‘House of the Dragon’ breaks records in MENA, OSN says

The "Game of Throne" prequel is based on American novelist Martin’s book titled “Fire & Blood”. (Supplied/File)
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Updated 21 September 2022
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‘House of the Dragon’ breaks records in MENA, OSN says

  • HBO drama series is the best-performing series premiere to date on all platforms

LONDON: HBO’s fantasy drama television series “House of the Dragon” set a new record by becoming the best-performing series premiere to date on all platforms in the Middle East and North Africa region, OSN revealed.

Since it first aired on Aug. 21, “House of the Dragon” attracted an unprecedented number of viewers with the first episode beating out the finale of the franchise’s predecessor, “Game of Thrones,” by more than 25 percent.

“‘House of the Dragon’ is by far the biggest launch in the history of OSN and has quickly found a loyal and dedicated fanbase that has fallen in love with this immersive fantasy drama,” said Joe Kawkabani, OSN group CEO.

“We aim to continue breaking records and bring premium content to the screens of all our audiences across the region.”

OSN+ and OSN Showcase, the streaming platforms of the Dubai-based entertainment content company OSN Group, reported having a never-seen-before growth in users and trialists since the premiere, with a skyrocketing engagement rate of 50 percent audience reach on the channel.

Adding to the list of successes, the drama series also recorded the longest total duration watched for a single title as well as the highest subscriber rating of any series premiere to date for both OSN Showcase and OSN+.

The “House of the Dragon” companion content, including “House of the Dragon: The House That Dragons Built,” also confirmed a strong fanbase for George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy, with behind-the-scenes exclusive episodes witnessing unprecedented demand and maintaining a place on the platform’s top five most viewed shows since Aug. 24.

The 10-episode series based on American novelist Martin’s book titled “Fire & Blood” is set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones” and tells the story of the House Targaryen, one of the families from the epic fantasy novel series “A Song of Ice and Fire.”


Arab News wins 7 prizes at European Newspaper Awards, led by 50th anniversary coverage

Updated 27 February 2026
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Arab News wins 7 prizes at European Newspaper Awards, led by 50th anniversary coverage

  • Anniversary special coverage and film won four Awards of Excellence across multiple categories

LONDON: Arab News won seven prizes at the 27th European Newspaper Awards — four for its 50th anniversary coverage and three for other projects — bringing its total to 160 awards since the 2018 relaunch.

The anniversary coverage earned an Award of Excellence in “Supplement for special occasions and anniversary editions,” plus wins in “Multimedia storytelling” for its special web section and two in “Film” and “Animated films” for its documentary.

Additional honors went to the “Spotlight — 2024 in Review” and “Opinion — 2024” print series in the “Sectional front pages nationwide newspaper” category, and a “Visualization” prize for an image from “Opinion — 2024.”

Launched in 1999 by organizer Norbert Kupper, the awards celebrate print and digital innovation. This year’s contest drew newspapers from 22 countries and more than 3,000 entries across 20 categories, despite fewer print submissions due to rising editorial collaborations.

“It’s testament to the skill, versatility and collaboration between the creative and editorial teams at Arab News that the seven awards at this year’s ENAs spanned print, digital and film categories,” commented Omar Nashashibi, head of creative design at Arab News. “These wouldn’t be possible without the world-class contributors we partner with, and the leadership, vision and support of Editor-In-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.”

Creative Director Simon Khalil called the film wins especially meaningful. “This recognition means a great deal because this film was never just about marking an anniversary, it was about capturing a defining moment in the evolution of Arab News and the region it represents.

“Telling the story, and drama of the 2018 relaunch, the digital transformation, and the courage to become ‘The Voice of a Changing Region’ was both a responsibility and a privilege.”

Past highlights include the “King Charles III Coronation” special coverage, “Kingdom vs. Captagon” investigation and FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 special edition.

See more award-winning projects at arabnews.com/greatesthits.