Latest news with #Starzplay
Campaign ME
24-04-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Starzplay achieves 2.5x revenue growth with ADIO support
Subscription video-on-demand service, Starzplay, has reported record-breaking financial and operational milestones in 2024 with the strategic support of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). The company's revenue has successfully surpassed the AED 370 million mark, reflecting the success of its long-term growth strategy and strategic partnerships and exhibiting over 2.5x revenue growth since the partnership's commencement in 2022. Since partnering with ADIO in 2022, Starzplay says it has witnessed exponential growth, strengthening its regional footprint. Its headquarters at Abu Dhabi's Yas Creative Hub, now with over 40 employees, serve as a hub for AI-driven content curation, fan engagement, and streaming innovation. With Abu Dhabi investing heavily in media infrastructure, including Yas Creative Hub and advanced cloud services, the UAE capital aims to cement its role as a regional powerhouse for digital entertainment, driven by the rise of major players like Starzplay. 'Starzplay is a prime example of how Abu Dhabi is shaping a dynamic, innovation-led digital economy,' said His Excellency Badr Al-Olama, Director General of ADIO. 'By supporting companies like Starzplay to grow and innovate, we are empowering high-growth companies to create jobs and drive industry transformation. The results achieved in 2024 are a testament to this successful collaboration and reinforce the emirate's position as a global hub for media, entertainment and technology.' Starzplay also has launched its AI-powered Starzplay Fantasy Sports, leveraging support from ADIO. This Abu Dhabi-developed platform allows fans to engage with live matches in real-time. Its personalisation engine utilises advanced machine learning to provide users with tailored recommendations, improving retention and engagement rates. 'Our partnership with ADIO has played a key role in our journey,' said Maaz Sheikh, CEO of Starzplay. 'ADIO's support has helped us expand our operations and introduce many solutions, such as AI-driven content discovery, improving the overall entertainment experience. As we look toward the future, we are committed to reinforcing Abu Dhabi's leadership in the global media landscape.' Starzplay further claims that its growth has boosted Abu Dhabi's creative economy, creating jobs in media, production and technology while supporting the Abu Dhabi Film and TV Commission's goals. Its investment in local content, including hit UAE series such as Kaboos and Million Dollar Listing UAE, has solidified the emirate as a leading hub for content creation, filmmaking and entertainment in the region. With ADIO's support, Starzplay will boost content production and invest in live sports and AI-driven experiences to enhance its digital offering.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Professional Fighters League Teams With Starzplay on Multi-Year Middle East Rights Deal (EXCLUSIVE)
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has forged a major media rights agreement with Starzplay, a leading streaming service in the Middle East and North Africa. The multi-year deal will bring PFL's full range of mixed martial arts franchises to fight fans in the MENA region, including the PFL World Tournament, Champions Series, PFL Europe, PFL MENA, PFL Africa, and the newly announced PFL Pacific event that will debut in December. More from Variety Professional Fighters League Chief Aims to Tackle New Fans With October 19 'Superfight' PFL Playoffs 2024: Welterweights & Featherweights - How to Watch Tonight's MMA Event Live Online PFL Playoffs 2024: Light Heavyweights & Lightweights - How to Watch Tonight's MMA Event Live Online Starzplay, which has more than 3 million subscribers, is available in 20 MENA countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Pakistan. Mixed Martial Arts has a global audience of 550 million fans, which it says makes it the third largest sports audience, behind only soccer and basketball. Its fans are also younger and more digitally engaged than the audiences for other sports, making them a coveted demographic. The PFL is the first and only league to present MMA in the sports-season format where individual fighters compete in a regular season before advancing to playoff and championship rounds. MMA is massive in Saudi Arabia. Since the PFL's inception in 2018, Saudi Arabian MMA fighters have won more than 35 medals in various international competitions. MENA rights to PFL events were previously held by MBC Group. PFL action will kick off on Starzplay in the MENA region on April 3 with the PFL World Tournament. The PFL MENA event are the season two quarterfinals on May 9 in Jeddah with a featherweight bout pitting Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Al-Qahtani (pictured, above) against Egypt's Islam Reda. 'We are very excited to partner with Starzplay, the leading streaming platform in the MENA region, to bring world-class MMA action to millions of passionate fight fans,' said PFL CEO Pete Murray. 'This multi-year partnership marks a significant milestone in our mission to expand the PFL's global footprint and deliver premium combat sports content to audiences worldwide,' he added, further noting that the Middle East is a key market for PFL. Commented Starzplay COO and co-founder Danny Bates: 'Our partnership with the Professional Fighters League further strengthens our sports content portfolio, bringing the excitement of world-class MMA to Starzplay.' Starzplay, which was launched in 2015 under the name Starz Play Arabia as the first Starz-branded SVOD outside the U.S., has close ties to U.S studios including Lionsgate, MGM, Showtime, Paramount+, Warner Bros, Universal, Discovery and Sony Studios. They also make their own regional originals such as 'Million Dollar Listing UAE,' 'The Italian Dream,' and 'Say Yes to the Dress Arabia.' The PFL deal will give a biog boost to their sports offerings that currently include Italian Serie A soccer, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and various cricket, rugby, boxing, golf, and basketball leagues. Best of Variety The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More
Campaign ME
03-03-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Starzplay and BytePlus to bring AI-powered features to streaming
Subscription video on demand (SVOD) platform, Starzplay has partnered with BytePlus to introduce AI-powered features like short dramas, recommendations, and in-app shopping and deliver a smoother, more intuitive streaming experience. BytePlus' proprietary technologies will facilitate intuitive navigation across Starzplay's app, making browsing seamless. The platform will also be introducing new content genres, including short-form dramas, to further diversify its offerings. Users will also enjoy a vertical scrolling experience specifically designed to enhance the viewing experience and cater to today's on-the-go consumption habits. 'At Starzplay, our goal is to redefine the streaming experience by continuously innovating for our users. Our partnership with BytePlus reflects our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies to make content discovery seamless and engaging,' said Maaz Sheikh, CEO of Starzplay. Through BytePlus' AI-powered content recognition and machine learning technology, Starzplay will introduce in-app item detection and generate shoppable content. Through this integration, users will be able to effortlessly browse and purchase items and clothing featured in their favourite movies and shows directly within the app for an interactive viewing experience. 'By combining our advanced machine learning and content recognition technologies with Starzplay's commitment to innovation, we're enabling a more personalised, interactive, and seamless viewing experience. Together, we're setting a new benchmark for streaming in the region, making every user interaction intuitive and meaningful,' said Li Long, MEA General Manager of BytePlus Further enhancing personalisation, Starzplay will combine its existing AI personalisation engine with BytePlus' machine learning capabilities to offer enhanced recommended carousels and advanced algorithms. This hybrid approach aims to enhance the Starzplay viewer experience by delivering even more tailored content recommendations. 'With these new features, we are introducing transformative ways for users to connect with their favourite shows and movies, delivering an entertainment experience that is more intuitive, personalised, and interactive than ever before,' said Sheikh. Starzplay will roll out these features from Q2 this year.
Khaleej Times
13-02-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Baseball United UAE Series broadcast will stretch across six continents
Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, announced that its UAE Series event will be broadcast through 17 official broadcast partners across six continents. The worldwide footprint of coverage will reach more than 170 countries, and include more than one dozen linear and OTT platforms across the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin and South America, Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United States. Linear platforms are headlined by MBC, the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The MBC GROUP operates over 20 free-to-air TV channels and radio stations across the region, including Saudi Arabia's leading sports channel, Saudi Sports Company (SSC). Baseball United's UAE Series will be aired on SSC3 in Saudi Arabia. Dubai Media, Dubai's local sports network, will broadcast the historic games on Dubai Sports Channel. This will be the first time in history baseball is broadcast by Dubai Sports. Digital broadcasters are headlined by DAZN, the world's leading sports entertainment platform. DAZN reaches over 200 markets worldwide, which will ensure that the UAE series is accessible to fans across the globe. Starzplay, another leading streaming service in Mena, will drive coverage in Baseball United's home region via Starzplay Sports. The games will also be available through STARZ ON, Starzplay's pay-per-view and on-demand sports platform. 'We continue to be blown away by broadcasters' appetite for international baseball,' said Kash Shaikh, Baseball United Chairman, CEO, and Majority Owner. 'Baseball United is already the most well-known internationally-based professional baseball league in the world, and with the continued support of our broadcast partners, we know that awareness and engagement in both the sport and our league will continue to grow.' Major League Baseball will also carry the three-game series on its flagship property, Baseball United's ownership group includes 20 current and former MLB stars, including Hall of Famers Barry Larkin, Mariano Rivera, and Adrian Beltre. Future Hall of Famer and Baseball United Co-owner, Albert Pujols, will serve as the color commentator on the broadcast. Baseball United's inaugural Showcase event in Dubai was broadcast in 127 countries, reaching 200 million households.
