Monday 10 February 2020

What next for #Dubai's troubled satellite broadcaster OSN? - Arabianbusiness

What next for Dubai's troubled satellite broadcaster OSN? - Arabianbusiness:

When millions of fans across the Middle East tuned in to watch the last ever episode of HBO’s blood-spattered, dragon-filled fantasy show Game of Thrones in May last year, little did they know the platform on which they streamed the drama series was struggling with its own existential crisis.

Unlike the world’s most profitable TV show of all-time, the MENA platform Wavo, which viewers used to stream the Game of Thrones, is part of floundering Dubai-based Orbit Showtime Network (OSN).

Owned by Panther Media Group, a joint venture between Kuwaiti Projects Company (KIPCO) and Saudi investment firm Mawarid Group Limited, OSN is the Middle East’s largest direct-broadcast satellite provider.

In 2013, it was even valued at a whopping $4.3bn by Arqaam Capital, leading majority shareholder KIPCO (60.5 percent) to reject a $3.2bn offer by an unnamed US buyout firm the following year. But it’s a decision it’s likely to be regretting now.

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