OSN’s new and extended long-term deal with NBC Universal International (NBCUI) will give OSN exclusive access to content from NBCUI. The deal secures first pay window rights for OSN, in addition to exclusive over-the-top (OTT) content access on OSN Play, the free for subscribers digital platform, and GO, the non-subscriber based online TV service.
OSN will now also have exclusive rights to the popular channel, E! Entertainment Television, in Arabic. E!’s focus on localized entertainment programming in Arabic will bring news, views and all the celebrity buzz of regional stars on E! News. The channel will also have dedicated primetime programming that is dubbed or subtitled in Arabic.
Additionally, subscribers will have access to a world of science fiction entertainment as OSN secures exclusive rights to Syfy in Arabic, from mid-2016. The launch of the channel will bring Syfy’s year-round roster of original series, movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming to OSN subscribers, with almost 80 percent of the content in Arabic – either with subtitles or dubbed.
David Butorac, CEO of OSN, says in a statement: “Our partnership with NBCUniversal International not only consolidates our presence in the market but also reflects our commitment to delivering sought-after content first and exclusively to our viewers. We do not operate as just content carriers; we also work with our partners to ensure that we can customise their content for the local market. That is why we will be focusing on localization and bringing amazing Arabic content – through E! and Syfy.”
The new agreement also extends OSN’s carriage agreement for CNBC.
The NBCU portfolio also includes late-night talk shows such as the award-winning The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers; top news shows including the Today Show; and one of longest running shows on television, Meet the Press, among others..
