Starz Play has signed and partnered with Zain as its first launch partner. Zain has over 15 million customers and is the largest operator today in Iraq.

Starz Play has launched in Iraq, according to a brief announcement from Danny Bates, CCO and Co-Founder of Starz Play.
“We have signed and partnered with Zain as our first launch partner. With over 15 million customers and the largest operator today in Iraq, it provides amazing access for customers to STARZ PLAY via direct carrier billing and other services. With a population of over 38 million people, this is a major expansion in our growth across MENA and Pakistan. More exciting news on our expansion plans to come soon,” Bates posted on Linkedin.
Earlier this month, Bates mentioned at a roundtable organised by Starz Play that more regional partnerships were in the pipeline.
Starz Play presently enjoys the largest marketshare in the MENA region with 23.97% subs followed by Shahid at 21.69% and Netflix at 18.39%, according to a 2018 IHS Market Report.