Multi-platform entertainment company Selevision has announced that its over-the-top (OTT) portals will be accessible to users from this month. The service will be launched throughout the MENA region and will offer a core programming package with Video on Demand (VOD) entertainment, Live, Restart and Catch-up TV. This new OTT offering by Selevision requires no commitment, […]
Multi-platform entertainment company Selevision has announced that its over-the-top (OTT) portals will be accessible to users from this month.
The service will be launched throughout the MENA region and will offer a core programming package with Video on Demand (VOD) entertainment, Live, Restart and Catch-up TV. This new OTT offering by Selevision requires no commitment, contract, credit check or hardware installation. Consumers will be able to tailor their experience with add-on packs for access to additional programming and features on their devices at home and on-the-go.
Anywhere a wired, Wi-Fi or mobile broadband connection is available, the service is delivered over supported internet-connected devices including select Smart TVs, iOS, Android, Mac and PC.
OTT is the next step forward for us and it is where the entertainment world is headed, said Dr Raed Khusheim, CEO, Selevision, in an interview with BroadcastPro ME.
Traditional operators need to keep in step and adapt to the growing trend or perish, according to Dr Khusheim.
We are proud to be ahead of the curve in a rapidly growing industry, evolving from a set-top unit designer and manufacturer to an over-the-top (OTT) content provider, connecting with different generations, while continuing to incorporate the enthusiasm, audacity, innovation and determination that are the fundamental values of our community, he added.
This service will enable consumers to access their favourite TV shows as well as the most recent Hollywood, Bollywood and Arabic blockbusters right after their theatrical release on devices that they already use. Selevision also announced its Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) service made available on some of the major broadcasting channels in the region, starting late February 2015, to viewers on all HbbTV compatible set-top boxes in the market.
The Saudi Arabian service provider has recently entered into an exclusive long-term partnership with Arabsat to deliver the first HbbTV service to the MENA region. The Arabsat Satellite-based HbbTV service will be complimented by the Selevision OTT platform and content library to provide different viewer experience for the 26 degree Arabsat hotspot.
With this service, broadcasters can access different standardised applications in addition to the wide possibilities of customised applications.
As of now, satellite is very strong in the MENA and the way forward is to bring the two together by bridging satellite and OTT for value added services, commented Dr Khusheim.
We have introduced social TV integration in our HbbTV service to make it interactive. Content owners are enabling users to interact with other users on the same platform, he added.
Selevision is also considering introducing the Targeted Advertising over its platforms, reaching consumers based on various traits such as demographics, psychographics, behavioural variables and firmographics.
