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Two Abu Dhabi Companies Acquire StarzPlay Arabia
E-Vision and Abu Dhabi holding company ADQ have bought a 57% portion of video streaming service StarzPlay Arabia.
A consortium led by telecoms operator e& has completed a deal to acquire a majority share in the video streaming service StarzPlay Arabia.
The deal has meant that E-Vision, the entertainment arm of e&, along with Abu Dhabi holding company ADQ, now owns 57% of the MENA region’s fastest-growing video streaming service. After filing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) on Tuesday, e& issued a statement, which read:
“This acquisition is in line with e&’s strategy to scale up the entertainment segment of e& life consumer digital vertical by accelerating E-Vision’s development on the video streaming segment, and significantly enhances StarzPlay Arabia’s positioning across the entire MENA region,” says e&.
The acquisition follows an initial announcement back in March that a deal would be taking place. Starz and parent company Lionsgate will maintain commercial agreements for content licensing.
Netflix, Shahid VIP, and the UAE-based StarzPlay Arabia currently control two-thirds of the MENA region’s over-the-top services (OTT) market, with StarzPlay controlling 20%.
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The recent deal, which values StarzPlay at $420 million, will inject up to $130 million into the platform for new content acquisition and original programming from around the region, as well as Italy’s Serie A, AFC (Asian Football Confederation) games, UFC and Asia Cup cricket matches.
The video streaming service expects annual revenue to climb by 40% from the previous year, with subscribers increasing by 20% to 2.1 million.
StarzPlay aims to reach profitability by the second quarter of 2024, and for e&, the collaboration will allow custom content options for customers, who will be able to utilize 5G download speeds to watch content on the go, with future plans for immersive VR experiences and augmented reality-based shows.
News
Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
The Kingdom’s creator economy grew over 32% in Q1 2025, fueled by TikTok, UGC, and cost-per-action (CPA) influencer models.
Saudi Arabia’s creator economy saw a significant 32.37% growth in the first quarter of 2025, driven by an uptick in influencer marketing, content-driven e-commerce, and the increasing influence of user-generated content (UGC). These insights come from a recent study by Admitad and the Stllr Network.
Much of this momentum is coming from video-based platforms, where brands are leaning on creators who feel more relatable than polished ad campaigns. The trend shows a clear preference for authenticity, as audiences gravitate toward content that feels real and personal.
Mohannad Alzahrani, Co-founder and VP KSA of Stllr Network, highlighted the shift: “The rise of user-generated content (UGC) is changing the way brands engage with consumers. Audiences trust real creators more than traditional advertising, making UGC a key driver of authenticity and sales”.
TikTok remains the dominant platform in this space, reportedly reaching 88% of the Saudi population. It also showed the sharpest rise in influencer-led transactions. Other platforms followed with solid, if less dramatic, growth: X was up 17%, Instagram increased by 12%, and Telegram by 10%.
In terms of content niches, beauty led the pack with a 56% growth rate, followed by lifestyle at 45.8% and fashion at 18.2%. Tech content also showed healthy traction at 10.6%, while entertainment, food, fitness, parenting, and gaming posted smaller — but still positive — gains.
Also Read: Top E-Commerce Websites In The Middle East In 2025
The report analyzed more than 300,000 influencer-driven purchases. These efforts translated into a 15% year-on-year jump in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and a 5% increase in the number of orders in 2024. Influencers themselves are seeing the benefit, with average order values hitting $54 and creator earnings rising by 14%.
A noticeable trend is the move away from fixed-rate deals. More influencers in Saudi Arabia are embracing hybrid compensation models — especially cost-per-action (CPA) setups that tie their earnings directly to performance.
As Anna Gidirim, CEO of Admitad, explains, “The CPA model brings much-needed transparency to influencer marketing. Brands only pay for actual results, and influencers benefit by securing long-term partnerships while offering their audiences exclusive promo codes and special discounts”.
However, the ecosystem still shows a gender imbalance. The data indicates that 63% of creators in Saudi Arabia are men, while women account for just 37%.
Influencer Growth Fuels Saudi Creator Economy Surge
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