The OSN Media Summit 2023 brought together over 100 leading industry stakeholders and decision-makers for a deep dive into the world of premium entertainment, Pay TV, streaming, and technology. Hosted by OSN, the region’s foremost provider of must-watch entertainment, this summit featured engaging talks and discussions that shed light on the trends, opportunities, and challenges in the dynamic media and streaming landscape of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
OSN’s Transformation Journey
The Visionary CEO – Joe Kawkabani
The summit commenced with an inspiring keynote address by OSN’s CEO, Joe Kawkabani. He provided valuable insights into OSN’s transformative journey over the past year, highlighting how the company successfully navigated market challenges. OSN’s achievement of a remarkable 40% year-on-year increase in engagement on its platform reaffirmed its position as the go-to destination for Western content in the region.
Key Trends in Tech and Entertainment
Kawkabani delved into the key trends shaping the tech and entertainment industry. These trends encompassed rising content costs, the democratization of the value chain by streaming, the growing adaptation of ad tier, the challenges of content economics, the intricate relationship between technology and entertainment, and the exciting opportunities in content aggregation. His insights provided a comprehensive overview of MENA’s current landscape and prospects.
Evolving Consumer Needs
Meeting Consumer Demands
Joe Kawkabani emphasized the importance of offering strong content and continuously engaging consumers by anticipating their evolving needs. He discussed how the audience’s entertainment consumption patterns are constantly in flux and OSN’s commitment to delivering in-demand content, innovative products, and exceptional value.
New Growth Strategies
Personalization and Customization
One of the highlight sessions, “New Growth Strategies in a Divided Landscape,” featured Jamie Cooke, General Manager, Middle East, Warner Bros. Discovery, and OSN’s CEO Joe Kawkabani. The conversation, moderated by Kelsey Warner, explored innovative strategies for growth in the rapidly evolving media landscape. Topics included personalization, customization, and content expansion beyond traditional screens.
The Strength of Partnerships
Jamie Cooke, General Manager, Middle East, Warner Bros. Discovery, reiterated the strong partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery and OSN. He emphasized their shared vision of making viewer-centric decisions and delivering diverse content to the MENA region.
The Future of Warner Bros. Discovery in MENA
Cooke clarified that Warner Bros. Discovery had no immediate plans to go direct in the MENA region, underscoring the importance of their ongoing partnership with OSN, recently renewed in a multi-year agreement.
Telco Trends in Entertainment
The Impact of Telecommunications
Justin Hewelt, an industry expert, led a session on “Telco Trends and the Power of Television.” He shed light on the evolving role of telecommunications companies in the entertainment industry and their influence on viewers’ experiences.
OSNtv Evolution
Redefining Entertainment with OSNtv
The “Introducing the new streaming TV: OSNtv” session featured OSN executives Devrim Melek and Rory Buckley. They discussed the recent upgrades to OSN’s latest home product, OSNtv. The transformation into a fully dishless offering with IP functionality marked a significant milestone in OSN’s journey to provide viewers with a top-of-the-line quality entertainment experience.
Bridging Local and Global Content
Meeting Diverse Content Needs
Emmy-award-winning producer and cartographer Evan Shapiro highlighted the increasing demand for local and global programming. Local publishers in the MENA market are now leveraging this demand, coupled with their understanding of the market’s content needs. OSN’s streaming service, OSN+, known for its long-term partnerships with major studios, is pivotal in delivering critically acclaimed series, must-see movies, and world-class Turkish and Arabic content.
Harnessing the Power of AI
Empowering Creativity with AI
Rounding off the summit was a case study presented by guest speaker Elie Habib, co-founder and CTO of Anghami. Habib discussed how brands can harness the power of AI, providing the creative world with access to intelligence that empowers their everyday work.
Conclusion
The OSN Media Summit 2023 offered a panoramic view of the rapidly evolving entertainment landscape in the MENA region. Industry leaders shared their insights into the challenges and opportunities in premium entertainment, streaming, and technology. OSN’s commitment to delivering top-quality content and innovative solutions, along with its strong partnerships, ensures that it remains at the forefront of the media revolution in MENA and beyond. As consumer needs evolve, OSN remains dedicated to delivering the ultimate entertainment experience.
