OSN acquires Pehla content to expand bouquet

OSN, a major pay TV network in the MENA, has significantly expanded its entertainment bouquet with the acquisition of Pehla Media & Entertainment.
The acquisition brings nearly 40 South Asian channels in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil and Malayalam languages to OSN’s existing comprehensive portfolio of channels.
Bringing the best in Bollywood and premium cricket, with exclusive telecast rights of the ICC Cricket World Cup, OSN Pehla will underscore the network’s position as the ultimate destination for premium content.
Showcasing nearly 140 TV channels with the widest spectrum of Arabic, Western, South Asian and Filipino television entertainment, OSN now has something for everyone.
Pehla will now be known as OSN Pehla, functioning as an integral unit of OSN that is dedicated to South Asian content delivery.
David Butorac, CEO of OSN, said: “We are marking an exciting new chapter in OSN’s history with the integration of Pehla into our network.”
Butorac said: “This acquisition builds on OSN’s growth strategy to explore opportunities for market consolidation bringing greater economies of scale and operational efficiencies to offer great value entertainment for subscribers.”
The CEO said: “Appealing to millions of South Asian expatriates, OSN Pehla now gives us the opportunity to reach out to one of the largest demographics in MENA, serving as the ultimate entertainment destination for all segments of the region’s population.” He said: “OSN has already established its credentials in premium Arabic, Western and Filipino entertainment, providing unrivaled content through technologically advanced platforms and unmatched on-demand and on-the-go television experiences.”
Butorac OSN Pehla customers will now be able to enjoy the same value added services and benefit from OSN’s award-winning customer services, our values and international industry standards.
Following the acquisition, Pehla subscribers will continue to enjoy an uninterrupted and seamless television experience.
OSN Pehla customers will soon receive free access to OSN Play, described as the region’s first online TV viewing platform and can immediately participate in OSN’s rewards program, OSN Privileges, offering a spectacular range of special prizes and deals from leading retailers and lifestyle partners.
Viewers will also benefit from the many advantages of being part of the OSN platform, including access to more than 400 sales touch points across the region and 24x7 customer services.
The new channels that are now available under OSN Pehla include entertainment choices, including Sony, Star Plus, Sun TV, Zee TV, Geo TV, ARY Digital, Asianet Middle East, Colors, Gemini TV and Kairali.
OSN Pehla will offer the best of Bollywood through Sony Max, Star Gold, UTV Movies International and Zee Cinema, while news followers from South Asia can tune into Asianet News, Dawn News, NDTV 24x7, Times Now and Aaj Tak.
Lifestyle and music choices include Channel V India, MTV India, UTV Bindass and UTV Stars in addition to children’s entertainment channels Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Baby TV.
OSN Pehla will also be the ultimate destination for cricket fans through CricOne and Ten Cricket, offering exclusive access to the widely followed ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, ICC World Twenty20 and Champions League.
This complements OSN’s existing exclusive cricket rights, which include the Ashes and the Champions League Twenty20.
“Bollywood and cricket are increasingly gaining popularity in the MENA region,” added Butorac.
“Our acquisition of Pehla’s content will enable our existing subscribers to choose from newly tailored packages that cover the best in Arabic, Western and South Asian entertainment. A truly growth-oriented acquisition, the deal underlines our commitment to add consistent value to all our stakeholders,” said Butorac.