood, the country's homegrown film industry, is among the top five in the world by volume. It produces around 80% of the films and series watched across Africa. It's a fully developed ecosystem with production houses, creative talent, and huge audiences. And because the content is culturally aligned with viewers, it resonates more deeply than most global productions. This is why MultiChoice has been able to compete so effectively with Netflix — they're producing content that speaks directly to the local experience. Production costs are lower, and the addressable audience is massive. So the unit economics of African content can actually be very strong. BI Africa: What indicators should companies watch to gauge when the market is really starting to scale? Roman: The biggest one is subscriber growth at platforms like Netflix and MultiChoice. Currently, there are about 20 million subscribers across Sub-Saharan Africa. If that number starts climbing rapidly year over year, that's your signal that the adoption curve is steepening. Some projections suggest that by 2030 or 2035, we'll see a convergence of key factors — internet penetration, payment infrastructure, economic uplift, and population size — all of which could trigger the next major wave of streaming expansion. BI Africa: Who do you think will lead that growth — global platforms or local players? Roman: I believe global platforms will take a more cautious, partnership-driven route. The days of launching a one-size-fits-all product are over — success now depends on having a strong local presence. We are already seeing that play out. Most international companies will likely enter the market through joint ventures, acquisitions, or strategic partnerships with local services. They might provide the brand, the tech, or the content backing, but the local connection will be the number one priority. At the same time, telecom operators could become some of the most influential players in this space. They already have billing relationships, massive subscriber bases, and now, increasingly, mobile money systems. For them, adding streaming services is a logical next step — a way to monetize their users beyond just data and connectivity.
Broadcast Pro
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Vodafone Egypt partners with Yango Play
The partnership aims to enhance customer satisfaction by delivering premium content, exclusive releases and an easy-to-navigate user interface suitable for the entire family. Vodafone Egypt has announced a strategic partnership with Yango Play, the all-in-one entertainment super app that offers a comprehensive experience for fans of movies, series, music and games across Egypt and the MENA region. Yango Play boasts an extensive library of Arabic and foreign movies and series, original productions, music and interactive games. With its diverse content offerings, the platform aims to provide users with an immersive and seamless entertainment experience tailored to a variety of interests and preferences. Through this collaboration, Vodafone Egypt aims to solidify its position as a key provider of digital entertainment services. Vodafone customers will gain access to Yango Play's exclusive content, including premium releases and a seamless user experience that caters to every family member's entertainment needs. Speaking about the partnership, Karim Eid, Chief Commercial Officer at Vodafone Egypt, said: 'Placing our customers at the heart of our operations and striving to become an integral part of their daily lives has always been our primary focus since our inception in the Egyptian market. Our partnership with Yango Play is a testament to our commitment to providing a comprehensive digital entertainment experience that meets our customers' needs and enriches their lifestyles. Through continuous innovation and collaboration with industry leaders, we are unwavering in our dedication to offering exceptional services that reinforce Vodafone as the top choice for those seeking excellence.' Roman Shimanskiy, Chief Executive of Yango Play, commented: 'This fruitful partnership marks a significant step in our mission to redefine the concept of digital entertainment. We provide content that inspires and meets the aspirations of customers in Egypt, leveraging cutting-edge technology and the strength of such strategic partnerships. This is more than just an alliance; it is an investment in the future of digital entertainment, integrating innovation and a seamless experience into the daily lives of our users.' The collaboration with Yango Play aligns with Vodafone Egypt's broader strategy of enhancing digital entertainment services. Tags: Yango PlayYango play contentfeaturedpostArabic contentVodafone Egypt
