ISLAMABAD: Pakistani satellite television network, ARY Digital, has signed a term sheet to acquire a 25 percent stake in Create, a Pakistan-built financial platform for the creative economy, to build an ecosystem for the country’s creative industry, they said in a joint statement.

Pakistan’s creative industry is among the country’s most visible cultural exports, yet credit practices across the market remain inconsistent and structured financing is still out of reach for much of it. The partnership is seen as a step toward more organized financial services for the sector, with clearer records, verified work and reliable routes to capital.

Under the deal, ARY’s production houses and the talent working with them will gain access to Create’s funding. The platform will also be open to production houses across Pakistan, as well as influencers, digital content creators and advertising agencies, with the aim of building a shared financial ecosystem for the wider industry over time.

“For more than two decades, ARY has built platforms that give Pakistan’s artists and creators a stage, and we have always believed that our people are the true strength of this industry. Yet the creative community has not received the financial support and recognition that other industries enjoy,” said Salman Iqbal, CEO of ARY Group which owns ARY Digital, according to the joint statement.

“Our partnership with Create is a step toward changing that, giving production houses, artists and creators across the country the backing they need to grow. We see this as a long-term investment in the future of Pakistan’s creative economy.”

Create connects creative work, invoicing, payments and financing in a single workflow. The platform verifies approved work and builds a transaction history around it, allowing eligible businesses and professionals to access financing through its licensed financing partners.

“As a creator myself, I have experienced the workflow and payment challenges that exist across this industry firsthand. Create was built to solve for exactly these realities. Our partnership with ARY is an important validation of both the problem and the need for a structured solution, while giving us a tangible way to begin addressing it at scale,” said Momina Sibtain, founder of Create.

Fatin Gondal, founding investor at Create, said making access to capital simpler and easier for underserved businesses had been at the core of what they have been building.

“With Create, it felt like a natural next step to take that same ethos and extend it to the creator and entertainment industry,” Gondal said.

Jerjees Seja, CEO of ARY Digital Network, said they were continuing their efforts to strengthen the ecosystem around the artists and creators who make the industry what it is.

“Through Create, we are working to give production houses, talent, influencers and creators the financial support to grow their work and build better lives,” he added.