The FINANCIAL — Ericsson on September 2 announced that it has signed an exclusive multi-year broadcast and media services contract with Image Nation Abu Dhabi, one of the leading content creators in the Middle East.
The contract includes playout, media preparation, media management and archive services for the new Arabic-language TV channel, Quest Arabiya, which is scheduled to launch in Q4 2015, according to Ericsson.
The free-to-air service, which will broadcast 24 hours a day across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, is a joint venture between Image Nation and global pay TV programmer Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA). Quest Arabiya will air a combination of regionally-produced original content along with factual and reality programs from Discovery’s vast library of non-fiction shows, localized for the Arab market.
Earlier in 2015, Ericsson announced a partnership with twofour54, the home of Abu Dhabi’s media industry. As part of this partnership, Ericsson established a broadcast and media hub in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to serve clients across the Middle East and beyond. Quest Arabiya will join the growing portfolio of TV channels managed by Ericsson from this hub.
Carl Von Doussa, General Manager of Channels, Image Nation, says: “Partnering with an industry leader like Ericsson will ensure that Quest Arabiya’s playout and content management operations are in good hands. The agreement is part of our outsourced model, meaning that while Ericsson provides this managed service the Quest Arabiya team can focus on their core expertise: delivering exciting and original Arabic programming across the entire region.
“Ericsson clearly has a great reputation globally and a proven track record of delivery, and we’re looking forward to working together to deliver great content to 45 million households across the MENA region. We are also pleased that we were able to support Ericsson’s growing hub in Abu Dhabi through this agreement,” von Doussa says.
Thorsten Sauer, Head of Broadcast and Media Services, Ericsson, says: “We look forward to working with Image Nation on the launch of its new, eagerly-anticipated TV channel. There is huge appetite for original, Arabic-language content across the Middle East and we are honored to play an integral role in delivering this service 24/7 from our newly-established hub in Abu Dhabi. Our global expertise, local know-how and extensive experience in managing playout operations make us the partner of choice for media companies.”
Ericsson delivers some of the world’s most renowned and premium TV programing, powers some of the industry’s largest and most complex video platforms, and helps the world’s strongest content brands to deliver personalized, high-quality programing to consumers 24/7. Ericsson enables content owners, broadcasters and TV service providers across cable, satellite and telecoms to accelerate their transformation towards TV in the Networked Society. With many expansive solutions that include Media Delivery Network, Ericsson Mediaroom and Cloud DVR, Ericsson has shaped many evolutions in TV for over 20 years such as digital TV, IPTV, HD, and soon UHD and HDR. Ericsson holds numerous patents and has been recognized with five Technical Emmy awards.
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