CAREER HIGHLIGHT(S):
Until 2022, STARZ, a Lionsgate company, was a lead investor along with media and technology investment firms, including SEQ Investors and Delta Partners. In early 2021, STARZPLAY Arabia secured its first independent financing of $25m from Abu Dhabi-based Ruya Partners. In 2022, E-Vision from e& and ADQ — an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company — acquired a majority equity stake of around 57% in the company. Initially reliant on its vast and diverse Hollywood library — courtesy of supply deals with CBS, Lionsgate, Universal, Paramount, and Warner Bros — Starz Play decided to venture into Arab-language original content, commissioning Image Nation Abu Dhabi to produce its first original series, BAGHDAD CENTRAL. With the start of the lockdown, StarzPlay began developing its content in agreement with Warner Bros, allowing its subscribers in the MENA region to access Warner Bros. content, including TV series episodes, a few hours after they air in the US.


TWELVE-MONTH HIGHLIGHT(S):
STARZPLAY witnessed a remarkable increase in viewership across the GCC, with nearly a 70% increase in unique users compared to Ramadan 2022. The UAE witnessed the maximum increase in viewership, with a 62% increase in users in 2023, while the rest of the GCC recorded nearly a 60% increase in unique users.