Middle East streamerOSN+ is joining forces with Anghami, the Arab world’s rival to Spotify, in what is being touted as a landmark deal.
The combination of OSN+ and Anghami will become the first platform in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to provide customers premium movies, TV series and music. It will combine over 120 million Anghami registered users and more than 2.5 million OSN+ paying subscribers.
The move could shake up the MENA media and entertainment landscape, given that OSN+ is a leading streaming platform for premium content and a primeoutlet for Hollywood scripted fare in 22 territories across MENA. In March they extended their relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery, forging a new multi-year licensing deal that makes them the exclusive home for HBO content. They also have rights to Paramount+ shows, plus a slate of Sky Studios and Peacock Originals produced by NBC Universal as well as agreements with top Arabic and Turkish studios.
Since its 2021 launch, Anghami has achieved rapid growth with a catalogue of more than 100 million songs and 120 million current registered users — up from 75 million in 2021, though only a fraction of these are paying customers.
The deal, which is backed by a cash investment of up to $50 million from OSN Group in Anghami, will see Elie Habib, co-founder of Anghami, become CEO of the combined business, while OSN Group CEO Joe Kawkabani will continue to lead the group which also includes its linear TV business OSNtv. OSN is taking a majority stake in Anghami.
The combined platform will leverage Anghami’s strong tech stack and rich music catalogue coupled with the OSN+ library of premium scripted content “to deliver a unique digital streaming experience with AI-driven hyper personalization that prioritizes recommendations based on user preference,” a statement reads.
“Joining forces with OSN+ is a leap in Anghami’s journey to reinvent entertainment in the Arab World,” said Habib (pictured, right) in the statement. “We’re bringing together technology, music and video to build a comprehensive media ecosystem. It’s a chance to deepen our connection with our users and to create something they will truly love.”
“This is a major milestone in OSN’s journey as we continue to scale up our streaming business,” commented Kawkabani (pictured, left). “Combining OSN+ content with Anghami’s technology enables us to deliver the best of entertainment all in one place for our customers, ensuring we are continuously evolving our offering to meet their need. As two home-grown entities with an unmatched understanding of the local market, we are confident that this new offering will change the face of the regional streaming landscape.”
