On the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Media Summit, Discovery Networks Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) – a division of Discovery Communications – JB Perrette, President of Discovery Networks International, announced they will be creating a central hub for Middle East-based advertising sales, starting with the launch of local advertising on its two flagship pay-TV channels, Discovery Channel HD and TLC HD.
Broadcast in partnership with OSN, a Pay-TV operator in the MENA region, advertising on Discovery Channel and TLC will begin on both channels from January 1, 2015.
As part of the announcement, Discovery also announced the appointment of Premier Solutions Media FZ LLC as the exclusive advertising sales representation company in the region.
Premier Solutions Media FZ LLC, who exclusively represent OSN’s Pay-TV channels, will be responsible for selling the commercial airtime on Discovery Channel HD and TLC HD as well as securing sponsorship opportunities from Pan Arab advertisers.
To coincide with this launch, Discovery will also create a hub for international advertising sales for the Middle East in Dubai, creating a one-stop-shop for all advertising sales management for the region.
This move comes as a step for Discovery to further expand its business across the Middle East, which now includes a portfolio of seven Pay-TV channels: Discovery Channel HD, TLC HD, Animal Planet HD, Discovery Science HD, Discovery World and ID: Investigation Discovery; and one Free-to-Air channel (Fatafeat), as well as a local office in Dubai Studio City.
“We are hugely excited to partner with Premier Solutions Media to launch local advertising in the Middle East on Discovery Channel HD and TLC HD, and further expand our advertising sales management for the region,” says James Gibbons, SVP, emerging business at Discovery Networks CEEMEA in a statement. “Discovery Networks has experienced rapid growth in the market over the last two years – from the acquisition of Fatafeat and the launch of TLC, to the opening of our first local office. By centralising our Middle East ad sales management we will now offer a one-stop shop for Middle Eastern clients across Pay, FTA and IAS in Dubai.”
