MBC and CJ ENM enter partnership to carry Korean content across MENA

MIPCOM: Saudi Arabia’s MBC Group and Korea’s CJ ENM have signed a long-term strategic partnership aimed at expanding Korean entertainment across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Tareq Alibrahim

The deal, announced here on the second day of Mipcom in Cannes, expands the existing relationship between MBC and CJ ENM across streaming and linear television, while creating further opportunities for long-term cooperation between the two.

At the centre of the partnership is the launch of a dedicated TVing space on streaming service MBC Shahid screening K-content from CJ ENM, TVing and other South Korean production studios.

Around 13 new TVing titles are scheduled for release this year, alongside more than 20 titles from CJ ENM’s content library, with the volume of available titles set to increase over the course of the partnership.

The line-up includes the recently premiered romantic comedy My Bias My Boss, The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, Filing for Love, The Judge Returns and Our Universe.

Arabic dubbing and subtitles will be available for selected content, while all new titles will be available for simulcast on the MBC Shahid app, allowing audiences across MENA to watch the latest Korean series at the same time they are released in Korea.

The agreement also extends the reach of K-content across MBC’s linear television channels. As part of the partnership, CJ ENM titles will be introduced on MBC4 exclusively for a specific period, with schedule to be announced.

Tareq Alibrahim, director of MBC1, MBC Drama and MBC Shahid content, said: “This partnership brings together two companies with a shared ambition: to take great local storytelling to audiences far beyond its home market. CJ ENM has played a defining role in taking Korean entertainment global, while MBC Group has built an unparalleled connection with audiences across MENA. Together, we see significant long-term opportunities across content, streaming and entertainment.”