As part of the agreement, beIN has obtained exclusive Pay 1 window rights for up to 300 movie titles, available on its linear and SVOD services throughout the MENA region.
BeIN Media Group has announced the renewal of its multi-year first-run agreement with Front Row Filmed Entertainment, an independent film distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The partnership, which has seen eight years of successful collaborations, has been extended for an additional three years, securing exclusive rights until 2027.
This renewed deal grants beIN exclusive access to the Pay 1 window for both its linear and Subscription Video-on-Demand (SVOD) platforms, covering a wide range of Western independent feature films across the MENA region. Among the titles included are Michael Gracey’s Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, the Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall, the animated feature The Night of the Zoopocalypse and the drama La Cocina starring Rooney Mara.
Other notable films in the agreement include the crime comedy Greedy People featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lily James and Himesh Patel, the ensemble dramedy Ezra with Robert De Niro, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Rainn Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg and the psychological thriller Mother’s Instinct starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. The deal also includes the high-concept thriller Bad Genius, the fourth installment of the Riddick franchise Riddick: Furya and the action film The Smashing Machine starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson.
Additionally, beIN will have exclusive MENA region premieres for premium titles such as the Cliffhanger reboot starring Sylvester Stallone, an English-language remake of the Thai hit Bad Genius and Paolo Sorrentino’s latest project Parthenope. These films will be available on beIN’s linear movie channels and its OTT platform, TOD.
Commenting on the renewal of the agreement Esra Altop, Chief Entertainment Content Officer, beIN Media Group, said: “Front Row Filmed Entertainment has been an important partner ever since beIN expanded its portfolio to include entertainment content, so we are very pleased to be continuing this relationship. The partnership with Front Row Filmed Entertainment aligns with beIN’s continued strategic push into the entertainment industry – particularly featuring and producing exceptional original content across our group of companies, especially our OTT platform TOD.”
Gianluca Chakra, CEO of Front Row Filmed Entertainment, added: “We are ecstatic to continue our successful relationship with beIN and their respective team and most of all thrilled that our movies will be available on beIN’s channels and platforms across the MENA region. We aim to continue a strong partnership with the beIN team, catering to their large and dedicated audience. We will also keep striving to reach new audiences in the region through creative acquisitions – which we are best known for. This deal is a testament to recognition!”
Front Row Filmed Entertainment acquires more than 120 independent films annually and has ventured into original productions with Perfect Strangers (2022), which achieved significant success on Netflix. The company’s next project, The Sandcastle, starring Nadine Labaki and Ziad Bakri, is currently in post-production. They are also working on the crime-thriller Boomah (The Owl), directed by Zaid Abu Hamdan and starring Rakeen Saad.
In collaboration with Rocket Science, Front Row is backing the development of a big-budget Cliffhanger reboot, set to begin filming in Q1 2025.
