Starz Play targets expansion

Streaming service Starz Play is looking to expand beyond the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after revealing it has raised US$125m since its 2015 launch.

Chris Albrecht

Starz Play Arabia, which is backed by US cablenet Starz along with a host of other investors, claims to have more than 700,000 paying subscribers across MENA.

Lionsgate-owned Starz has committed further investment to the service in 2017, as have other investors including State Street Global Advisors, SEQ Capital Partners and Delta Partners.

The funding boost will go towards improving the customer experience, acquiring new programming and “evaluating future opportunities” to expand beyond MENA, said Chris Albrecht, Starz president and CEO.

“In recent months, Starz Play has introduced several service enhancements, including a download function for offline viewing, expanded telecom partnerships in North Africa and expanded content partnerships to all major Hollywood studios,” said Maaz Sheikh, CEO of Starz Play.

“At the same time, our ability to offer localised content that caters to the Gulf Cooperation Council and North Africa market makes us truly unique in the region.”

The service hosts more than 6,500 hours of content, spanning Hollywood movies, documentaries, children’s entertainment and US series, some of which are made available the same day they are released in the US, plus 1,200 hours of Arabic shows consisting of Khaleeji, Egyptian and Levant content.

It exclusively offers series such as Power, Taboo, Vikings, Ash Vs. Evil Dead and Billions in the region.