Ryadh-based media conglomerate SRMG has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery to launch Asharq Discovery, a free-to-air pan-Arabic language platform with a line-up of shows that have never before been available for free in Arabic.
These include the international dating reality TV series “90 Day Fiancé” (pictured), the reality shows “Gold Rush” and “Wheeler Dealers” and the science documentary “Through the Wormhole”, hosted by Morgan Freeman.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s slate spans a range of genres and includes thousands of hours of premium content from channels such as Animal Planet, TLC, Investigation Discovery, HGTV and Food Network, as well as Middle Eastern food and lifestyle channel Fatafeat. The content has been fully adapted and customised with Arabic voiceovers and graphics.
Significantly, the partnership also includes the acquisition of some regional content and the co-production of up to 30 hours per year of original programming inspired by stories from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. “Our partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery is a testament to our ambition to produce and showcase award-winning, authentic content that engages and inspires audiences both here in our region and around the world,” said SRMG CEO Jomana R. Al-Rashid in a statement.
“The launch is just the beginning; we have extremely ambitious plans for co-productions and I look forward to watching the platform grow,” she added.
Jamie Cooke, Warner Bros. Discovery’s General Manager for CEE, Middle East and Turkey, commented: “The entertainment industry in the MENA region is an area of great global talent and transformative growth. We have seen immense change over the last few years and MENA audiences are hungry for fresh and new content”.
Asharq Discovery follows the launch last month of Asharq Documentary, a new free-to-air Arabic factual documentary multi-platform.
SRMG Ventures’ previous investments in the local entertainment industry include stakes in the expanding Saudi film and TV studio Telfaz11 and Vuz, a leading VR-enabled social media application, as well as an investment in Anghami, the Arab world’s rival to Spotify.
