thePlatform, the Comcast-owned online video unit, said it has been picked by Parsifal Entertainment Group to provide the backend and video management publishing system for Starz Play Arabia, a recently launched over-the-top, direct-to-consumer multiplatform subscription VOD service that is being offered in select markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Launched on April 2, Starz Play Arabia is offered in several countries, including Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. The service currently supports more than 4,000 hours of movies and TV shows for the equivalent of $12.99 per month, and is offered on Web browsers, iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, the Humax H1 IP set-top. Subscribers can register as many as five devices, and stream simultaneously on two.
The service is powered by thePlatform’s cloud-based mpx video publishing system, including video ingest and metadata workflows, to support viewers across IP-connected devices.
“We’re fully committed to giving people a groundbreaking subscription video service leveraging STARZ PLAY Arabia’s incredible content library and brand,” said Saleem Bhatti, CIO of Starz Play Arabia, in a statement. “Part of that commitment means using a back-end system with proven scale and versatility, which is why we turned to thePlatform.”
“We’re extremely proud to have been selected to play such a key role for STARZ PLAY Arabia in these growing international markets,” added Marty Roberts, co-CEO, thePlatform. “The service offers subscribers a compelling new choice in premium video entertainment, and we’re confident that mpx will deliver the enterprise-grade reliability and capabilities required to support the service now and into the future.”
In addition to recent wins with the Stan service in Australia and the shomi subscription SVOD service from Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications, thePlatform also works with several other programmers and MVPDs, including USA Network, History Channel, A+E, E!, Syfy, Travel Channel Media, CBS, FOX, NBCUniversal, CBC, Bell Media, Shaw Media, Liberty Global, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems, Cox Communications, BT and Telstra.
