Drama with a Pan-Arabic Appeal
- The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, which were the main consumers of Turkish drama, banned Turkish drama from broadcasting in their stations. The ban has left a gap in the drama segment since Turkey was the major producer of this type of content.
- Saudi Arabia has lacked good writers who can create content that has a pan-Arabic appeal, which explains why Turkish series became popular in the region. The audience could easily relate to the Turkish culture and there was no competition from the Middle East because a majority of the productions are too local. According to Gianluca Chakra, Managing Partner at Front Row Filmed Entertainment, the productions “were far too local…either it was to Lebanese or too Egyptian. By comparison, Turkish series had a pan-Arab appeal.”
- As it stands, the only region that can produce content that is close to Turkey’s is Egypt. For instance, the content that the United Arab Emirates produces is not popular in Lebanon and Kuwait, and vice-versa. In addition, there is limited funding from the governments in these regions, which limits the quality of content produced.
- Initiatives to develop content for Saudi audiences have been fruitful; however, they are taking too much time and effort. Furthermore, many writers do not have scriptwriting techniques that can appeal to a majority of people in the region.
Food Segment
- COVID-19 has forced people in the Middle East and North Africa to change their health habits and become more conscious about what they are eating. The change presents an opportunity for the food segment in the lifestyle TV sector.
- According to Ipsos, 54% of people in the region are eating healthier, 52% are consuming immunity boosting foods, while 45% are following more balanced diets.
- As it stands, many consumers in the Middle East and North Africa are preparing their meals at home and getting creative by trying new recipes. Consumers are looking for instruction and inspiration from TV chefs as they attempt to elevate their traditional dishes and hone their culinary skills.
- The limited access to certain brands and products during lockdowns in the MENA region has sparked curiosity towards exploring different types of foods and brands.
- The fear of contracting the coronavirus has resulted in people cooking at home. Ipsos notes that 79% are now eating less at restaurants, 76% are using home recipes to replace restaurant food, and 53% are not looking forward to dine at restaurants again.
- Currently, 81% of people in region are trying out new recipes, 57% personally make their own meals, while 49% watch cooking and food channels.
Health and Fitness Segment
- As it stands, Physique TV is the first and only 24-hour fitness channel in the MENA region. Despite the region having one channel dedicated to fitness, people in MENA are shifting towards a lifestyle that embraces health and fitness, which presents and opportunity in the segment.
- Approximately 12.2% of professional workers in the MENA region work out regularly and eat healthy. On the other hand, 8.4% have changed their lifestyle to become more active “while 12.7% plan to adopt better eating habits and physical activity.”
- A study by Bayt.com, a jobs portal, revealed that 95% of respondents wanted to exercise more often and would prefer if they received subsidized gym memberships from their employers.
- Furthermore, sports and fitness activities in the region are increasing in order to deal with healthcare challenges such as the high rates of diabetes and obesity. Obesity rates in Saudi Arabia stand at 35.4% and 31.7% in the United Arab Emirates.
- In addition, the Stanford University revealed through a 2017 study that Saudi Arabia was the least active country globally.
- The statistics of the growing fitness industry and the alarming rates of inactivity show that there is an opportunity in the fitness TV segment taking into account that there is only one TV station that addresses the fitness needs of people in the MENA region.
Summary of Findings
- Fatafeat HD is a channel that primarily promotes cooking shows. In addition, the channel offers fashion, beauty, and health tips.
- DMAX is a channel promotes adrenaline rush programs such focusing on survival tactics, extreme fishing, military, and engineering.
- The key programs promoted by Outdoor Channel HD include Alaska's Ultimate Bush Pilots, All Angles, Blue Water Savages, Bottom Feeders, Dropped, Field & Stream, Fight to Survive, Gun Stories, Hollywood Weapens, and Legends of Rod & Reel.
- The key programs promoted by Extreme Sports include Snowboxx, Vertical Blue, You Got This, UIAA, Soap Hockey, King of Nations, Moto Surf World Cup, GG Fest, and UK Independent Vert Series.
- The key programs promoted by HGTV include Brother vs Brother, Listed Sisters, Fixer Upper, and Flip or Flop.