The increase in downloads was spurred by a need for more immersive content by audiences and the uptake of podcast listening driven by people spending more time at home.
Dubai-based podcast network Finyal Media has reached a key milestone this month as the network hit 5m downloads. Launching in 2019, the network’s most popular podcasts were found to be The Basement, Juha, Sindibad and 1
The podcast network saw tremendous growth in 2020 and early 2021, as listeners looked to more immersive, escapist forms of entertainment largely due to spending more time at home with Covid-19 restrictions and the desire to spend less time staring at screens. This growth also came at a time when brands were, and still are, increasingly looking to invest in their own produced content and discovering audio can be not only more powerful, but also more cost-effective than video. Finyal’s focus on fictional storytelling and original content filled a gap that was otherwise empty in the market, in particular in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE.
With more than 5m downloads, Finyal Media expects to see this momentum continuing into 2021. The network’s podcast audience grew more than 500% in the past year, peaking in January 2021 with their highest number of downloads to date – an exceptional month which was helped by the launch of 1001 Nights season 4.
The Finyal Media show 1001 Nights is one of the most popular podcasts in the MENA region. The new series of 15 episodes launched in January 2021 with a new episode being released every other day until the end of February.
Leila Hamadeh, Co-Founder and CEO of Finyal Media, said: “What we’ve created over the past two years has really resonated with audiences across the region and that’s exactly what we set out to do when we started in 2019 – grow a network of loyal fans who share the same passion towards storytelling as we do. We’re delighted that we’ve hit this milestone so early on in our journey and are seeing such growth in our listenership. We look forward to the future of Finyal Media and are ready to bring even more exciting new shows throughout 2021 to our listeners – so stay tuned!”
