Saudi-Owned MBC Group Forges Pact With Turkish TV Powerhouses

Saudi-owned MBC Group, which is the highest broadcaster within the Center East and North Africa (MENA) area, has cast a five-year partnership with Turkish TV manufacturing powerhouses Medyapim and Ay Yapim, formally ending a ban on Turkish soaps that had been put in place in 2018.

MBC, which is the highest satellite tv for pc free-to-air participant within the Center East and North Africa, and in addition a significant MENA area premium streamer, in 2018 had pulled extremely in style Turkish dramas from its channels, allegedly for political causes stemming from tensions at the moment between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The transfer was additionally believed to have been made to offer better impetus to native manufacturing. Since then, a number of Turkish reveals had step by step seeped again into MBC programming. However this deal alerts an entire coverage reversal.

The partnership, unveiled on the Mipcom TV market in Cannes, includes first look and quantity offers between MBC and Medyapim and Ay Yapim, in addition to agreements for the 2 outstanding Turkish manufacturing corporations to provide Arabic-language content material for the MENA market.

Titles included within the deal weren’t revealed.

Medyapim’s international hits embody the soaps “Woman Named Feriha,” “Mom,” and “Girl,” whereas Ay Yapim is finest identified for “Infinite Love,” “Fatmagul,” “Ezel,” and “Forbidden Love,” amongst different reveals.

“It’s no secret that Turkish content material is extraordinarily in style with MENA audiences,” stated MBC Group CEO Sam Barnett in a press release. “With two incredible Turkish manufacturing homes – Medyapim and Ay Yapim – approaching board and collaborating with MBC Group, not solely are audiences going to obtain first entry to approaching Turkish TV hits, however we’re additionally going to deal with exchanging experience and information to provide some thrilling Arabic-language dramas and different applications, shot within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and remainder of the MENA area,” he went on so as to add.

Mentioned Kerem Çatay, CEO of Ay Yapim: “Fifteen years in the past, MBC Group was the primary overseas community to broadcast an Ay Yapim sequence. They have been leaders then, and they’re leaders now. That’s why I’m so blissful to be teaming up with them to create this new chapter in drama. I do know we’ll do nice issues collectively!”