Shahid, the Middle East’s most-watched Arabic streaming platform, has officially rebranded as MBC Shahid, a move by its owner MBC Group to align the service more closely with its wider media portfolio and to accelerate growth in a competitive global streaming market.
The updated name came into effect on January 2, 2026. In a social media announcement, MBC Shahid said: “This evolution marks a new chapter—strengthening our connection to the MBC Group legacy and reinforcing our commitment to premium storytelling and world-class entertainment for audiences across the region and beyond. Same platform. Stronger identity. Bigger ambitions.”
The rebrand does not mark a new independent streaming service, but rather a new public identity under the MBC corporate umbrella. Platform features, including subscription tiers and content libraries, remain intact, with no immediate changes to user access or pricing reported. Details on accompanying marketing or UI redesigns are still emerging.
MBC Group’s 2024 annual report highlighted how the company’s free-to-air TV channels, radio, and digital platforms, including Shahid, are part of a unified advertising and media sales portfolio — meaning that Shahid is not siloed but part of an integrated ecosystem. The move reflects a broader trend among regional media companies to leverage established broadcast brands as streaming becomes central to growth strategies.
MBC Group, majority owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and chaired by Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, operates more than 19 TV channels and radio stations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Launched as a catch-up service
Launched in 2008 as a catch-up service for MBC’s linear channels, Shahid evolved over the years into a full-featured OTT platform offering SVOD (subscription) and AVOD (advertising) tiers. It was previously revamped and rebranded in 2020 with the introduction of a premium subscription tier, Shahid VIP.
According to MBC Group, Shahid reached about 5 million SVOD subscribers by the end of 2024, a 25.6 percent increase year-on-year, and reported 18.6 million active monthly AVOD users as advertisers increasingly use the platform’s free tier.
Shahid’s revenues in the first nine months of 2025 rose about 26 percent to SAR 1.02 billion ($271 million), while net losses shrank significantly — down more than 60 percent year-on-year — according to recent MBC disclosures.
