According to an independent analysis by Dataxis, Shahid VIP’s subscriber base is expected to reach at least 7m by 2026.
MBC Group’s Arabic SVOD platform Shahid VIP will dominate the Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) streaming market for the next five years, outperforming both homegrown and global competitors, according to the latest research analysing streaming trends up to 2026 by analyst Dataxis.
Shahid VIP will have steady growth, whilst retaining its position as a leading streaming service in the MENA region. As of 2021, Shahid VIP has more than 2m subscribers, with this figure expected to reach nearly 3m by the end of 2022, according to the report.
Additionally, Shahid VIP’s subscriber base is expected to reach at least 7m by 2026 – ahead of any other streaming service available in the region, including global players.
Speaking about the success, Natasha Matos-Hemingway, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Shahid, said: “As always, we are absolutely delighted with Shahid VIP’s achievements – our position as the market leader in the region is, by no means, a privilege we take lightly. Rather, it is a testament to our continuous focus on our audiences, bringing the best and most diverse premium Arabic stories to multiple screens in the region and beyond, along with high-quality partnerships with major brands – from news and drama, to entertainment and sport from around the world.
According to the research, MENA’s OTT streaming market has been “rapidly increasing”, gaining more than 30% subscribers between 2020 and 2021, and reaching close to 10m users in 18 countries. The trend is expected to sharpen in the next five years, with subscribers expected to triple by 2026 and reach close to 30m.
The GCC makes up the biggest percentage of streaming service users, with approximately 3m subscribers in Saudi Arabia and more than 2m in the United Arab Emirates.
