• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • TV/Radio Deals
  • Film partnerships
  • New appointments
  • Production
  • TV Channels
MBC CEO Sam Barnett on thriving against the odds

MBC CEO Sam Barnett on thriving against the odds

March 4, 2018
Rotana renews contract with Arabsat for three years

Rotana renews contract with Arabsat for three years

May 20, 2022
SPI/FilmBox expands partnership with Digital Virgo for wider MENA reach

SPI/FilmBox expands partnership with Digital Virgo for wider MENA reach

May 20, 2022
A glimpse of Saudi and UAE TV audience measurement developments at CABSAT 2022

A glimpse of Saudi and UAE TV audience measurement developments at CABSAT 2022

May 20, 2022
Coca-Cola to get music lovers high with global launch of Coke Studio

Coca-Cola to get music lovers high with global launch of Coke Studio

May 20, 2022
Satellite laser communication system market to grow $5205.7m by 2030: Market Statsvliie Group

Satellite laser communication system market to grow $5205.7m by 2030: Market Statsvliie Group

May 20, 2022
Roya Media Group explores co-production opportunities for shows

Roya Media Group explores co-production opportunities for shows

May 20, 2022
The power of social media, linear TV and children’s content in focus at CABSAT

The power of social media, linear TV and children’s content in focus at CABSAT

May 19, 2022
Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

May 19, 2022
Get ready to head to Amsterdam for IBC2022

Get ready to head to Amsterdam for IBC2022

May 19, 2022
There’s big money in space junk

There’s big money in space junk

May 19, 2022
Editshare delivers solutions for prominent projects in the Middle East

Editshare delivers solutions for prominent projects in the Middle East

May 18, 2022
Litepanels announces new Gemini 2×1 Hard RGBWW LED panel

Litepanels announces new Gemini 2×1 Hard RGBWW LED panel

May 18, 2022
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine Archive
  • Directory
  • Contact
Sunday, May 22, 2022
BroadcastPro ME
  • News
    • All
    • Podcasting
    • Cinema Theatres
    • Esports
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • Film partnerships
    • New appointments
    • Production
    • Mergers/Acquisitions
    • Satellite/Comms
    • AV
    • OTT/Video Streaming
    • International News
    • Analyst Reports
    • Satellite/Broadcasting
    Rotana renews contract with Arabsat for three years

    Rotana renews contract with Arabsat for three years

    SPI/FilmBox expands partnership with Digital Virgo for wider MENA reach

    SPI/FilmBox expands partnership with Digital Virgo for wider MENA reach

    A glimpse of Saudi and UAE TV audience measurement developments at CABSAT 2022

    A glimpse of Saudi and UAE TV audience measurement developments at CABSAT 2022

    Coca-Cola to get music lovers high with global launch of Coke Studio

    Coca-Cola to get music lovers high with global launch of Coke Studio

    Satellite laser communication system market to grow $5205.7m by 2030: Market Statsvliie Group

    Satellite laser communication system market to grow $5205.7m by 2030: Market Statsvliie Group

    Roya Media Group explores co-production opportunities for shows

    Roya Media Group explores co-production opportunities for shows

    The power of social media, linear TV and children’s content in focus at CABSAT

    The power of social media, linear TV and children’s content in focus at CABSAT

    Get ready to head to Amsterdam for IBC2022

    Get ready to head to Amsterdam for IBC2022

    There’s big money in space junk

    There’s big money in space junk

    Editshare delivers solutions for prominent projects in the Middle East

    Editshare delivers solutions for prominent projects in the Middle East

    Trending Tags

    • broadcast
    • MENA broadcast
    • ConnecTech2019
  • Tech Features
    • All
    • CASE STUDIES
    • Virtual Production Series
    • REVIEWS
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • New Media
    Redefining cloud for broadcast

    Redefining cloud for broadcast

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

    Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

    Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

    Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

    Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

    Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

    Exploring the power of AI

    Exploring the power of AI

    Disaster recovery in the cloud

    Disaster recovery in the cloud

    There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

    There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

    Breaking new ground with the cloud

    Breaking new ground with the cloud

    Scaling up production through the cloud

    Scaling up production through the cloud

    Trending Tags

    • Videos
      Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

      Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      Taking streaming to the next level

      Taking streaming to the next level

      Tackling AI-tech across broadcast and streaming media

      Tackling AI-tech across broadcast and streaming media

      Curating content for a diverse MENA audience

      Curating content for a diverse MENA audience

      Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at Editshare on the company’s strategy and plans for the Middle East

      Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at Editshare on the company’s strategy and plans for the Middle East

      NAGRA addresses emerging security threats in Media and Entertainment

      NAGRA addresses emerging security threats in Media and Entertainment

      Mo-Sys discusses VR at CABSAT 2021

      Mo-Sys discusses VR at CABSAT 2021

    • Opinion
      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Identifying good stories and investing in content is the need of the hour

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Sports brings more subs to platforms

      How to stand out in a content-saturated market

      How to stand out in a content-saturated market

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Saudi Arabia’s makeover

      Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

      Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

      A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

      A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Is NFTs the next big thing for creators?

      Dynamic spectrum management for Saudi Arabia’s wireless future

      Dynamic spectrum management for Saudi Arabia’s wireless future

      Changing production needs in the MENA market

      Changing production needs in the MENA market

    • Interviews
      • All
      • Lounge
      Staying on schedule

      Staying on schedule

      Great expectations at CABSAT 2021

      Setting the stage for CABSAT 2022

      Taking the OTT bull by its horns

      Taking the OTT bull by its horns

      The path to digital transformation

      The path to digital transformation

      The show must go on

      The show must go on

      BeIN at the top of its game

      BeIN at the top of its game

      Giving us the full Viu

      Giving us the full Viu

      Picture Perfect

      Picture Perfect

      Ambassadors of Arabic content

      Ambassadors of Arabic content

      Driving creativity

      Driving creativity

    • Products
    • Magazine Archive
      • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
      • PRO Directory
    • Events
      • Upcoming Events
      • News from Events
      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

      BroadcastAsia 2022

      BroadcastAsia 2022

      CABSAT 2022

      CABSAT 2022

      NABSHOW 2022

      NABSHOW 2022

      Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

      Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

    No Result
    View All Result
    BroadcastPro ME
    • News
      • All
      • Podcasting
      • Cinema Theatres
      • Esports
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • Film partnerships
      • New appointments
      • Production
      • Mergers/Acquisitions
      • Satellite/Comms
      • AV
      • OTT/Video Streaming
      • International News
      • Analyst Reports
      • Satellite/Broadcasting
      Rotana renews contract with Arabsat for three years

      Rotana renews contract with Arabsat for three years

      SPI/FilmBox expands partnership with Digital Virgo for wider MENA reach

      SPI/FilmBox expands partnership with Digital Virgo for wider MENA reach

      A glimpse of Saudi and UAE TV audience measurement developments at CABSAT 2022

      A glimpse of Saudi and UAE TV audience measurement developments at CABSAT 2022

      Coca-Cola to get music lovers high with global launch of Coke Studio

      Coca-Cola to get music lovers high with global launch of Coke Studio

      Satellite laser communication system market to grow $5205.7m by 2030: Market Statsvliie Group

      Satellite laser communication system market to grow $5205.7m by 2030: Market Statsvliie Group

      Roya Media Group explores co-production opportunities for shows

      Roya Media Group explores co-production opportunities for shows

      The power of social media, linear TV and children’s content in focus at CABSAT

      The power of social media, linear TV and children’s content in focus at CABSAT

      Get ready to head to Amsterdam for IBC2022

      Get ready to head to Amsterdam for IBC2022

      There’s big money in space junk

      There’s big money in space junk

      Editshare delivers solutions for prominent projects in the Middle East

      Editshare delivers solutions for prominent projects in the Middle East

      Trending Tags

      • broadcast
      • MENA broadcast
      • ConnecTech2019
    • Tech Features
      • All
      • CASE STUDIES
      • Virtual Production Series
      • REVIEWS
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • New Media
      Redefining cloud for broadcast

      Redefining cloud for broadcast

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

      Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

      Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

      Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

      Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

      Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

      Exploring the power of AI

      Exploring the power of AI

      Disaster recovery in the cloud

      Disaster recovery in the cloud

      There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

      There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

      Breaking new ground with the cloud

      Breaking new ground with the cloud

      Scaling up production through the cloud

      Scaling up production through the cloud

      Trending Tags

      • Videos
        Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

        Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        Taking streaming to the next level

        Taking streaming to the next level

        Tackling AI-tech across broadcast and streaming media

        Tackling AI-tech across broadcast and streaming media

        Curating content for a diverse MENA audience

        Curating content for a diverse MENA audience

        Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at Editshare on the company’s strategy and plans for the Middle East

        Said Bacho, Chief Revenue Officer at Editshare on the company’s strategy and plans for the Middle East

        NAGRA addresses emerging security threats in Media and Entertainment

        NAGRA addresses emerging security threats in Media and Entertainment

        Mo-Sys discusses VR at CABSAT 2021

        Mo-Sys discusses VR at CABSAT 2021

      • Opinion
        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Identifying good stories and investing in content is the need of the hour

        Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

        Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Sports brings more subs to platforms

        How to stand out in a content-saturated market

        How to stand out in a content-saturated market

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Saudi Arabia’s makeover

        Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

        Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

        A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

        A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Is NFTs the next big thing for creators?

        Dynamic spectrum management for Saudi Arabia’s wireless future

        Dynamic spectrum management for Saudi Arabia’s wireless future

        Changing production needs in the MENA market

        Changing production needs in the MENA market

      • Interviews
        • All
        • Lounge
        Staying on schedule

        Staying on schedule

        Great expectations at CABSAT 2021

        Setting the stage for CABSAT 2022

        Taking the OTT bull by its horns

        Taking the OTT bull by its horns

        The path to digital transformation

        The path to digital transformation

        The show must go on

        The show must go on

        BeIN at the top of its game

        BeIN at the top of its game

        Giving us the full Viu

        Giving us the full Viu

        Picture Perfect

        Picture Perfect

        Ambassadors of Arabic content

        Ambassadors of Arabic content

        Driving creativity

        Driving creativity

      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events
        • Upcoming Events
        • News from Events
        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

        BroadcastAsia 2022

        BroadcastAsia 2022

        CABSAT 2022

        CABSAT 2022

        NABSHOW 2022

        NABSHOW 2022

        Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

        Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

      No Result
      View All Result
      BroadcastPro ME
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home Interviews

      MBC CEO Sam Barnett on thriving against the odds

      Vijaya Cherian by Vijaya Cherian
      March 4, 2018
      in Interviews
      ShareTweetPostEmail

      MBC Group CEO Sam Barnett gives BroadcastPro ME a candid glimpse into the challenges of the past three months and the strategy ahead.

      MBC Group CEO Sam Barnett gives BroadcastPro ME a candid glimpse into the challenges of the past three months and the strategy ahead.

      When MBC Group Chairman Sheikh Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim was detained along with several other royal members and high-profile businessmen from the Kingdom at the Ritz-Carlton as part of an anti-corruption drive in November, there was only one thing on CEO Sam Barnett’s mind – the show must go on. Waleed was released in January this year, although the terms and conditions of his release remain the subject of speculation.

      MBC Group is one of the finer examples of a commercially successful broadcast operation in the MENA region, and it has continued launching a steady stream of new programmes and formats in the new year. Even as we went to press, production was in progress at MBC’s Dubai Studio City facility for The Wall, an Endemol Shine format that the broadcaster has franchised and brought to the region for the first time. The fabulously lit, five-storey pegboard, built to the exact standards of its international counterpart, was assembled in Italy and brought to Dubai.

      The Wall launched on MBC 1 on Valentine’s Day, hot on the heels of the Beirut grand finale of The Voice Kids, which crowned 10-year-old Moroccan Hamza Labeid as the winner and drew in an estimated audience of 100m viewers across the region. Anecdotal media stories describe cities across MENA coming to a standstill to watch their young compatriots perform.

      “It all comes down to content. There is a lot of talk about structural changes and viewership and platforms, but ultimately, the strength of what we do comes down to our content”

      Alongside these shows, the broadcaster has several other new initiatives in parallel from Wizzo, its games portal to Goboz, touted as the region’s largest and safest kids’ VOD. MBC also has several original productions lined up for Ramadan on its Shahid Plus platform and is in the process of setting up a disaster recovery facility in Cyprus. Political upheaval has clearly not slowed down the broadcaster.

      “It all comes down to content,” says Sam Barnett around 15 minutes into our interview at the broadcaster’s HQ in Dubai Media City.

      “There is a lot of talk about structural changes and viewership and platforms, but ultimately, the strength of what we do comes down to our content.”

      There’s no arguing with that approach, as the industry has watched with admiration over the years as the Saudi broadcaster has engaged a growing audience across the region and beyond, with a compelling mix of international and locally produced shows, drama series and more. Recent programme and platform launches, however, come in the face of some unprecedented challenges, the foremost being Sheikh Waleed’s detention at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton.

      This was followed by the more recent announcement that MBC no longer holds the rights to Saudi Professional League football matches, which it had secured as part of a ten-year $1.09 billion deal in 2014. The contract was handed over last month to state-owned Saudi Telecom Group (STC) for a reported $1.8bn by KSA’s General Sports Authority.

      In a conference room overlooking a clear winter’s morning over the Palm, Barnett talks about this turn of events.

      “For Ramadan this year, we have Al Assouf, a Saudi historical drama set in the 1970s, featuring the famous Saudi comedian Nasser Al Qassaby. We are so confident about it being successful that we have already shot Season Two”

      “The strategy for sports has changed in the Kingdom. When we took the rights in 2014, the idea was to go with the model that worked elsewhere in the world, which was to try and create premium league football, encrypt it and generate pay revenues, which would then feed back to the clubs. They were looking to develop the football sector in Saudi. I think, since then, the environment has changed and the authorities and the Federation want to maintain free-to-air football. Clearly, we had bought the rights on a different model so we were expecting something to change, so we will adapt to that, but this has not necessarily come as a shock to us. We have been in discussion with the authorities now for 18 months on how we navigate this change in strategy. We are still talking, but as is evident from the announcement, there was a clear shift.”

      And what happened to the billion-plus dollars offered to purchase the rights?

      “That’s still part of the discussion,” says Barnett, without elaborating.

      A week following Sheikh Waleed’s release, Barnett does not make light of MBC’s ordeal following the detention but stresses the innate resilience of the 26-year-old organisation.

      “I challenge you to look at MBC programming prior to November 4 and onwards. You will not spot any difference in our editorial or programing policies. There has been absolute consistency. And when most organisations would have wobbled with their chairman not being accessible, the employees here were robust. The institution is strong; we are cash flow positive and the programming has continued. We have been affected by this, morally and emotionally, and we have been through difficult times, but the work has continued.

      “There was a lot of media interest locally and internationally as to whether MBC is in trouble. A few advertisers may have had concerns, but matters have since calmed down when they saw that it was business as usual at MBC. The whole issue cleared up at the right time as advertising budgets are being finalised, and the finale of The Voice Kids and the launch of The Voice are a testimony that all is good and Sheikh Waleed is back.”

      While there has also been a lot of speculation in the media about the terms and conditions of Sheikh Waleed’s release, Barnett confidently says: “Sheikh Waleed is out; he has been exonerated of any wrongdoing. He has kept all of his shares and will retain management control of MBC.” He also stresses that “the things that MBC and Sheikh Waleed have been pushing for are aligned with policies in many countries … if this is a Saudi-owned institution, it is one they can be very proud of”.

      In the meantime, MBC Group has focused on remaining profitable. In 2014, while the rest of the Middle East and South Asia was overwhelmed by glamorous television dramas from Turkey, MBC established O3 Medya in Istanbul to undertake Turkish productions.

      “I was on a trekking holiday in Ethiopia. Each village I would get to, there would be a shop selling matches, soap and there would be a TV hooked up to a car battery with MBC Action playing”

      “When the demand for Turkish drama began to soar, we thought we would hedge our bets by having a production house in Turkey. That has worked very well. Today, we have Antah Watani (The Traitor), which is the number one show in Turkey running on our screens at the moment. We are producing what will be the largest Turkish production ever, which is Sultan Al Fateh.

      “Over the years, Arabic drama has also increased in popularity. The production values for drama have improved with the growth in the advertising market and more revenue per episode. For Ramadan this year, we have Al Assouf, a Saudi historical drama set in the 1970s, featuring famous Saudi comedian Nasser Al Qassaby. We shot it in Abu Dhabi within the twofour54 premises, and we are so confident about it being successful that we have already shot Season Two.”

      But productions cost money. A Turkish drama episode costs “hundreds of thousands of dollars per episode”, he says. To add to a Middle East broadcaster’s woe, along with the advertising downturn, are the lack of a robust ratings system and tougher laws to counter piracy.

      “Advertising revenues dropped last year. We will generate the same ratings this year as last year, and we deserve the advertising budgets. We have been profitable for many years despite the decline in advertising and the shock we received last year.”

      The measure MBC took, besides actively working with the anti-piracy coalition to bring pirates to book, was to expand into more markets like Africa with more targeted content, thereby attracting more targeted advertising. To do that cost effectively, it moved to spot beams.

      “For many years now, we have been reaching out to 140 million people each day, but we only sold advertising for a small percentage of those eyeballs. We sold in the Saudi market and more recently in the Egyptian market, but in North Africa, where we have four of the top ten channels now, there is huge potential. Algeria has the potential to grow significantly, with 37 million people, four million barrels of oil per day and an economy that has a huge amount of pent-up latent demand. Brands will rush in there, but the fact that we were stronger but were not able to generate advertising revenues for that market was a weakness.

      “If we cannot tackle piracy, then investing anymore in pay TV will be difficult, because you cannot make a return. We would urge regulators to take a stand to defend intellectual property rights – otherwise we can all pack up and go home”

      “We had two options. We could go and launch MBC Algeria and MBC Morocco, and try and use the content to attract people away from the main channels. That is quite an expensive strategy. Ultimately, you are competing against your main channels. Like with MBC Masr in Egypt, it had to pull people away from MBC 4 and MBC 1. The move was successful, but the point was that it was an expensive way of doing it.”

      MBC decided to move to spot beams onto 26 degrees East (Arabsat Badr 7), and 7 and 8 degrees West (Eutelsat). This meant it could now have targeted programming and advertising.

      “If you could use the satellite and essentially divide the feeds into two, then we can use our existing channels to target those in North Africa at the flick of a switch. That is what is happening,” says Barnett.

      “We are now able to sell North Africa advertisements on those spot feeds. Last year, it was a small number and this year, it will be a bigger number, and in 2019, it will be an even bigger number.

      “And over time, and particularly as those markets develop advertising wise, this would have been a good thing to have done. Advertisers want to get data on markets. The point is Saudi is being measured. There is a people meter in Morocco, and in Algeria, it will come as the market develops.”

      The move to Arabsat’s spot beams had its nervous moments, Barnett confesses. The town of Benghazi surprisingly informed Barnett that his gamble had paid off. “We were slightly nervous when we moved to spot beams. We cut our channels off the wide beams and asked everyone to move to the spot beams. It was potentially traumatic. The fact that I am sitting here talking to you confirms that it has worked and that 57 million TV households actually retuned.”

      Clarifying how MBC knew, Barnett explains: “At the time, we looked at online search trends for MBC frequencies, and we found this massive spike from Benghazi. When we saw that, we knew it had worked. Both the spot beams drop off, and unfortunately, people in Benghazi are outside the coverage. They can still watch MBC, but they need a bigger dish. The sudden massive spike from Benghazi on the search trends, by logical deduction, meant that had Riyadh or Marrakesh faced a problem, there would have been an even bigger spike because of sheer population.”

      While building audiences in North Africa will remain a focus in 2018, the rest of Africa has been a revelation. On a hiking trip in Ethiopia, quite by accident, Barnett discovered that MBC had audiences in Africa too – in big numbers.

      “We found out almost by chance that we had a big audience in Africa from the [satellite] overspill. I was on a trekking holiday in Ethiopia. Each village I would get to, there would be a shop selling matches, soap and there would be a TV hooked up to a car battery with MBC Action playing. We found out that MBC Action was the largest channel in Ethiopia, a country of 85 million people. At the same time, we found that the channel was popular in Mali, northern Nigeria and West Africa, among other regions.

      “Subsequently we bought rights for movies for Sub-Saharan Africa and we launched MBC+ Power two years ago. We are monetising the market through the channel. We are interested in every single market, from Europe and Latin America to Africa, the US, Australia, New Zealand and so on. This is a sector that grows 20% each year.”

      MBC is looking to ramp up efforts even further in the wider Arab world, as well as North Africa.

      “Localisation of content and growing North Africa are two big challenges. We have a good deal with Etisalat, as we do with a number of telcos across the region. We work in Lebanon with broadcasters there. We are popular in many countries. In Iraq, for instance, we are the largest channel with MBC 1 and MBC 4.

      “There is a secular growth of advertising as economies such as Algeria develop. For Shahid and our other digital initiatives, we have employed more people in Jordan, where we do software development. However, one of our biggest challenges are the international players who dump content at very cheap prices. Previously, it was sufficient to be a good local competitor. Now you cannot just be good, you have to be excellent while ensuring cost efficiency. We are exploring automation solutions and have plans to use our disaster recovery unit in Cyprus more efficiently.”

      In the meantime, Barnett also confirms that MBC has no plans to expand into the pay TV space, for a number of reasons, piracy being one of them. He particularly points a finger at a new entry in the market, called Beoutq.

      “Beoutq is a new box that I understand is showing international sports programmes for which they do not have rights. Now, they are also taking MBC’s encyrpted channels and OSN’s as well. You pay $108 for the box and you get everything free for the first year. I believe it is available in Saudi Arabia and possibly elsewhere. If we cannot tackle piracy, then investing anymore in pay TV will be difficult, because you cannot make a return. We would urge regulators to take a stand to defend intellectual property rights – otherwise we can all pack up and go home. Fortunately, we don’t have a huge exposure within pay and we are not in sports much longer either. Pay is a strategy we may have pursued if there was a clear defence of intellectual property rights.”

      Apart from piracy and the threat of FAANG, Barnett’s team is looking at data, the one big lacuna across the regional industry.

      “We have undertaken a big data initiative to make up for the lack of quality research in the region. We do not yet have minute-byminute dissection of ratings across countries, but that is changing. We will be using technology including data from telcos and people meters. We already have the structures ready for this incoming data that will generate all sorts of growth possibilities.”

      Possibly the biggest challenge facing Barnett is demographic, with more than 28% of the Middle East population aged 15-25. The region is also second in the world in terms of daily YouTube video views, with more than 310 million. Broadcasters have to make sure content – and the right sort of content – is reaching younger users and transitioning boomers and Gen X.

      Barnett responds by highlighting the flip side of good content – the innate strength of the staff in the organisation, drawn from 65 nationalities.

      “Our production teams are drawn from the region and target audiences. If you walk around the building, you will see the diversity. Without that, we could become outdated very quickly. Diversity keeps us young and relevant, but it is also a strategic decision. The last three months have been challenging, but what I saw was a real bond among the people here. We have emerged stronger.”

      The political situation around MBC Group and other Saudi organisations remains volatile, with conflicting media reports, but there is no doubting the inherent strength of MBC as we walk past the broadcaster’s bustling offices and studios.

       

      Tags: mbcSam Barnett

      Related Posts

      Keeping the stakes high

      Keeping the stakes high

      March 29, 2022
      Surviving the new world order

      Surviving the new world order

      January 25, 2022
      Changing production needs in the MENA market

      Changing production needs in the MENA market

      January 1, 2022
      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      The demand for Arabic originals is on the rise

      December 9, 2021
      Red Sea Souk to present 23 films in development during four-day event

      Red Sea Souk to present 23 films in development during four-day event

      December 7, 2021
      Creating the right exposure

      Creating the right exposure

      November 9, 2021

      Related News

      Keeping the stakes high

      Keeping the stakes high

      March 29, 2022
      Surviving the new world order

      Surviving the new world order

      January 25, 2022
      Changing production needs in the MENA market

      Changing production needs in the MENA market

      January 1, 2022
      The demand for Arabic originals is on the rise

      The demand for Arabic originals is on the rise

      December 9, 2021
      Red Sea Souk to present 23 films in development during four-day event

      Red Sea Souk to present 23 films in development during four-day event

      December 7, 2021
      Creating the right exposure

      Creating the right exposure

      November 9, 2021
      More Related News

      Popular Stories

      • CNN’s ‘Inside the Middle East’ spotlights women in the Egyptian film industry   

        CNN’s ‘Inside the Middle East’ spotlights women in the Egyptian film industry  

        665 shares
        Share 266 Tweet 166
      • Rotana renews contract with Arabsat for three years

        636 shares
        Share 254 Tweet 159
      • Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja teams up with AR Rahman for upcoming film  

        629 shares
        Share 252 Tweet 157
      • Qvest develops and delivers mobile TV station for Asharq News

        623 shares
        Share 249 Tweet 156
      • Popular Dubai director Gerry Blaksley joins GTV Media Group

        622 shares
        Share 249 Tweet 156

      BroadcastPro ME

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Subscribe
      • Magazine Archive
      • Directory
      • Contact
      • Privacy

      Follow us on Social Media

      No Result
      View All Result
      • News
      • Tech Features
      • Videos
      • Opinion
      • Interviews
      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In
      Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com