RIYADH: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Rotana Media Group, one of the largest media groups in the region, and Fox International Channels (FIC), the international television channels arm of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation on Sunday announced that viewers in the Middle East and North Africa region would have access to more of the world’s best family entertainment after signing a multi-year output deal with The Walt Disney Company — Europe, Middle East and Africa. This collaboration will provide a compelling proposition to Rotana’s offerings to viewers and the trade community across the Middle East region. The deal, which is set to come into effect immediately, will bring Disney and ABC’s much-loved television series and movies to the region’s viewers free-to-air on Fox Movies and Fox Series channels.
Pierre Al-Daher, president, broadcasting, Rotana Group said: “The deal with the Walt Disney Company for broadcasting their content exclusively is of extreme significance as it allows us to target multiple age groups. The Disney target audience is great importance to many of the big advertisers in the region. Walt Disney Company content is not restricted to children and teens only; it goes beyond to reach out to other age groups”, he noted. “Big deals aiming at enhancing the content of our channels will continue. We will sign more deals that would interest our viewers in the region”, he concluded.
Ward Platt, president of Fox International Channels said: “Disney is one of the most respected distributors in the world, producing content that regularly sets global standards and breaks box office records, and we are very excited to have entered into such a deal. This partnership will give us access to an even wider bouquet of great entertainment content and will consolidate our position as the leader in the television and movie entertainment genres in the Middle East region.
“This deal follows on from a number of recent initiatives; undertaken to provide an even better experience for our viewers. These include the development of a whole new look and feel for the channel, as well as our acquisition of even more blockbuster content from some of the biggest studios, which gives us access to a wide range of great movie entertainment from the studio’s catalogs, and a new and explosive line-up of ground breaking, award-winning television series that have never been seen on the region’s screens before.”
Francesca Tauriello, senior vice president, program distribution for The Walt Disney Company’s Media Distribution — Business to Business Group, EMEA (South) commented: “This deal reflects our vision to bring the broad range of content within our portfolio to wider audiences in the Middle East. The agreement builds upon our long-term relationship with Fox International Channels and Rotana and the content covered under the terms of the agreement is a fantastic strategic fit for their channels and audiences. The deal also provides the opportunity to build additional areas of business together such as local productions and to customize marketing-promotional activities.”
Fox Movies and Fox Series were both launched in the region following a strategic partnership between Fox International Channels and Rotana last year.
Nezar H. Nagro, president of Rotana Media Services (RMS) commented: “Providing innovative and diversified content to our viewers across the region has been our aim since launching the Fox Movies and Fox Series channels, in order to raise the bar of the Middle East’s television entertainment.”
