BBC First Launching in MENA

DUBAI: BBC First is bringing a wealth of British dramas to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with its launch on OSN on February 1.

OSN will be the exclusive home of BBC First in the MENA region, thanks to its deal with BBC Worldwide. The channel will air such dramas as Sherlock and Luther, alongside the new adaptation of War and Peace. The long-running show EastEnders will be brought to OSN viewers shortly after its U.K. broadcast.

As part of BBC Worldwide’s global strategy, the channel will replace the pan-regional BBC Entertainment channel with increased investment into content and key titles introduced with Arabic subtitles.

Natasha Hussain, the VP and general manager for Middle East and Mediterranean at BBC Worldwide, said: “The BBC has a strong reputation for its outstanding drama programming. I’m delighted viewers in the Middle East and North Africa will soon be able to enjoy the most popular and critically acclaimed dramas coming out of the U.K. express from their original transmission.”

Emad Marcos, the senior VP of media partners and digital at OSN, said: “The addition of BBC First builds on our commitment to bring exclusive content for our subscribers and underlines the exceptional portfolio of programming that we offer to our subscribers in 2016. This is the first of several exciting new premium additions to OSN, which will be announced in the first quarter of this year and reaffirms the fact that we are the number one destination for premium content in the region. We work with the very best channel partners to bring the very best content.”