StarzPlay to launch football talent show ‘The Italian Dream’

The six-episode show is filmed in the host city of Abu Dhabi, as well as other participating cities including Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt. (Supplied)
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Updated 16 September 2023
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StarzPlay to launch football talent show ‘The Italian Dream’

  • Six-episode reality show is in partnership with Lega Serie A, PureHealth and Image Nation Abu Dhabi

DUBAI: Streaming platform StarzPlay plans to launch the football talent show ‘The Italian Dream’ in partnership with Lega Serie A, PureHealth and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, in a hunt for the Middle East’s next football star.  

“By examining audience viewing patterns and viewership data, we recognized that sports play a crucial role in attracting viewers across the Middle East and North Africa, with football standing out as the sport of choice in a nation driven by the vision of its leaders toward healthy and happy living,” said Maaz Sheikh, CEO of StarzPlay.

The six-episode show is filmed in the host city of Abu Dhabi, as well as other participating cities including Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt.

Footballing legends from Lega Serie A will participate in the show as mentors and guides for the competitors. The show aims to go beyond the participants’ football skills and shed light on their aspirations, family life and passion for sports.

The show “exemplifies Lega Serie A’s commitment to investing in grassroots talent in the MENA region by providing opportunities for local emerging players to grow, learn and showcase their abilities on one of the world’s most renowned and storied football leagues, Lega Serie A,” said Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Lega Serie A.

StarzPlay is the home of Italian football in the MENA region with the rights to stream every match from the Lega Serie A.


Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Nasdaq to bring real-time US equities data to MENA

Updated 13 January 2026
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Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Nasdaq to bring real-time US equities data to MENA

  • Nasdaq to deliver exclusive real-time US equities market data
  • Real-time updates fully integrated into Asharq Business’ data infrastructure and available across all platforms

RIYADH: Asharq Business with Bloomberg, the region’s leading business and financial news multi-platform channel, announced Tuesday a strategic three-year collaboration with Nasdaq, to deliver exclusive real-time US equities market data and updates to investors and decision-makers across the Middle East. 

Through access to Nasdaq’s official data product, Nasdaq Last Sale (NLS), Asharq Business with Bloomberg will receive real-time last-sale trade updates and calculated insights across major US exchanges directly from the Nasdaq Market Center. The collaboration strengthens market transparency, enhances data-driven storytelling, and provides audiences and partners with deeper insight into global financial activity. 

With a rapidly growing investor base in the region — and with Nasdaq serving as a primary destination for many Arab and regional investors — Asharq Business with Bloomberg reinforces its mission to deliver timely, accurate, and exclusive financial updates by integrating NLS data into its digital platforms, live markets coverage, and broader data ecosystem. 

Leveraging its partnership with Bloomberg Media — which grants access to reporting from over 2,700 journalists and analysts worldwide — Asharq Business with Bloomberg continues to build on its reputation as the region’s most trusted and credible multi-platform business news source. The collaboration with Nasdaq underscores its commitment to providing reliable, data-backed content across social, digital, and streaming platforms, available for audiences anytime and anywhere. 

Dr Nabeel Al Khatib, General Manager of Asharq News Network, commented: “It has been five years since the inception of Asharq Business with Bloomberg, and our audience has always been at the center of everything we do. We invest time and effort to understand what matters to them, ensuring we deliver data and stories that genuinely support informed decision-making. With growing regional interest in global markets, our collaboration with Nasdaq marks a strategic step toward offering a clearer, more comprehensive view of international financial activity. Through Nasdaq Last Sale, we aim to further empower our audience with transparent, real-time insights, strengthening their ability to navigate an increasingly interconnected global investment landscape.” 

The Nasdaq leadership team added: “We are pleased to collaborate with Asharq Business with Bloomberg to broaden access to high-quality US market data in the Middle East. Through Nasdaq Last Sale, we aim to enhance transparency, support informed decision-making, and contribute to a more connected global investor community.”