WWE Announces Major Broadcast Partnership In The Middle East And North Africa, Nick Khan Comments
WWE and MBC Group have announced a new broadcast partnership in the Middle East and North Africa.
It was announced today that WWE and MBC Group, the largest and leading group in the MENA region, have entered into a major broadcast partnership that will see MBC's VOD and streaming service, Shahid, become the new home of WWE in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the MENA region.
The partnership includes all WWE Premium Live Events, kicking off with WrestleMania 38, live RAW and SmackDown episodes, plus the WWE Network library of original programming and archived content.
MBC ACTION, a free-to-air TV channel, will also broadcast one-hour highlight versions of RAW and SmackDown each week, in addition to the WWE Main Event and WWE Afterburn shows.
"MBC GROUP is a market leader in the region and a great partner for WWE," said WWE President Nick Khan. "By delivering our premium live events including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, our weekly programming including RAW and SmackDown, as well as WWE's massive library, we believe we will expand our reach throughout the Middle East and North Africa."
Natasha Hemingway, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Shahid, added: "It's no secret that WWE is massively popular in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the MENA region. This new partnership is sure to be incredibly exciting for fans, and with more and more live sporting events – including WWE – coming to the Kingdom, we cannot wait to see where this partnership takes us. We're delighted that Shahid will be the home of WWE!"
Beginning March 26, Shahid will air SmackDown live on Saturdays at 4am KSA in Arabic, with a one-hour version of SmackDown then airing the same-day with Arabic subtitles on MBC Action at 9pm KSA. Beginning Tuesday, March 29, Shahid will air RAW live on Tuesdays at 4am KSA in Arabic, with a one-hour version of RAW then airing the same-day with Arabic subtitles on MBC Action at 9pm KSA.
In addition to weekly programming, Shahid will launch a dedicated WWE channel making the entire WWE Network archive – more than 10,000 hours of content – available to stream on-demand. The new WWE destination on Shahid will allow fans to browse and access the entire library including WWE NXT airing next day following the first-run broadcast in the United States.
MBC's Shahid is currently available on the Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, and Apple TV HD, plus Google platforms and devices, including Android, Android TV devices, Chromecast, and Chromecast built-in devices, as well as PCs, Macs, and a wide range of connected Smart TVs including Samsung, LG, Hisense, TCL, Sony & Toshiba.