BEVERLY HILLS, California: Alphabet Inc’s YouTube is creating scripted series and other original programming for international markets including France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and India to try to draw new customers to its paid subscription service, a senior executive said on Friday.
The programming will come in the form of multiple genres such as music documentaries, reality series, talk shows and scripted series, Susanne Daniels, YouTube’s global head of original programming, said in an interview. It will be produced in local languages and subtitled or dubbed for other markets.
Some of the programming will appear on YouTube Premium, the monthly subscription service formerly called YouTube Red. Other content will be available on YouTube’s free service with advertising.
“We are targeting markets where we believe we have a tremendous upside in potential subscribers,” Daniels said.
YouTube already has released a handful of original shows in South Korea and one in India, a talk show in Hindi about cricket. Called “UnCricket,” the show has performed “beyond expectations,” Daniels said.
Daniels also said a reality show starring South Korean pop band Big Bang had boosted subscriptions, and that 50 percent of the new customers came from outside of Korea.
More details about the new international slate will be released in the coming weeks, she said.
YouTube will be competing with companies including Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. that are investing in local language programming for online audiences around the world.
The first original shows from YouTube debuted on its premium service in 2016, starting with series from some of the platform’s most popular video creators. It added programming from Hollywood stars and also released a batch of children’s shows including Emmy-winning “Fruit Ninja Frenzy Force.”
There are no current plans for more original children’s programming, Daniels said. The YouTube Kids app serves that younger audience, she said, and the company does not believe children’s content will drive subscriptions to YouTube Premium at this time.
YouTube plans original programming in India, Japan and other markets
YouTube plans original programming in India, Japan and other markets
- YouTube will be competing with companies including Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. that are investing in local language programming for online audiences around the world
- Some of the programming will appear on YouTube Premium, the monthly subscription service formerly called YouTube Red
Shahid, Disney+ and OSN+ launch exclusive streaming bundle across GCC
- Bundle available exclusively visa Shahid for $25 a month
RIYADH: In a landmark regional collaboration, Shahid, Disney+, and OSN+ have announced an exclusive streaming bundle that brings together world-class hits from the three platforms under a single subscription in a first-of-its-kind offer for audiences in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The all-in-one entertainment package, available only through Shahid in the GCC for about $25 a month, grants subscribers full access to three leading platforms covering Hollywood blockbusters, Disney+’s expansive range of beloved films, animations and series, OSN+’s library of HBO originals and international hits, and Shahid’s Arabic premium content.
The bundle is designed to simplify subscription management with a unified payment model, allowing viewers to access all three apps at the price of two and offering a streamlined user experience.
Natasha Matos-Hemingway, chief commercial and marketing officer at Shahid, said the partnership reflects a broader effort to expand digital entertainment offerings in the Middle East, catering to a growing audience seeking diversity, convenience and high-quality programming.
“We are proud to collaborate with OSN+ and Disney+ to offer an unmatched streaming experience to our subscribers,” she said. “With one subscription, one payment, and full access to premium content from all three platforms, we’re delivering unbeatable convenience, value and entertainment.”
With a growing demand for high-quality on-demand content, the bundle is expected to attract a wide range of users seeking comprehensive entertainment without juggling multiple subscriptions.
The move also signals increasing cooperation between global media giants and regional platforms, in a bid to meet the entertainment preferences of Arab audiences while expanding market reach.
Karl Holmes, SVP and general manager at Disney+ EMEA, said the collaboration will bring award-winning series like FX’s “Shogun” and favorites such as “Lilo & Stitch” into a unique bundle with Shahid’s regional hits including “Al Dariya.”
The agreement “reflects a shared ambition between Disney+ and Shahid to shape the future of entertainment in the Middle East,” said Holmes. “The Middle East is young, dynamic and fast-growing, and we’re delighted to give consumers a new and easy way to access extraordinary content at exceptional value.”
Choucri Khairallah, chief business officer at OSN+, said the partnership takes OSN+’s entertainment experience “to the next level.”
He added: “Today’s audiences expect more than great content; they seek seamless access, variety and exceptional value. This all-in-one bundle delivers exactly that.”
