Discovery Inks New Pacts with OSN, beIN

LONDON/DOHA/DUBAI: Two separate deals have been secured by Discovery Communications that extend the reach of its channel brands in the Middle East and North Africa.

beIN locked in an agreement for carriage of six channels from the Discovery portfolio, five of which are exclusive to beIN in the MENA region. Discovery Kids HD, Dlife HD, DMAX HD, DTX HD and a new HD version of Fatafeat will be available exclusively on beIN, with Animal Planet HD also joining the lineup.

Yousef Al-Obaidly, deputy CEO of beIN Media Group, said, “Partnering with Discovery Communications further strengthens our position as the number one family entertainment platform in the region. Discovery’s channels offer unique content, packaged exceptionally well for the most discerning global audiences. We look forward to working closely with Discovery to bring great new content to MENA.”

JB Perrette, the president of Discovery Networks International, said, “For over 30 years, Discovery has been satisfying viewers’ curiosity through engaging and entertaining content through a list of powerful and loved media brands. In partnership with beIN, we are providing a stronger offer to our viewers and commercial partners, and we look forward to working alongside beIN to increase the reach of our content in the Middle East and Africa.”

A separate distribution deal will see the launch of two new HD channels exclusively for OSN subscribers, even more hours of new content across Discovery’s existing premium portfolio, as well as extended digital rights for OSN’s VOD and catch-up services. Launching on March 31, Discovery Family HD and IDX HD are the latest premium exclusive channels from Discovery, and will join the flagship channels Discovery Channel HD, TLC HD and now Discovery Science HD, which are also exclusive for OSN across the region. Animal Planet HD will also continue to be carried by OSN.

Emad Morcos, the senior VP of media partners and digital at OSN, said: “The long-term partnership with Discovery Communications further strengthens the ‘nowhere else’ television experience that we offer to our subscribers. The exclusive launch of two new channels and the introduction of new content, available across all our platforms, gives us a definitive edge as the go-to destination for thoughtfully executed and intensely researched programs that are a signature of Discovery. The wide breadth of programs on Discovery Family HD and IDX HD will provide family audiences high quality content exclusively on OSN. We will continue to bring exceptional television experiences to our subscribers this year, having already expanded our offering through six new channels.”

“OSN has been our long-standing partner in the region for several years, and we are excited to extend this relationship further and add two new channels to their HD offering,” said James Gibbons, the executive VP and country manager for emerging business at Discovery Networks CEEMEA. “Discovery Family HD is the destination channel that will bring the whole family together, featuring quality programming that will inspire a new way of learning, while IDX HD will have viewers glued to their seats with glossy reconstructions of real-life mysteries. Combined with an increase of new hours of entertaining content across our flagship premium channels, Discovery’s portfolio will now offer even more value for OSN subscribers.”