VIMN Expands MENA Presence

DUBAI: Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) is set to launch three additional channels on pay-TV platform OSN, with Nickelodeon HD, Nick Jr. and MTV Live HD debuting on the MENA pay-TV platform on January 5.

The three channels join VH1 on OSN. With the new partnership with OSN, VIMN will be delivering Nickelodeon HD and Nick Jr. in both English and Arabic starting from February 2015. VIMN's Dubai Media City team will take over the production of Nickelodeon HD. In addition to linear carriage on OSN, the channels will be delivered on the OSN Play multiplatform service.

“This partnership with OSN provides an ideal opportunity for VIMN to deliver a wide range of entertainment content to the MENA region," said Raffaele Annecchino, executive VP and managing director for South Europe, Middle East and Africa at VIMN. "Our kids and family channels, Nickelodeon HD and Nick Jr., along with our music-oriented channels MTV Live HD and VH1, create a perfect balance and provide programming that appeal to audiences ranging from preschoolers to the adult demographic.”

David Butorac, CEO of OSN, added, “We are consistently strengthening our offering of premium and exclusive content to create sustained value for our subscribers. The launch of Nickelodeon HD and Nick Jr, both in Arabic, and the rebranded MTV Live HD strengthens OSN’s engagement with two of the key demographic—children and youth. With over 200 million youth in the MENA region and nearly 63 percent of parents preferring to watch TV with their children as per recent research, the new additions make OSN the go-to platform for entertainment for the entire family. The new channels build on our portfolio of family and children’s entertainment offering, further underlining our commitment to offer content that meets the demand and aspirations of our subscribers.”