OSN Ya Hala Arrives in the U.K.

DUBAI: OSN is bringing its flagship Arabic-language channel OSN Ya Hala to TalkTalk in the U.K., marking its first international foray.

The deal was secured in partnership with THEMA, a company that aggregates foreign TV channels into bouquets targeted to diaspora communities. this is the first time that a bespoke Arabic entertainment channel will be broadcast to a global audience.

The channel offers such series as the cooking-themed drama Alf Akla w Akla and epic Egyptian drama series Adam w Jamila.

David Butorac, the CEO of OSN, said: “We are excited about OSN Ya Hala going international and joining TalkTalk, one of the premier networks in Europe.

“We launched OSN Ya Hala in August 2011, OSN’s first step into original Arabic language content. The channel has proven to be hugely successful and is now the second most watched channel on our network. The launch of OSN Ya Hala internationally underlines our commitment to fulfil the entertainment needs of Arabs living abroad making world class Arabic television content accessible to millions.”

François Thiellet, the CEO of THEMA, added: “We are very glad to make OSN Ya Hala available in a country where international communities thrive. And there is no better partner than TalkTalk to reach OSN Ya Hala’s audience.”